By now, I'm sure you've met those subs who have either completely moved away from the subfinder system to get jobs or they say nothing when you mention how difficult it is to get jobs through subfinder as there always seem to be none available. Yet there are 7-14 subs in any given high school in our district on any given day. Those jobs come from somewhere and go to somewhere. HOW are they getting those jobs, when it's a struggle for you to fill two or three days of your week?
That's an awesome question, with an even more awesome answer: Subs who get asked back make less work for the teacher - networking is a blessing for both substitute and teacher. The more teachers who feel comfortable contacting me at home via email or calling me on my home phone, the better. Lesson plans over a glass of wine the night before? Sure!
Well-networked subs that are good get more jobs than well-networked subs that are bad. Even well-networked subs that are bad get more jobs more easily than less-networked subs. Better, those networks mean that when the teacher is in a moment of crisis and can't remember her own phone number, she remembers your name and slugs it into the subfinder system. She may be able to find nothing more than her phone (maybe) to deal with the situation, or place a single phone call to school "Get Susie!), but you'll be the one they call because they know you can do the job and their normally well-prepared students will be well-cared-for in their absence.
This emphasis on networking has landed me paternity leave stints, a couple of surgery long-term jobs and one emergency injury day that turned into 8 weeks through the end of the year.
On the FTE teacher side, networking with subs is something that may not even cross their mind. Do yourself a favour and head to that faculty room for lunch, and let them see your face and know that you know their building and the kids in it. Give them your card (or two!) and invite them to call you if they ever need a sub. They all say they never need subs, but that's kinda like saying you never need a spare tire. Nails in the road of life happen, and your card may be the one that's tucked in their purse or wallet. Being the teacher who can step in for them is a blessing to them.
Giving them the time to worry about their families, children, life situations and whatever else may be taking them away from the job so suddenly is a blessing, and that starts by being there before they need you to say hi and introduce yourself. Knowing that they won't come back to a stack of grading, an inbox full of angry parent emails and a note from the principal saying "See me" is a blessing. Doing all you can to ensure that they come back to as little work as possible is a very meaningful thing.
What's stopping you from networking? Make it your New Year's resolution to jump start your career by shaking a few hands and saying hello! You'll never know what kind of dividends each handshake will pay.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Feedback Loops in Substitute Teaching
It's one of my favourite parts of the job: I'm really my own boss, and I make myself work harder if I don't do the job right, because then I have to do it again with another teacher's kids and I don't get invited back. It's a nice feedback loop, actually. Unfortunately it's too late to do much about the situation that caused you not to be invited back once the teacher has returned to the carnage, but what can you do?
First, look for your instant feedback. What are your students doing? Do the "right" kids like you and seem to be working? Are the "button-pushers" complaining about you? You're probably doing your job just fine. Teachers actually expect certain names to find their way into the sub note. Tell them what you did to deal with those kids instead of just saying "Johnny Migrainebestower was in fine form today, flinging dry erase markers at the board to see if he could get them to hit just right to make a mark when uncapped." Please tell me you dealt with that issue on the spot! "Johnny was attempting to throw dry erase markers. I removed the markers and moved him to the isolation desk to work, then had a hallway conversation before I sent him next door to work."
No, those feedback loops are available immediately when the kids who want to work can work and those who don't want to work aren't disrupting anything else. That's a nice status quo for the room. If you can get those other kids to turn in *something* (really, anything) you're leagues ahead.
Another good longer-term feedback loop is your return-request rate (RRR). I keep a job log that's rather ridiculous, but effective. It gives me a very good snapshot of what I'm doing and how my averages are moving in terms of the health of my "business" subbing. I look at the year in total, and the last thirty days for "growth."
Over the first 30 days of the year, my RRR was 26%. It's not stellar, but the first thirty days of the school year are always a bit dicey because nobody is necessarily sure you're still subbing. Heck, if you're good, maybe you went and got a classroom of your own. It happens! Our district specifically forbids using the District email system to ask for work, so I make sure to stop in and say hi to teachers I know and love working for at the start of the year, just to let them know that I'm around.
The next thirty days will end at the end of this week. This one is much more telling. My RRR has moved to 63%. That represents 19 days of work from 8 teachers. All are good, rarely take days off, and plan well when they do take them. That's a HUGE jump and a nice bit of relaxation for me. 5 of those days are with kids who I will spend 12 days of their school year with for this teacher, and am working on six for another with them.
By using my feedback loops to get better, looking critically at what worked to get my good kids able to work and my disruptors to be less-disruptive, I was able to move the pendulum of my business MUCH further to the favourable and much faster than I ever dreamed.
When the semester ends, I'll have another 30 day mark to look at, and I expect that it will show a movement much closer to 80% RRR. To me, that's actually ideal. It keeps you available to other teachers and at the last minute if an office manager needs to scramble to fill. It lets you get into other rooms once in awhile, but 4 out of 5 of your work days are spent with kids you know, love, enjoy and are building trusting educational relationships with. That's a winning combo.
Now, my challenge to you: What feedback loops are most useful to you? Are they personal observation or external observation? Do you seek out principals and other colleagues to observe you?
First, look for your instant feedback. What are your students doing? Do the "right" kids like you and seem to be working? Are the "button-pushers" complaining about you? You're probably doing your job just fine. Teachers actually expect certain names to find their way into the sub note. Tell them what you did to deal with those kids instead of just saying "Johnny Migrainebestower was in fine form today, flinging dry erase markers at the board to see if he could get them to hit just right to make a mark when uncapped." Please tell me you dealt with that issue on the spot! "Johnny was attempting to throw dry erase markers. I removed the markers and moved him to the isolation desk to work, then had a hallway conversation before I sent him next door to work."
No, those feedback loops are available immediately when the kids who want to work can work and those who don't want to work aren't disrupting anything else. That's a nice status quo for the room. If you can get those other kids to turn in *something* (really, anything) you're leagues ahead.
Another good longer-term feedback loop is your return-request rate (RRR). I keep a job log that's rather ridiculous, but effective. It gives me a very good snapshot of what I'm doing and how my averages are moving in terms of the health of my "business" subbing. I look at the year in total, and the last thirty days for "growth."
Over the first 30 days of the year, my RRR was 26%. It's not stellar, but the first thirty days of the school year are always a bit dicey because nobody is necessarily sure you're still subbing. Heck, if you're good, maybe you went and got a classroom of your own. It happens! Our district specifically forbids using the District email system to ask for work, so I make sure to stop in and say hi to teachers I know and love working for at the start of the year, just to let them know that I'm around.
The next thirty days will end at the end of this week. This one is much more telling. My RRR has moved to 63%. That represents 19 days of work from 8 teachers. All are good, rarely take days off, and plan well when they do take them. That's a HUGE jump and a nice bit of relaxation for me. 5 of those days are with kids who I will spend 12 days of their school year with for this teacher, and am working on six for another with them.
By using my feedback loops to get better, looking critically at what worked to get my good kids able to work and my disruptors to be less-disruptive, I was able to move the pendulum of my business MUCH further to the favourable and much faster than I ever dreamed.
When the semester ends, I'll have another 30 day mark to look at, and I expect that it will show a movement much closer to 80% RRR. To me, that's actually ideal. It keeps you available to other teachers and at the last minute if an office manager needs to scramble to fill. It lets you get into other rooms once in awhile, but 4 out of 5 of your work days are spent with kids you know, love, enjoy and are building trusting educational relationships with. That's a winning combo.
Now, my challenge to you: What feedback loops are most useful to you? Are they personal observation or external observation? Do you seek out principals and other colleagues to observe you?
Sunday, December 11, 2011
'Twas the week before Christmas (break!)
Wow, if this isn't my least favourite week of the year, I don't know what is. Depending on the year and what kids I had, the last day or two before Christmas break was AWFUL! Or it was awesome. It all depended on how I'd planned my year.
First, don't be afraid to let people (whose kids you like...) know that your schedule is filling fast, and if they'd like you to hold any days that are in high demand (like the last day before any break) you'd be happy to. There's no harm if you do this. The upside is that you might have kids you like and who know you. Bonus! If it doesn't pan out, you'll get a call that day. Guaranteed.
Second, be vigilant on subfinder, making sure that you can fill your schedule with teachers you like, rather than just what's available. Get those cards out when you are in jobs, so teachers know how to reach you and request you.
Be prepared with some random holiday-y activities and things that will engage the whole class if need be. Silent ball works. Any sub who can keep a class together on the last day before a break without a solid lesson plan is golden. Heads-down, Thumbs-Up works, too. If you're lucky, you'll have no more than 60-minutes to fill for each class. If you're unlucky, the kids are on blocks and you're going to have to scramble.
Also, your budget plays into this. While it's nice to be available during those high-demand days, look at your budget numbers and see what you can do to avoid it if you don't have something lined up before it happens. How nice would it be to go on vacation a day early and not deal with those stressors all day? Look at your budget. Can you do it? Consider it!
The best year of holidays for me was the year I had the honors social studies and language arts kids for the three days the week of Thanksgiving and the entire week before Christmas. They were amazing, as always. They focused all week, got their work done, read their books and even cleaned up perfectly after their holiday party and gift exchange on the last day. That's how that week *should* look for subs. Tests are also great ways to spend that last day, as it forces focus and eliminates that need for kids to be reminded of material for a test when they return from break.
I had one year I regretted working that last day when I was showing Elf and the kids were allowed to bring food. One kid ate so many cookies he put himself into a sugar coma before the end of class and had a pounding headache when he woke up. The kids were predictably bouncy, unfocused and unproductive, as was planned. Unfortunately, I was not properly equipped to handle that.
All too often, that last day is a management nightmare. That week is dicey. By doing some careful planning on either activities to entertain or just not working that day, you can easily avoid stressful work days, saving your sanity and your energy for your family.
First, don't be afraid to let people (whose kids you like...) know that your schedule is filling fast, and if they'd like you to hold any days that are in high demand (like the last day before any break) you'd be happy to. There's no harm if you do this. The upside is that you might have kids you like and who know you. Bonus! If it doesn't pan out, you'll get a call that day. Guaranteed.
Second, be vigilant on subfinder, making sure that you can fill your schedule with teachers you like, rather than just what's available. Get those cards out when you are in jobs, so teachers know how to reach you and request you.
Be prepared with some random holiday-y activities and things that will engage the whole class if need be. Silent ball works. Any sub who can keep a class together on the last day before a break without a solid lesson plan is golden. Heads-down, Thumbs-Up works, too. If you're lucky, you'll have no more than 60-minutes to fill for each class. If you're unlucky, the kids are on blocks and you're going to have to scramble.
Also, your budget plays into this. While it's nice to be available during those high-demand days, look at your budget numbers and see what you can do to avoid it if you don't have something lined up before it happens. How nice would it be to go on vacation a day early and not deal with those stressors all day? Look at your budget. Can you do it? Consider it!
The best year of holidays for me was the year I had the honors social studies and language arts kids for the three days the week of Thanksgiving and the entire week before Christmas. They were amazing, as always. They focused all week, got their work done, read their books and even cleaned up perfectly after their holiday party and gift exchange on the last day. That's how that week *should* look for subs. Tests are also great ways to spend that last day, as it forces focus and eliminates that need for kids to be reminded of material for a test when they return from break.
I had one year I regretted working that last day when I was showing Elf and the kids were allowed to bring food. One kid ate so many cookies he put himself into a sugar coma before the end of class and had a pounding headache when he woke up. The kids were predictably bouncy, unfocused and unproductive, as was planned. Unfortunately, I was not properly equipped to handle that.
All too often, that last day is a management nightmare. That week is dicey. By doing some careful planning on either activities to entertain or just not working that day, you can easily avoid stressful work days, saving your sanity and your energy for your family.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Giving Away Control - Really!
As a sub, there's nothing more frustrating than feeling like the kids are in control of the room. You should be, right? Rule that room with an iron fist. No! You can't go to the bathroom. What do you think you're doing with your headphones in? Texting? Not on my watch! RAWR!
Seriously... you're going to give yourself a migraine and you're not winning kid hearts. Granted, you don't *have* to win kid hearts, but it really helps when you do.
The good news is that you don't have to be a complete pushover to win kid hearts - and you don't have win all their hearts, just the ones that really want to work with you and will if you are reasonable. Then you can deal with your troublemakers without creating more.
There are two policies I enforce religiously in classes. The first is the electronics policy: They're not allowed unless and until the regular classroom teacher leaves me a note that they are. End of story. You challenge that, and consequences happen. It's that fast and that easy. Administrators are grateful when I call to get a cell phone removed from my room. It's one more teacher who is standing by the school policy. It's also an entire room of students who see, firsthand, that I mean what I say and I will back it up all the way to removal from my room if it becomes a greater issue.
The other policy I enforce is for safety of all students, and it deals with food. In the vast majority of classes, food is not allowed. In science labs, it's completely verboten. In other classrooms, it all depends on school rules, teacher rules and class allergies. If I have a student with a fatal allergy to foods at any point in my day, nobody eats in any of my classes and I will call an administrator to remove a child who refuses to abide. Straight up, that kid who is eating could kill a kid next period, and I'd be responsible. That's not okay, and it's a battle I will justify picking to anyone who needs justification. It's not just food. It's a potential attack on another student if it's peanut butter.
But that brings me to the title of this post: Giving away control. Outside those two fairly unyielding policies, I have very few rules that cannot be modified to fit the situation. Bathroom passes are granted one at a time with a sign-out sheet for the students, and they largely self-monitor. They control it.
Movement about the room, I'm not so picky on if they're working and productive. Even when I've asked them to stay in their seats, I'm willing to overlook the ones who move (they know that I'm granting amnesty) if they're productive and not disrupting. This is especially true if the class is nice and I have a photo seating chart.
I seldom know what a teacher's absolute rules are, or how passes are granted or anything else. My information is limited. By giving some control away in bathroom passes and movement, I'm better able to enforce those rules I do care about and show that I'm not entirely evil, just trying to maintain some semblance of order and an atmosphere of productivity.
Seriously... you're going to give yourself a migraine and you're not winning kid hearts. Granted, you don't *have* to win kid hearts, but it really helps when you do.
The good news is that you don't have to be a complete pushover to win kid hearts - and you don't have win all their hearts, just the ones that really want to work with you and will if you are reasonable. Then you can deal with your troublemakers without creating more.
There are two policies I enforce religiously in classes. The first is the electronics policy: They're not allowed unless and until the regular classroom teacher leaves me a note that they are. End of story. You challenge that, and consequences happen. It's that fast and that easy. Administrators are grateful when I call to get a cell phone removed from my room. It's one more teacher who is standing by the school policy. It's also an entire room of students who see, firsthand, that I mean what I say and I will back it up all the way to removal from my room if it becomes a greater issue.
The other policy I enforce is for safety of all students, and it deals with food. In the vast majority of classes, food is not allowed. In science labs, it's completely verboten. In other classrooms, it all depends on school rules, teacher rules and class allergies. If I have a student with a fatal allergy to foods at any point in my day, nobody eats in any of my classes and I will call an administrator to remove a child who refuses to abide. Straight up, that kid who is eating could kill a kid next period, and I'd be responsible. That's not okay, and it's a battle I will justify picking to anyone who needs justification. It's not just food. It's a potential attack on another student if it's peanut butter.
But that brings me to the title of this post: Giving away control. Outside those two fairly unyielding policies, I have very few rules that cannot be modified to fit the situation. Bathroom passes are granted one at a time with a sign-out sheet for the students, and they largely self-monitor. They control it.
Movement about the room, I'm not so picky on if they're working and productive. Even when I've asked them to stay in their seats, I'm willing to overlook the ones who move (they know that I'm granting amnesty) if they're productive and not disrupting. This is especially true if the class is nice and I have a photo seating chart.
I seldom know what a teacher's absolute rules are, or how passes are granted or anything else. My information is limited. By giving some control away in bathroom passes and movement, I'm better able to enforce those rules I do care about and show that I'm not entirely evil, just trying to maintain some semblance of order and an atmosphere of productivity.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
What are my job expectations? – Working Hours
OH, the life of a substitute. You roll through the door at 6:30 or 7:00 or whatever time you’re supposed to be there, and you get done at 3 or 3:30 (or 1:50 if I’m really lucky!) according to the hours on the substitute scheduling system. When you walk out those school doors, you don’t have grading or conferences or emails or parents to deal with. The joy! You don’t even have to see those kids again tomorrow or ever again in that configuration. It’s all up to you.
But what do you REALLY have to do? There’s a planning period, right? That’s my time. I can go places. I can do whatever I want. And what about that half-hour before and after school? Do I REALLY have to be there a half-hour after the kids go? After all, I don’t have anything to do.
There are two types of people in play here: Those who want to return to that school and those who do not. I will deal with the first group here. The second will be in a later post.
For those who wish to return to the school, I recommend making life as easy as possible for the time period you were there. The less work the teacher, administrators and secretaries (don’t underestimate these amazing people, by the way) have to do as the result of the absence, the more likely it is that you will be called back. Show up on time and leave on time – don’t do anything halfway. Your lunch should be yours, but be back within the designated time and don’t forget to check out through the office. If you have duty at lunch, I'm sorry.
Grading gets you bonus points, especially if you finish all the grading of a given assignment, so then it doesn’t matter what rubric you used, because it was consistent. If you didn’t finish it and didn’t leave the rubric you used, then you may as well not have done the grading at all. The teacher has to spend time figuring out your rubric, then grading or regrading all the work.
Leaving a note is a must, but be clear and specific. If the kid used offensive language, it’s fine to put it in the note, as long as it’s in quotation marks. It should be, in fact, because the teacher can deal with it directly, in whatever manner he or she chooses, with all the information at hand. “Offensive Language” doesn’t really help them much, as my standards may differ from yours.
Clean the room. Simple, but often overlooked. Does the room look like it did when you walked in? Restore it as much as possible and you’ll be well on your way to an invitation to return. Bonus points for removing pencil from desks and tidying the floor.
Subs who do things like this spend a little bit of time investing in their professional image, and it’s a great way to use the time at the end of the day. Leaving at the official end of your work day and doing the little stuff is a sure way to get invited back.
What do you do that makes you that much more appealing for a requested return?
But what do you REALLY have to do? There’s a planning period, right? That’s my time. I can go places. I can do whatever I want. And what about that half-hour before and after school? Do I REALLY have to be there a half-hour after the kids go? After all, I don’t have anything to do.
There are two types of people in play here: Those who want to return to that school and those who do not. I will deal with the first group here. The second will be in a later post.
For those who wish to return to the school, I recommend making life as easy as possible for the time period you were there. The less work the teacher, administrators and secretaries (don’t underestimate these amazing people, by the way) have to do as the result of the absence, the more likely it is that you will be called back. Show up on time and leave on time – don’t do anything halfway. Your lunch should be yours, but be back within the designated time and don’t forget to check out through the office. If you have duty at lunch, I'm sorry.
Grading gets you bonus points, especially if you finish all the grading of a given assignment, so then it doesn’t matter what rubric you used, because it was consistent. If you didn’t finish it and didn’t leave the rubric you used, then you may as well not have done the grading at all. The teacher has to spend time figuring out your rubric, then grading or regrading all the work.
Leaving a note is a must, but be clear and specific. If the kid used offensive language, it’s fine to put it in the note, as long as it’s in quotation marks. It should be, in fact, because the teacher can deal with it directly, in whatever manner he or she chooses, with all the information at hand. “Offensive Language” doesn’t really help them much, as my standards may differ from yours.
Clean the room. Simple, but often overlooked. Does the room look like it did when you walked in? Restore it as much as possible and you’ll be well on your way to an invitation to return. Bonus points for removing pencil from desks and tidying the floor.
Subs who do things like this spend a little bit of time investing in their professional image, and it’s a great way to use the time at the end of the day. Leaving at the official end of your work day and doing the little stuff is a sure way to get invited back.
What do you do that makes you that much more appealing for a requested return?
Friday, November 18, 2011
Welcome to the jungle!
First off, I know that you’re not finding this blog because you’re a crack substitute teacher who knows his or her stuff and is on the fast-track to a full-time position at the dream school with perfect parents and ideal administrative support. You might also be a teacher looking to use your subs better, leave better plans and generally get more out of your kids when you have subs. I can help with that, too.
No. If you’re a sub, you’re frustrated. You feel targeted. You’re a substitute teacher desperately seeking some advice and coping skills for a job that your teaching education (if you had any) didn’t prepare you for.
1. Subbing is 95% management. Especially at first. Almost nothing we could do in student teaching would prepare us for this daily struggle.
2. Knowing which battles to choose is impossible to do perfectly, every time. Just accept that there will be good days and bad days. In time, the good will outnumber the bad.
3. Some basic strategies CAN get you through. You will survive.
This blog is for substitute and classroom teachers who want to do more, be more and accomplish more out of their workday (or their subs). Subs have a target painted on your forehead from the moment they walk into a school office. It’s okay.
I’m here to help.
Who am I? I’ve been a substitute teacher in Washington State, on and off, since 2004. I graduated from a school of education with a history degree and teaching certificate. I did my student teaching in 8th grade, with the smartest kids in the school. I hold a provisional primary endorsement in 4-12 Grades Social Studies and History, and a lifetime P-12 Substitute Teaching Certificate.
When I started subbing in Spokane, I realized that jobs for non-coach history teachers were few and far between, only coming via lateral transfer in the vast majority of cases. I couldn’t do that, because I wasn’t qualified to start anywhere but history.
Then my family obligations intensified and substitute teaching became an ideal role for the flexibility I needed. If only the job came with benefits and a decent salary! Now I have what I can only describe as ADD of the career, happily embracing the day-to-day variety that comes with substitute teaching. It’s definitely a calling.
In the past eight years, I’ve worked for six different districts in the three major population centers of Washington. I spent 143 days in one school, then ran afoul of politics at the start of the following year when a new teacher joined the staff. I found a home in two other schools primarily, working with their gifted students and gradually increasing my referral base. I am a middle school teacher by vocation, and a high school teacher when necessary. Elementary school kids, while adorable, are just a touch scary. Tattling is just not something I handle well. Passive aggression and the silent treatment are right up my alley, though. Bring on the middle schoolers!
I hope you find a home here, with some solid advice and encouragement for this incredibly challenging job. Good luck, and feel free to comment. I'll do my best to respond.
No. If you’re a sub, you’re frustrated. You feel targeted. You’re a substitute teacher desperately seeking some advice and coping skills for a job that your teaching education (if you had any) didn’t prepare you for.
1. Subbing is 95% management. Especially at first. Almost nothing we could do in student teaching would prepare us for this daily struggle.
2. Knowing which battles to choose is impossible to do perfectly, every time. Just accept that there will be good days and bad days. In time, the good will outnumber the bad.
3. Some basic strategies CAN get you through. You will survive.
This blog is for substitute and classroom teachers who want to do more, be more and accomplish more out of their workday (or their subs). Subs have a target painted on your forehead from the moment they walk into a school office. It’s okay.
I’m here to help.
Who am I? I’ve been a substitute teacher in Washington State, on and off, since 2004. I graduated from a school of education with a history degree and teaching certificate. I did my student teaching in 8th grade, with the smartest kids in the school. I hold a provisional primary endorsement in 4-12 Grades Social Studies and History, and a lifetime P-12 Substitute Teaching Certificate.
When I started subbing in Spokane, I realized that jobs for non-coach history teachers were few and far between, only coming via lateral transfer in the vast majority of cases. I couldn’t do that, because I wasn’t qualified to start anywhere but history.
Then my family obligations intensified and substitute teaching became an ideal role for the flexibility I needed. If only the job came with benefits and a decent salary! Now I have what I can only describe as ADD of the career, happily embracing the day-to-day variety that comes with substitute teaching. It’s definitely a calling.
In the past eight years, I’ve worked for six different districts in the three major population centers of Washington. I spent 143 days in one school, then ran afoul of politics at the start of the following year when a new teacher joined the staff. I found a home in two other schools primarily, working with their gifted students and gradually increasing my referral base. I am a middle school teacher by vocation, and a high school teacher when necessary. Elementary school kids, while adorable, are just a touch scary. Tattling is just not something I handle well. Passive aggression and the silent treatment are right up my alley, though. Bring on the middle schoolers!
I hope you find a home here, with some solid advice and encouragement for this incredibly challenging job. Good luck, and feel free to comment. I'll do my best to respond.
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