Online Class: How To Be a Substitute Teacher

Courses Frequently Bought Together:

Building Children's Reading Skills

How to Teach Reading Fundamentals

Listening Skills 101

Course Motivation

Community Involvement

Some substitute teachers enjoy substituting because of the involvement opportunities it gives them in their communities. Not only does substitute teaching allow people to contribute to their communities in a beneficial way, but it also is an excellent opportunity to work with youth and help make a positive difference in their lives. 

In any community, its residents rely on their schools to teach their young to be prepared to face tomorrow as educated adults. Schools need to meet that challenge even when a regular classroom teacher is unavailable because of a conference, a coaching event, or illness. Substitute teachers make positive community contributions by helping to maintain consistency and provide professional services when schools need it most.

Parents of school age children sometimes choose to become substitute teachers so that they can become involved in their children's schools. Substituting is a great way to become involved in their children's education and have a positive impact on their children's schools. (Some substitutes, however, do decline assignments of classes that have their own children in them.)

Other substitute teachers find it very fulfilling to work with youth. These people have a gift and talent in working with students. As with any situation in which children and youth are involved, it can be challenging to work with this age group (just ask any parent!), and in a classroom setting, it is often one adult to thirty children. However, a desire to work with young people and to help contribute positively to their lives is a rewarding reason to become a substitute teacher.

Experience

Substitute teaching also offers excellent experience for individuals considering a career in teaching, looking to broaden their skills, or hoping to experience different kinds of employment. For people who are thinking about or working toward a career in education, substitute teaching can provide unparalleled hands-on experience in the classroom. Different classroom situations arise, and substitute teachers need to think and react quickly. For people planning to go into education full time, these are valuable opportunities to gain experience in finding a personal classroom management style, dealing with behavioral challenges, and organizing a day. That classroom experience looks good on a resume for people applying for teaching positions. Additionally, this experience can translate into speaking confidently in a job interview for a full time teaching position when the time comes.

Even for people who are between other jobs or careers can find substitute teaching useful and rewarding. The overall job market is more competitive in this economy, and substitute teaching can provide a flexible solution in the interim. Not only can a substitute teacher be able to decline a day's assignment to be available for a job interview elsewhere, but also the time spent substitute teaching fills what would otherwise be an employment gap in the resume. Experience in substitute teaching during an interim period shows a dedication to keep working and a confidence to work at something a little out of the ordinary (from the person's usual career path).

Pay

In general, the pay for substitute teaching is comparable to other part time jobs in the marketplace. When combined with the flexibility and professional schedule that substitute teachers have, this can be an appealing opportunity for people looking for part time work. However, some people may find that some of the educational and certification requirements that some states, municipalities, or school districts impose what may seem disproportionate to the pay that substitute teaching offers.

Pay rates for substitute teachers can vary greatly. The pay rate in a particular school can be based on several factors, including supply and demand, location of the school, available budget, type of assignment, and qualifications of the substitute teacher. In the United States, the lowest pay rates are $20 per day in some of the most rural areas, while in larger urban settings, like New York City or Los Angeles, substitutes could earn $150 per day or more. The average pay for a day's substituting in the United States is around $105, according to the National Substitute Teacher's Alliance. While most schools pay substitutes per day (or per half-day if needed), most substitute teachers work anywhere from six and one-half to seven and one-half hours per day.

Schedule and Flexibility

Substitute teaching offers excellent flexibility within a professional schedule that is unavailable in most other occupations. This reason alone has attracted many people to substituting over the years.

First, the general schedule of substitute teachers involves no evenings, weekends, or holidays. In fact, the end of the workday is the end of the school day, so parents with school age children can work outside the home and still be home in time for their children. Substitute teaching has long appealed to people with active family lifestyles. 

Another benefit in substitute teaching is the flexibility of assignments. If someone is only available to work Tuesdays and Thursdays, that is possible with substitute teaching. If someone is taking a winter skiing vacation, that is also possible to work with. Substitute teachers only accept the assignments that they want. If there is a schedule conflict on a given day, a substitute needs only to decline any requests that come in that day. Of course, the converse is true; there may not be assignments available on days that a substitute teacher is wishing to work.

Additionally, there is flexibility in the types of assignments to accept. Some substitutes prefer working with elementary age children while others enjoy older high school students. Perhaps some substitutes may wish to work in classrooms with a variety of subjects while others want math, science, and technology assignments. Again, the flexibility is there to accept or decline any assignment.