Shakespeare's Hamlet: The WORST substitute teacher EVER still offers some good advice.

Indecision...Irritability...Irrationality...We would never hire this guy as a Substitute Teacher. The melancholy Dane wouldn't even get halfway through a Teachers On Reserve job interview. He clearly doesn't have the right temperament for substitute teaching, but he drops at least one pearl of wisdom in Act V that we'd like to pass on...

If it be not now, yet it will

come—the readiness is all. -- Hamlet, Act V scene ii

In the subbing business, readiness equals success. Your job, as a substitute starts before you get the call and ends after the last bell rings. You may not be called every day of every week but to be the best substitute you can be, here are some tips for making your teaching day as successful as possible include some simple preparations.

MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO GET TO THE SCHOOL! It would be great if subs had a day or two to plot their route to a new school but in many cases you have just a few minutes to get out the door. Making sure that you have a reliable GPS system (got a smart phone?) or even a good old-fashioned map of your area ensures you’ll arrive with time to get settled and review the lesson plan. In addition, your punctuality instills confidence in the staff, faculty and students that you know how to be a professional teacher.
Googlemaps is almost always a reliable choice but a free app like WAZE can plot your route while taking current traffic into consideration

We all hope that there will be lesson plans when we walk into the classroom but, in many cases, there aren’t.  It’s up to you to have relevant and engaging material for your students. Keeping your “Teaching Tool Box” up to date can make days like this a breeze. Having activities that pertain to a range of grade levels and a range of subjects will mean that you aren’t scrambling to fill time. Our substitute teacher training partner, STEDI has a great collection of classroom activity suggestions! 

Don’t forget to bring along a blank 'progress report' (at TOR, we call it a ‘Welcome Back Letter') to leave behind at the day's end. This shows the full-time teacher that you take your job seriously, keep him/her informed of where to pick up in the lesson and it is a great way to get yourself on the Teacher’s ‘preferred’ or ‘requested’ list…that means more work for you!

Take care of the basics. Get yourself ready yourself for classroom success. The readiness is all.

P.S. for more awesome Shakespearean learning ideas, follow this GREAT blog!

Visit us at www.teachersonreserve.com

Subs are an important part of the puzzle!

People find themselves Substitute Teaching for many different reasons. Newer teachers are seeking more classroom experience in order to become full-time teachers. Parents are returning to the workforce after volunteering at their child's school. Retired teachers want to keep their hand in the classroom without all the lesson planning and grading. A Sub could be a creative person who needs to maintain a flexible schedule but has the knack for and the love of teaching.  

Substitutes come from a myriad of backgrounds and they are a very important part of the educational process. Subbing should not be thought of as a "job of last resort" and it should never be thought of as an "easy paycheck." Subbing requires a very specific set of skills and is integral to the school environment.

Each Sub is expected to provide a seamless transition during teacher absences. Teachers really count on reliable subs, not just for the common sick day, but to keep student learning on track while they attend conferences and participate in ongoing staff development, where they learn new and innovative teaching techniques and methods.

A Sub is someone full-time teachers must trust to implement a lesson plan, keep the class engaged and learning and to update the teacher upon the teacher’s return

If it's done right, it’s as if the returning teacher never skipped a beat.

So thank you, Subs! You keep schools running like well-oiled machines!

Visit us at www.teachersonreserve.com

L'Shana Tova

The evening of September 4 through the evening of September 6 is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and TOR would like to say L'Shana Tova to our Jewish affiliated client schools, subs and teachers!

For those of you not familiar with the holiday and its meaning:

"L'Shana Tova," means "For a Good Year" or simply to say “Happy New Year”.  Following RoshHashanah, are the days Jews all over the world undergo self-reflection, repentance, music and prayer and it ends with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  Yom Kippur is generally considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, beginning sundown on Friday September 13.

Shana Tova!

Tuesday Teacher Feature: Charles Dawson!

If there is anyone who knows substitute teaching, it's this guy! Meet our substitute, Charles Dawson, for this month's Tuesday Teacher Feature! He is one of our most requested and preferred teachers. Read on to find out why!

TOR: How long have you been substitute teaching with TOR?
CD: I have been substitute teaching with TOR for 4-5 years.

TOR: What is your favorite subject to teach?
CD: My favorite subject is math.

TOR: When you're not subbing, what might we find you doing?
CD: I am doing a number of things when I am not subbing.  Some of the things include: working out, repairing cars, repairing things around the house (handy-man duties), listening to music (jazz enthusiast), attending my children's sports events and gardening.  Occasionally reading, but I am an active person.

TOR: What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out as a sub?
CD: Advice I would share with someone just starting out as a sub is to be flexible.  Flexibility is key because each school is different and has its own culture. Remember, what's important for one school may not necessarily be as important for the next. 

TOR:  What is your 'go-to' classroom management trick?
CD: I really don't have a 'go to' class management trick.  I explain to the students that "I" am THE teacher today and I am not here to babysit anyone; I am here to educate.  So, if someone needs a babysitter, they may leave the classroom to go call their parent or guardian because inappropriate will not be tolerated.  I convey my motto: "Do what you have to do, so you can do what........? (wait for answers)... what you want to do (naturally , there are parameters)!!

TOR: What do you find most rewarding about substitute teaching?
CD: I find the challenge of going to a different school on a daily basis and successfully earning the students' respect, completing all tasks asked of me while educating and motivating today's youth, America's future leaders, most rewarding.

TOR: What is the most important thing you've learned as a guest teacher in different schools?
CD: The most important thing I've learned as a guest teacher in different schools is not to be rigid in my approach to educating. There are lots of ways and teaching methods students use to learn and you will find that schools allow teachers to implement a number of nontraditional methods of teaching to educate their students.  The key is to figure out the most effective strategy to teach the material, given the small window one usually has to do it.

TOR: Describe one of your favorite moments in the classroom.
CD: One of my favorite classroom moments was when a student asked to take a picture with me. I was shocked because he always gave me a hard time (like oil and water). He was smart, well-liked, and handsome, but his behavior was far from ideal. He wanted to pursue a career in entertainment.  He told me he wanted to keep this in his archive because he appreciated me constantly challenging him to strive to be the best.

How to stock your Teaching Toolbox

Just because you may be traveling to a different school or classroom every day that you are assigned a job, doesn’t mean that you can’t be prepared with a few tricks up your sleeve. Of course, it’s much easier when there are lesson plans left in the classroom, but that is not always the case. And as a sub, you still must be able to keep the class focused and on task. No matter what grade level or subject for which you are the guest teacher, it is always good to have a range of teaching activities and fillers for students to do when there are no plans or students finish early. Check out what our good friends over at STEDI have for activities to print out and keep in your teaching toolbox. They are a great place to start looking when you need ideas for classroom activities.

In addition to having activities on hand, should you need them, always keep your toolbox stocked with supplies that you may need. Bring a selection or sharpened pencils (graphite and colored), ball point pens (in blue, black and red), dry erase markers and make sure they all have your name on them so that you are sure to get them back if they are loaned out to students. Tape, scissors and glue are useful to have on hand. However, you may want to avoid loaning these things out as a safety precaution, especially in elementary classrooms. Post-its, rulers and calculators always come in handy, as well.

Some subs find it makes their day and the students’ day much smoother when the students are given name tags. Keeping some blank name tags in your toolbox wouldn’t hurt either.

You should always have blank copies of our ‘Welcome Back’ letter so that you can let the teacher know how the day went and where you left off. These can be found when you log into your Teachers on Reserve profile.

Last but not least, unless you’ve subbed for a physical education class on a full football field with 30 students, you’ll never fully appreciate the benefits of your own whistle.

Oh yeah! And don’t forget your TOR badge! It serves as your hall pass and identifies you to everyone you encounter on campus. So stock up that Toolbox and happy teaching! Follow us on Twitter or ‘like’ us on Facebook to tell us what else YOU like to keep in your Teaching Toolbox!

Visit us at www.teachersonreserve.com

Schools are back!

It’s August 27th and about (percentage of client schools) of Teachers On Reserve's client schools are already back in session! We’re gearing up for a productive, brand new school year and we can’t wait to get our top-notch substitutes out in the field! This is the time we all need get our ducks in a row and be ready for anything.

Substitutes need to pack their substitute Teacher Toolbox with activities and everything they'll need from the school supplies list (check back within the week for more tips on filling that toolbox) and print out their TOR ID badge.

Schools need to make sure their sub packets, backup lesson plans and emergency/safety plans for substitutes are ready to hand out.

Substitute assignments during the first few weeks of the school year can be sporadic, but some schools need subs right away. Fall can be unpredictable for schools too, and some may still need to fill permanent teaching positions.

We all need to be ready to make a good impression as we head backto school and prepare for a successful school year!

Visit us at www.teachersonreserve.com 

Bon Voyage - The Opening Days of Your Journey

The first day of school is extremely important whether you are a full-time teacher or just stepping in as a guest teacher.  It is when the expectations, routines and procedures take root and form the framework for the year ahead.  Everything that happens in the classroom in the opening weeks should be about providing the atmosphere that leaves each student each day with a feeling of success and accomplishment.  Now is when the student is deciding to “care” or “not care so much”- if this year is going to be a positive or a negative experience.

A successful classroom takes strategic planning to build a community which cares for the social, emotional, and physical as well as academic well-being of each individual.  Students learn best when they feel they are a part of a community where everyone feels accepted collectively and yet supported and respected individually.

Remember back to when you were a student – what mattered to you, what made an impression.  For most of us it was the kind word, the positive attitude, the energetic style, the creative moment. It was the learning opportunity when we felt successful, the academic challenge when we worked hard and triumphed.  If you are in the classroom for a short time or an extended time, do your part to establish a positive tone, a collaborative community, from day one.

In the first week, activities for kids, that serve as “icebreakers” are a simple tool to get to know your students and for them to get to know you.  The internet is full of various icebreaker ideas - just make sure they are age-appropriate. 

What are your thoughts on the opening days of school? What are your tips for being a “pro teacher” during the first few days of school? Tell us here!

Visit us at www.teachersonreserve.com