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 activitiesand 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

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

IT'S AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK!

During American Education Week, Americans nationwide are joining the National Education Association (NEA) in raising awareness about the need to provide every child with a quality education. The celebration highlights the importance of bringing together educators, parents, students, and communities in a unified effort to build great schools. 

It also reflects NEA's vision of calling upon America to provide school students with quality schools so that they can grow and achieve in the 21st century.

To further reinforce American Education Week's theme, each day of the week will spotlight the different people who are critical in building great schools for the nation's 50 million K-12 students. 

Tomorrow is especially important to TOR...

Friday, November 16: Substitute Educators Day. This day honors the educators who are called upon to replace regularly employed teachers.

Thanksgiving Activities

Holidays are always fun in the classroom and Thanksgiving is no exception.  It’s a chance to explore different cultures and do something a little different that day. 

Crafts are great ways for a substitute to fill time if there are no lesson plans or the lesson plans are completed early and there are many thanksgiving crafts for kids. A favorite of ours involves bringing a pre-made turkey body (either out of construction paper or light foam) along with colorful construction paper cut into feathers. Have each student write what they’re thankful for on a feather. Then stick each feather into the turkey creating a colorful tail and a unified piece of art work!   You can also distribute colorful pieces of paper and have each student write a thank you note to a friend or family member.

Not only do activities like this help a substitute to keep students engaged but they make a wonderful ‘welcome back’ gift for the returning teacher!

*Please remember to keep in mind that not every school celebrates holidays in the same way.  Prior to engaging in holiday activities make sure to check and see how the holiday is handled by the school.

Visit us at www.teachersonreserve.com

I'm finally giving George Lucas a pass on Jar Jar Binks...

...and forgiving him for the Ewoks and the Battle of Endor.

Here's the best reason to take it easy on George: edutopia.org.

It's an awesome site.

Since the 1990's, his educational foundation has been dedicated to telling the stories of what actually works in education.

Here's a great piece from edutopia.org by Ben Johnson on student engagement - Great Teachers Don't Teach.

It's about:

• Stacking the deck in your students' favor
• Firing them up
• Getting out of their way

Enjoy that summer break!

So, here's the TRUTH about teaching in California. .

There’s a statewide SHORTAGE OF SUBS & FULL-TIME TEACHERS because…

In 2009…

• Economy freaked out.
• Jobs were cut.
• TEACHERS FOUND OTHER WORK.

In 2016…

• Economy improves.
• Schools now hiring.
• MASSIVE TEACHER SHORTAGE.

Why should I care?

You should be teaching with Teachers On Reserve RIGHT NOW…because YOU are a TEACHER .

You are:

• An old pro
• A new pro
• A pro-in-training

OR

• A diamond in the rough…

…and just about EVERY KIND OF COMPETENT TEACHER IS GOING TO GET A CHANCE TO SHINE during this shortage.

2014-2015 was the busiest school year EVER for us.

2015-2016?

Even BUSIER.

Teachers On Reserve acts like a district sub pool for the schools that don't have one. We match your strengths and availability with our client school's needs and then you get to be BRILLIANT.

We invite you to jump into our Sub Pool. Right NOW is the time to take the plunge for this school year. Get hired, get known and be ready for temp or perm teaching, whichever works for you.

We'll help you prepare and call you with jobs. We'll pay you for saving the day and even give you a BONUS FOR COMPLETING TRAINING THAT BOOSTS CLASSROOM SUCCESS.

You’re looking at a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to GET YOUR FOOT IN THE RIGHT DOOR. Whether you’ve got a current CA Teaching Credential, a pending credential, an expired credential, an out-of-state credential or NO CREDENTIAL – we have client schools that need you.

Don’t sit on the fence.

Schools can’t wait…kids can’t wait…YOU can’t wait. The pendulum is going swing back soon and this fleeting employment extravaganza will go the way of Halley’s Comet and Brigadoon.

Hey, I can get a job on my own…

True, you may be able snag one on your own. We’ll be the first to congratulate you – but wouldn’t you rather have the chance to pick from two options or maybe even FOUR options? We can connect you with more schools than you can wrangle on your own.

Are there other companies I could work with?

Yep, glad you asked. Feel free to check them out…CAREFULLY. You can even work for them AND us at the same time…because this is AMERICA.

Keep this in mind though:

We are the OLDEST and MOST RESPECTED sub agency in California – and they are trying to mimic a process that we INVENTED.

Those Johnny-come-latelies would KILL for a client list as LONG and DEEP as ours. We’ve got the oldest Private Schools AND the newest Charter Schools. We work with many schools that don’t place a single ad…EVER. They simply call us and we handle the rest. NOBODY has a list like ours. If you’re looking to TURN THE ODDS IN YOUR FAVOR during this teacher shortage, you owe it to yourself to check us out.

If you already work for a school district or another agency, we’re betting that you’re not entirely happy or busy or both (you are, after all, reading this ad). You should apply at www.teachersonreserve.com . You won’t be the first teacher who’s turned to us for:

• Assignments CLOSER TO HOME
• Schools OUTSIDE the traditional public system
• A company, owned and run by EDUCATORS, that actually HIRES you – we won’t call you an “independent contractor” just to dodge the taxman.

Teachers On Reserve is hiring in East LA, West LA, South LA, Central LA, Downtown, Mid City, Gardena, The San Fernando Valley, Pasadena, the San Gabriel Valley, Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster,THE ENTIRE GREATER LA REGION. We need PRE-K and K-12 TEACHERS, CREDENTIALED AND NON-CREDENTIALED, for ALL GRADES, ALL SUBJECTS.

WE ARE SCHEDULING INTERVIEWS...RIGHT NOW.

TEACHERS ON RESERVE offers:

• 401k Plan
• Paid sick leave
• Weekly paychecks
• Flexible scheduling
• Consistent pay raises
• Teacher referral bonuses
• Long-term assignment bonuses
• Choice of where you want to work
• Reimbursement of credential fees
• Experience in a variety of educational settings
• Connections that can lead to permanent positions
• Competitive wages – WE JUST RAISED OUR PAY RATES!

You'll need a Bachelor's Degree for K-12th grade (or Child Development Units for Preschool). If you're ALSO a great communicator, classroom manager and really ENJOY teaching, then you're our next interview.

The truth is, if you go through us, your chances of finding the right place for you as a California teacher have NEVER BEEN BETTER than RIGHT NOW.

WE ARE SCHEDULING INTERVIEWS...RIGHT NOW.

Apply at www.teachersonreserve.com ...RIGHT NOW.

Summers off? Yeah, right!

Here, at Teachers on Reserve, we know that teaching is a year-round job and one of the most important jobs out there. Upworthy gets that too! Next time you hear someone talking about teaching being an easy job with 3 months off, show them this!

How a year of teaching REALLY breaks down...

The Teachers On Reserve “Teachers Guide to an Awesome Summer"  

Congratulations! Getting to the last day of school is a great achievement.  Any teacher knows that the last few weeks of school are generally pretty crazy.   The minds of lots of kids are already on summer vacation, so keeping them focused on the work at hand is challenging at best.  Throw in a little summer heat, and classroom management becomes an even greater task.

Summer for teachers usually offers some much needed R & R, and an opportunity to rejuvenate both mind and body.  It’s a great time to fit in the activities you love but just don’t have time (or energy) for during the school year, or to take a workshop or class in something brand new and fun.

After you have restored your own spirit, how about turning to someone else?  Travel and volunteering are great options for summer, and there are some wonderful opportunities to accomplish both, like Cross-Cultural Solutions. There are lots of places to volunteer locally, as well, if you would rather stay close to home.

For some of you, a part time job just for the summer is a necessary option.  Tutoring and summer school are the two most obvious choices.  There are several sites which have summer postings including indeed.com, craigslist and simply hired.  At Teachers On Reserve, we serve mostly preschools and special education schools through the summer.

For others, summer is a time to work on your teaching skills.  There are lots of workshops available for professional development.  Some possibilities:

California Academy of Sciences Teacher Workshops

Stanford Graduate School of Education Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers

California Science Center Professional Development Workshops for Teachers

UCLA Center X Teacher Professional Development Programs

California Teachers Continuing Education

Skirball Cultural Center Teacher Workshops

And if you are a Teachers On Reserve teacher, you can revisit the STEDI program. or sign up if you've never taken it. Also, check out their Premium or Ultimate training courses.

The bottom line is the long daylight hours of summer make everything feel more leisurely and comfortable. Whatever you decide to do, enjoy, and come back to the classroom refreshed.

We'll see you in the fall.

This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week. But did you know that, in conjunction, the first week of May is also Substitute Teacher Appreciation Week?

On May, 7 2012, U.S. Representative Rob Bishop - who taught for 28 years, including some time spent as a sub - made it official, speaking on the House floor to recognize the impact and contributions of our nation’s Substitute Teachers.

Click to watch the historic moment.

We at Teachers On Reserve want to be among the first to say “Thank You!” to all of our teachers. We know how demanding the job is. Substitute Teachers are called into action early in the morning, taking over lesson plans (if you are lucky) with little notice, watching over the safety of students they do not know and making sure that the quality of education is maintained seamlessly in our classrooms.  Substitutes are an educational lifeline when regular classroom teachers are absent.

For all of your "artful" moments, we appreciate and respect all that you do.

The office staff at Teachers On Reserve

Not just another day in May...

Every year on May 5th, people in the United States (and to a lesser extent, some parts of Mexico) observe Cinco de Mayo – a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. In Western states like California, where there is a higher concentration of people of Mexican heritage, observance of the day is often marked by elaborate festivals, parties and parades.

As a teacher, it can be tricky to know how to handle cultural events like this one in the classroom. On the one hand, you want to be knowledgeable about the holiday, in case your students have questions.

But, while it’s tempting to want to base activities and games around days like Cinco de Mayo, even the most well-meaning attempts can cross the line into what is known as “tourist multiculturalism.” This happens when a class only “visits” a culture on special occasions, usually tied to a holiday or time of year – for example, making Native American headdresses around Thanksgiving, or studying prominent African Americans only during Black History Month. While these activities are intended to highlight these cultures, they can often backfire by trivializing the subjects, reducing them to gimmicky, stereotypical dress, food and dances, and failing to provide a true and complete look at the lives of the people being studied.  True multicultural curriculum is about “in-depth, constant, fully-integrated” cultural discussion, activities and references.

So what do you do? Failing to acknowledge the day could be seen as dismissive or just plain ignorant. The best, most respectful way to address the day is to teach it the way you would any other subject.

Contrary to popular misconception, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day; that event is celebrated on September 16. Rather, the date commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces (that far outnumbered them, and were better-equipped) at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The celebration of Cinco de Mayo originated in Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the early part of the Civil War,and today the date is observed as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

Understanding why we celebrate the day - and why it is important – is the first step to handling cultural events respectfully and responsibly.

Wheels that don’t squeak.

Anyone who’s taught knows that sometimes unresponsive, unruly or disruptive students can present a real classroom management challenge – as the saying, goes, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." But when you devote more of your energy toward the misbehavers than to the students who are meeting your expectations, you are inadvertently reinforcing the bad behavior. This “rewarding through punishment” may subconsciously motivate students to act out so that they can get the attention they crave.

Problems in the classroom definitely need to be addressed, but it is important to remember that well-behaved students deserve our attention, too. You can make an example of a student exhibiting positive behaviors just as easily as you can a misbehaving student. This is known as social reinforcement.  Taking the time to comment on a student’s good behavior (“Good job,” “I can tell you’re working hard,” etc.) communicates to the rest of the class that acting up isn’t the only way to get on your radar.

Unfortunately, some teachers still implement the disciplinary tactic of writing the names of misbehaving students on the board. An alternate, and much more successful, method could be to write the names of the students who are demonstrating positive behaviors on the board. This works as a motivator – rather than have students behave out of fear of having their name added to the “naughty” list, they want to be included. (Of course, as a guest teacher, consult with the school’s policy regarding this kind of activity before taking it upon yourself.)

In some situations, it may be appropriate to offer productive students a reward – a sticker, free time at the end of the period, etc. (Again, check with the school to see what is acceptable.)

“But isn’t that bribery?” you might be asking. A reward is not the same as a bribe. Bribes are given to someone who is not doing what you want to try and incentivize them to change their behavior. A reward is something which is given only once the desired behavior has been successfully demonstrated.

It is important to be consistent when administering positive reinforcement. It should also be unambiguous. Students should be able to detect a clear pattern of cause-and-effect. It might be tempting to praise a student for whom you feel sorry, or to heap praise upon a select few. But the class as a whole will not be able to connect the dots, and the effectiveness of your positive reinforcement strategy will suffer.

When a misbehaving student catches on and starts to get with the program, resist the urge to say something counterproductive or sarcastic. Don’t hold grudges. “It’s about time,” or other similar comments will feel like punishment to the newly behaving student. No matter how difficult a student has been behaving previously, once they begin to demonstrate appropriate behavior, they should receive all the same positive reinforcement anyone else is getting. Behaving should feel better to the student than misbehaving.

You’ll find there’s more than enough grease to go around, and to keep things running smoothly.

Feel free to share other positive reinforcement examples you've used successfully in the comments below.

Games that Promote Learning

Who doesn’t love playing games?  And as a substitute teacher they are an invaluable learning tool when you are left sans lesson plans or there is extra time after the lessons have been completed. They have the potential to be a great addition to any lesson, lecture or test review.  Classic games like hangman, bingo and jeopardy are always a crowd favorite.  These are great because they can be modified for any subject.  Puzzles can also be a great way to learn.  You can find a great puzzle maker for crossword puzzles, printable Sudoku, and many more activities for every grade level and subject online   

You can also make use of new technology like SMARTboards. Games like Jeopardy, Hollywood Squares, Wheel of Fortune and Who Wants to be a Millionaire are great options.  Students have the ability to be interactive while using the SMARTboard.

Your goal as a substitute teacher is to keep the class engaged and learning. Playing educational games allows them to do this but also have fun and interact with their fellow classmates. Just make sure that before playing games in the classroom, the lesson plans that were left have been completed and you are clear about the school’s policy regarding games.

Visit us at www.teachersonreserve.com

I, Carly

Carly Fleishmann is a teenage girl who was diagnosed at age 2 with severe autism and cognitive delay, as well as a disorder called oral motor apraxia, which left her unable to speak

Then, one day, when she was 11, something remarkable happened 

Her story was chronicled on ABC's 20/20:

Carly, once considered beyond help, ended up attending a mainstream high school (and enrolled in their gifted program), is active on social media, and even co-wrote a book with her father, Arthur, about her experiences. 

There would seem to be a lot to learn here for each of us.