90 Credits, The Golden Number, Substitute Teaching in Michigan

You know how when you turn 10 years old and its a big deal because you're "double digits". Then again when you're 13, "you're officially a teenager"? Well, 90 college credits is like the age of 14 in your professional teaching career. You can earn a permit to substitute teach in Michigan but you cant fully drive the car with your Bachelor's degree just yet. In Michigan, you qualify for this permit at 90 credits. It allows you to teach in a single classroom up to 6 days. There are some steps to getting the permit, paying for the permit (yes there is some investment here), and getting paid yourself. I will take you through the process so you can get into the classroom as soon as possible. It's worth it, trust me.

1. You need to figure out how your surrounding school districts staff their substitute positions. EDUStaff is by far the largest substitute teacher staffing company in the state of Michigan. They offer benefits, lots of school districts, and various opportunities. The following information is the EDUStaff process as they will be your best and in most cases only choice.
2. Then, you apply like any other job position. Your application will include a PDF version of your latest college transcript showing 90 earned credits (not including 'in-progress'). There is a large shortage of 'available' subs in Michigan, so as long as you have a day or more a week that you can be in the classroom you will most likely move on to the next phase.
3. If selected, you will move on to an in person orientation. This is really a group interview situation. This is not difficult and there will not be your usual employment questions. There will be a charismatic instructor modeling what its like to be in front of a class, you. They will discuss strategies for you to use in the classroom like classroom management, teaching tools, communication strategies, and best practices. Remember to participate, this is an interview situation.
4. Following the interview situation you will get a packet of information. You will be informed that you need to do online computer training. This includes information regarding blood borne pathogens, liability and safety training, and seclusion and restraint training. These computer modules take anywhere from 6-9 hours total. It is not too bad, and there is a lot of useful information.
5. At this point you will need to apply for your substitute permit. This is a little tricky because it is tied to your 'home' district. Home doesn't mean anything other than the first district you add to your profile. You have to be accepted by a district first before you can get your permit. The substitute permit will cost you $45. EDUStaff will facilitate this for you.
6. You will work on getting your 'LiveScan' fingerprints done as you are working to apply for your permit. This is a bit pricey, anywhere from $65-100. Usually your home district has the means to do this for you, but EDUStaff will help facilitate getting this done.
7. You will pay $10 to do a self background check with the Michigan State police. Good news, you're not convicted of anything you do not remember..... I hope. You will submit this paper (seemingly very low tech) to the EDUStaff portal.
8. Once you get you get your background check, fingerprints, and permit all paid for and submitted you will be authorized to start working in the schools. With EDUStaff you can have up to 6 districts on your active profile. This offers you a lot of opportunities to teach. You can reduce this down to only one should you choose.
9. You will have a login to what they call 'Absence Management'. This is the system that allows for school secretaries to put in the teaching vacancies and for substitutes to pick up the jobs. Here is where you will do all of your scheduling. If you have multiple districts it is a little confusing the first time you login. You will get a pin number for each district, and also a multi district pin. You will use both pin numbers to get all of your districts onto one single 'Absence Management' page. Then you will never have to do that again, unless you change a district on your profile for another. 'Absence Management' has your phone number and will call you regarding available jobs every 5 seconds, all day, every day, if you let it. I recommend turning off calling completely. You can schedule all the jobs you need on your 'Absence Management' profile. There is also an app available on the app store or play store and it is called 'Jobulator'. The app requires a $5 per month subscription through the app store. If you are planning to sub full time and need a job every day it is 100% worth it. During prime school days, mid-year, jobs get picked up quickly and the app allows you to get jobs at the grade level and subject area you want. It will alert you as jobs are posted by schools and you can go in and quickly accept.

This is the basic process to get started. You will have the opportunity to sub at all grade levels PreK-12 in all subjects. Sometimes you will see a position that is posted as "High School-General", "High School-Floating Sub", or "Elementary Floater" these jobs have you in one school moving around from class to class. They are usually very difficult and have limited to no prep, and short lunches. I try to avoid theses, but they are not too bad, just not ideal.

Once you have selected a job, you will get an email confirmation. This will have all of the information you need to find the school and what teacher you will be 'in for'. There will be a "substitute report time" posted there. BE CAREFUL with this. This is sometimes 15-20 minutes before the class starts, and sometimes its when the class actually starts. You always want to make sure that you are in your room getting ready for the day at least 15 minutes early. I always go online the night before and double check the bell schedule to see when class actually starts.

Substitute camping.... I call it camping because you are going to an unknown place, and you have another person's schedule, and who knows what your walking in to. I pack for a camping trip! Well, it seems like that anyway. I bring a thermos with at least 5 cups of coffee, 8 if its a elementary position. I also bring a lunch box with snacks, my lunch, a large water bottle and mints. You really do not have time to leave campus for lunch. Usually you only have 25-30 minutes at the most. I bring my computer because sometimes you cant get logged in to the one at the school. Plan to camp out at the school for 8 hours.

Substitute teachers today are much different then they used to be, even when I was in school K-12. You are actually teaching lessons, math, reading, writing, music, computers, art, all of it. You will have detailed lesson plans put in front of you, and you do the best you can. The teacher you are 'in for' will be thankful for anything you do, and the teachers neighboring you will always be supportive. Generally most teachers have subbed and know how hard it can be. However it is also so rewarding. Like I said you are actually a teacher in the building for the day. You will be doing a lot with the students. They come to know you quite well by the end of the day and you get to know them too. If you accept a multi-day job meaning you are in the same class for several days you will really get the opportunity to feel the growth of the students and appreciate the teaching process.

With all of that being said and how rewarding it is, you need to have a leather thick skin. Children in 8th grade and below, are learning everyday. Not just what we teach them in the subject areas but how to be humans in general. The 'human experience' is not instinctual, it is learned. What do I mean? Well....... KIDS ARE MEAN! Most of the time they do not do it on purpose, but sometimes they do. Children in K-5th grades really do not have a filter. They will point out your weight, voice, coffee stain, anything. You just have to be ready for it, and have a one sentence reply that redirects them and corrects them quietly. I usually use something like "Now that's not nice, is it? Will you go pull the door shut (insert small task here)?" Why do I say this? Well if you get upset and labor over what they said to you they will keep asking questions, and other students will get involved and start agreeing with their classmate's rude comment. Its horrifying when this happens, best to avoid it all together with a swift redirect. Also, the students at this age don't know why they say things, they just say them. Its called egocentrism. Developmentally, they will grow out of it and see other's perspectives, and gain empathy. This, for the most part, can NOT be taught. So just move on to the things that you actually can teach, like math. Also, if you can, I anticipate anything a student might bring up. Like the coffee stain you did this morning driving to school. Ill say something like "Hello everybody, I'm Mr. Roberts. Did you have a good morning? I dumped my coffee all over myself, look!" The kids laugh and enjoy the conversation... Then move on.

Use it or lose it. This statement is never more true then when you start substitute teaching. The students will be working on rudimentary math and language. You will teach subtraction of 3 digit numbers, adverbs, phonics, long division, multiplication of fractions, etc. As my parents always used to say to me "I've forgotten more then you know!", just review these before you teach it. You are not stupid, or bad at teaching, just a little review is in order. It will come right back to you, and you will do fine.

The substitute teacher always has to have the right answer.... Nah, don't worry about it. If you do something wrong on the board, and a student points it out, make it positive. "Wow, James, you are right. Look at that, I forgot to carry my 1 up to the top. Good catch!" move on.

There are so many things that we adults think is embarrassing that students do not notice or just think is funny. I have fallen down countless times in front of classes. Sat in chairs that broke, and misspoke and said something funny many times. Things are only a big deal if you make them one. Otherwise students laugh with you for a minute or two and then move on.

The trick to anything that is not going very well, MOVE ON! If you are unsure about the lesson, what to do next, MOVE ON. Even if the worksheet is not done. Just go the the next thing on your sub plans. If you have extra time you can pull from your filler grab bag, just somethings you might consider keeping in your 'back pocket' like a little game or other exercises the teacher left for you 'if there is extra time'. Like I said the teacher you are 'in for' will be thankful for anything you do.

Recess, so so so important for the students AND you. If you are subbing for a grade level that goes on recess you can use this all day. I attended catholic school as a child and they did this in a much harsher way then I do, but that is where I got the idea. I call it 'plus minus recess'. The first think I do when I get into the classroom is write the word Recess on the board. I tell the class that we are working together as a group to keep recess on the board. As I can not get their attention, I erase letters. When things are going well I add more 's'es to the end of the word, I tell them every additional 's' is 5 minutes. I never actually take away recess. However I do utilize this to keep the train moving. My worst classes where I erase all the letters, I tell them we can earn it back. I just move recess to after the next subject, so instead of going before math, we 'lost' recess, and we will earn it back during math time and go after. We WILL earn it back, trust me ;-). Recess is so important for the learning process. I really suggest never removing it completely. This is just one system I use, you can adopt and implement any one that you find. Whatever works!

Alright, fine, we can talk about how you get paid. Your money will come to you in a bi-weekly check from EDUStaff. Each school district pays a different but similar substitute teacher rate ranging usually from $75-120 for full day positions. Yes, there are also half day positions available to pick up. These are a reduced pay rate, however sometimes you can pick up a morning and an afternoon at the same school or neighboring schools.

That should get you started. Once you do it a couple times, you will feel completely confident. Good luck, you're only teaching the future of this nation, no pressure.

Levi Roberts, BS Music Education