The Scoop on Substitute Teaching

When my friend suggested substitute teaching as a gig work option, my first response was "don't they abuse subs?". But I have found it an easy to enter, flexible, and mildly amusing way to fill in days where I don't have work from my other jobs.

And... if you put yourself into the right situation, you may have a lot of downtime to look for a normal FT job or work your other side gigs.

How to get started: You will need to apply for a Substitute Teaching Permit. In California, you go through the California Commission on Teaching Credentialing (ctc.ca.gov) and apply for an "Emergency 30-Day Substitute Teaching Permit." The weird title basically means you can't sub for any one teacher for more than 30 days in a year. You will have to submit: a transcript for your BA, Live Scan fingerprinting, and an application fee. The CBEST exams have been waived until July 1, 2024.

Then: Apply to any school districts that you want. You will typically do an online application, another round of fingerprinting, and some mandatory online training (like about bloodborne pathogens, reporting of sexual abuse etc.). You may or may not get interviewed or get any classroom management training (I had neither from the 2 districts I worked for). Pay is usually a daily rate - check with the school district.

The school district will set you up with an app that posts open jobs (there's a couple of different apps). A job will post with the day, time, school, teacher, and subject. Some schools are very popular among subs so the gigs may go quickly. Some districts have hundreds of openings a day. With the current sub shortage, you will probably be able to work every day you want to, especially if you are signed up with a bunch of schools and/or multiple districts.

The day of: Get to the school on-time or early, check-in with the substitute coordinator in the main office. They usually have rosters, a map of the campus, the daily schedule, and maybe the teacher's sub notes. Definitely ask where the teacher's bathrooms are because you should never use the kid's bathrooms. Also ask how to use the keys because many schools have converted to using electronic keys and it may not be obvious at all how they work.

When you get into the classroom, unlock the door, turn on the lights and check out the room. Next figure out the teacher's lesson plan for the day. Sometimes they are printed out for you on the desk, or they are posted to Canvas or Google Classroom. If there are no sub plans, call the office for advice. Write your name and the agenda on the board.

When the students come in, this is your time to make an impression on them. I suggest a friendly command presence. But everyone has their own style. It's worth self-educating yourself on classroom management - there's a lot of useful YouTube videos and Facebook groups that can give you guidance.

Your main goal is to get through the lesson plan. And keep everyone alive, including yourself. If you can do that, you have succeeded.

There are lots of differences subbing for different grades. In the lower grades you will be very engaged and the activities will change frequently. In high school, the students typically work on online assignments and you could have a lot of downtime. Everyone has different preferences. I prefer high school because I find that age group fun plus I use my time to look for FT work.

If you are interested in pursuing a teacher's credential, subbing is a great way to figure out what age group you like and what the general classroom environment is like. Be aware that subbing is a mere fraction of all the duties that teachers have.

Intrigued? Let me know your questions about subbing and please let me know if you decide to go for it!