Substitute Teaching: Opening the Door to Full-Time Employment

Dr. Anne Rose and Dr. Jessica Hall-Wirth College of Education, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

What experience do you have related to teaching? This interview question often creates anxiety in new graduates. Many pre-service teachers graduate with the goal of landing a full-time teaching position, but given their limited professional experience, how can they obtain a teaching position? The answer is often substitute teaching.

School districts employ rigorous hiring processes. Districts are seeking teachers who have an abundance of relevant job experience within the field and who possess the proven ability to increase student achievement. Substitute teaching has become an effective way for new education graduates to sharpen their classroom management skills, learn a variety of instructional methodologies, and to increase their understanding of various curricula.

School administrators, including directors of special education, have noted that they would prefer a candidate who has substitute teaching experience for multiple reasons. First, by interviewing a candidate with experience across various general and special education settings, the candidate brings more to the table than a candidate who has worked in a field outside of education. Secondly, candidates who have demonstrated a willingness to roll up their sleeves and tackle the obstacles found in a classroom setting are attractive to recruiters and hiring managers. Substitute teachers have experience working with diverse populations of students, different classroom management rules, and varying grade level curricula. This type of commitment shows that he or she has grit and a true interest in working hard to impact student achievement. This is a candidate that is not only flexible day-to-day, but who is also capable of adapting to rapidly changing classroom environments. Finally, substitute teachers should treat each day of subbing like an extended job interview. By approaching each assignment with the same level of rigor and seriousness they would dedicate to a fulltime employment opportunity, substitutes allow their work to speak for itself. (Gatens, 2014).

The road to finding a teaching job can be challenging, but by being a dependable and hard-working substitute, you do not have to fear the interview process. Instead, as a substitute, you will have a plethora of experiences, stories, and examples, to confidently and knowledgeably ace the interview and secure a full-time teaching contract.

Tips for being an effective and memorable substitute teacher:

1. Be available! Whether it is a planned absence or an early morning sick day, always be available to work at the last minute.

2. Dress for success! Always dress professionally.

3. Arrive at the same time as, or earlier than, the teachers in the building to demonstrate your seriousness about your work. Arriving early also allows you to address any issues surrounding last minute preparations, paperwork for the school secretary, or hallway and cafeteria monitoring expectations.

4. Print a stack of business cards and leave them with your sub notes giving teachers easy access to your contact information for future substitute assignments.

5. Pack your lunch and a snack. Plan to eat your lunch in the classroom to avoid any negative conversation taking place in the faculty lounge. Feel free to stop by with your snack to be sure that you are socializing and engaging others. Just don’t linger too long!

6. Once you have a handful of assignments under your belt, reach out to the building administrator and invite them into your classroom to complete a quick observation. This observation provides administrators with firsthand knowledge of your teaching in case you ask for a letter of recommendation.

7. Be available during your downtime to lend a hand to neighboring teachers, the school secretary, or other staff. Stay busy and productive. Others will notice.

8. Introduce yourself to everyone! Make sure that members of the school staff know your name. A smile and a friendly hello can help you begin to build important professional connections.

9. Volunteer. Assist with after-school activities, clubs, and events.

10. Be confident, yet humble. Each assignment provides the opportunity to build skills and make connections, but is also an informal interview. Substitute teaching can be a key building block to securing a permanent teaching position, but it is not a guarantee. Remain open to learning from everyone in the building and learn all that you can.