June 2023

Let me tell you more information about getting paid and the drills I went through. Then I’ll discuss my long-term assignment I took as a substitute teacher.

County/ESS

I filled out the application to sub in the county in April 2022. I think by June they had run my background check and whatnot. 

I had to get a physical done. I was not expecting that at all.

When I first started, we were paid monthly. For example, whatever days I worked September 1 – September 30, I received the check towards the end of October. 

I disliked that a lot. 

I’m used to being paid bi-weekly. 

Then the company ESS took over and I started to get paid weekly. I loved that!

Drills

God is a comedian. Because I was constantly subbing at different schools, I experienced a lot of drills. I experienced a lockdown, a soft lockdown, and a fire drill. I must say it was tiring. Especially when students did not want to listen to instructions. 

But we needed those drills for safety.

The Long-term Assignment 

Before subbing, I talked to a few teachers and previous folks who subbed. They told me that long-term assignments are helpful when planning to sub. 

I also remember in my childhood seeing long-term subs. You know, the subs that stuck around for two weeks or more?

I stumbled onto my long-term assignment fast.

I started to substitute teach in September 2023 (I missed the first week of school due to having COVID). 

I subbed for a PE class at a high school. I took it because my best friend and her husband used to sub. Her husband told me one of the easier classes to sub was PE. 

I think I subbed two days in a row. They told me the teacher for the class was on maternity leave. They told me she would be back by November 2022. I figured a consistent assignment would be good for me. 

The assistant principal felt the students responded to me well so I took it. She also said it helped them have a consistent figure. Plus, I liked that I could wear sweatpants and basketball shorts to work. 

I even worked out during class too. I would walk every class period, stretch, and jump rope. I sometimes played basketball with the kids. 

Once again, every school district or every PE teacher is different. I was told by one of the other PE teachers to have the students be active for at least the first 35 minutes of class. The class is over an hour long, so that made sense. 

My students had to do a warm-up, stretch, then an activity. 

These kids acted like it was going to kill them to do that. Mind you, all of this took only 35 minutes. 

I said, “If you can do the warm-up, stretches, and activity, you’re good when it comes to participation points.”

Participation points are how they passed or failed the class. It also included them dressing out in workout gear. 

They never wanted to do an activity, so I said at least walk for 15 minutes. 

They cried about that. 

I explained to them my high school teacher made us walk the entire class period. I said, 15 minutes is better than the whole class period. 

They still complained. 

All in all, I finished the semester in January. The teacher remained on maternity leave. It was consistent pay and I learned a lot about the students. 

I even got attached to some of them. I hope I can see them graduate one day. 

And that my friends are my small experiences as a sub.