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Lesson Plans


RE: Not a moment too soon - Substitute Teachers Unite at last

From: Kimberly Herbert (kimberly)
Date: Sun Jul 16 2000 - 19:47:23 PDT

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    Speaking from experience (I subbed for 2 years), the best help you can give
    a sub is to back them. Take action if they leave you a note about a problem,
    unless you have good reason to suspect the sub is in the wrong. Now as a sub
    I tried to emphasize the positive, keeping a list of the students who helped
    including what they did. The list kept false information down to a minimum,
    because they knew the teacher would find out who had been so "helpful". At
    the same time it encouraged good behavior, instead of seeing what they could
    get away with kids would work to get on the list. At the elementary level, I
    took away 1 minute of recess for every minute of my time they wasted. After
    the first semester all I had to do was look at my watch and they settled
    down. As one 4th grade student told the new kid - If you are nice to Ms.
    Herbert, we will have fun and Ms. Shots will be happy when she gets back. If
    you are mean, Ms. Herbert will make sure you are miserable and Ms. Shots
    will really get you.

    If the sub made a mistake or completely misread a situation, then explain
    that to the kids. For example when I was in 4th grade a sub kept calling on
    the boy in the 2nd row wearing the striped shirt. We couldn't figure out who
    she was talking about, finally one of the class clowns called out that's not
    a boy that's Holly and everyone laughed. She totally flew off the handle and
    gave us a week of detention (Now at this point I should explain 1. Most of
    us had never heard of detention (we just stayed after school) 2. Holly was
    dressed in jeans, an Izod shirt handed down from her brother, had short
    hair, was used to teachers calling her Allen - her older brother's name, and
    thought the whole thing was a joke). Our teacher explained that subbing was
    stressful, that the teacher thought Holly might be hurt by the laughing, and
    that several students were staying after school because they had been
    disrespectful before this incident.

    Kimberly Herbert (kimberly)
    CAM Administrator
    San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts/Children's Art Museum

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Bunki Kramer [bkramer.us]
    Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2000 5:02 PM
    To: ArtsEdNet Talk
    Subject: Re: Not a moment too soon - Substitute Teachers Unite at last

    Many, many kudos to those substitute teachers who have the courage to do
    what I...in a million years...would not do! I've substituted twice in my
    life and vowed never again! I DO hope this organizational thrust takes hold
    and comes to fruitation. Not only does it benefit them but also us teachers
    who often desparately need these wonderful people. Our sub pool is almost
    non-existant due to California making 3rd grade and down small class sizes
    of 20 or less. Our good sub pool went to these classrooms plus anyone else
    who could walk and talk at the same time. The good has gotten mixed in with
    the bad...but that's another story.

    OH, yes. Subs. I wish there were some ways...other than preparing our kids,
    making good lesson plans, etc....to help this potential organization
    succeed. They've got a long, uphill battle ahead to make a difference.
    Toodles...... 

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