Teacher Thoughts: Sub Problems

Last time, I talked about what it's like to be a sick teacher.  For this post, I thought I'd delve a bit deeper into why having a substitute is so much of a problem.

One of the biggest issues in my school district is a severe lack of substitute teachers.  (I am finding out that this is not just an issue in my school district, but it is a problem in many schools in Central PA.)  We use an online system for acquiring our subs.  Openings are listed online, but subs can also be called by phone if jobs are not picked up.

There a few problems with this system:

• Sometimes the jobs do not show up for subs for various reasons
• The school district no longer hires subs directly.  They are hired by the company that runs the system.  These substitutes may not even know where my school district is or live anywhere near it.
• It's easier to not take jobs because there's no live person you feel like you are disappointing.  (When I first started teaching as a substitute, I loved the online system for this reason.  Even when calls are made, it is an automated system.  It's much easier to reject a machine than a real person calling from the school.)

We have quite a few retired teachers from our district who return to sub all of the time.  Due to restrictions, though, they are only allowed to accumulate a certain number of days/hours or it can affect their retirement.

The district has collected data, and we have actually been asked to do our best to avoid missing Fridays because we are highly likely NOT to get a substitute on a Friday.

If we don't have a substitute to cover our absences, my school has a couple of things--none of which are pleasant for anyone.

1. Cancel a special area class (i.e. art, library, music, phys ed, technology) and have that teacher cover the teacher's class for the day.  This means that any teacher whose students were scheduled for that class will not have their planning time.
2. Cancel Title 1 Reading support and have the reading specialist cover for the day (which we are technically not allowed to do).
3. Have a different teacher cover the class each period.  This works by other teachers having to give up their planning time to teach a class for a period.  I have planning time 2nd period, so when this happens, I would go during second period and teach who knows what and who knows what grade.

Of these options, #1 is the most preferred, but we shouldn't have to do this!  A teacher who is out sick shouldn't have to worry or feel bad that someone else might lose their precious planning time to cover his/her class!

IF you are fortunate enough to get a substitute any sort of things can go wrong.

I admit.  I'm a control freak.  I write detailed plans that explain what and how to do things in my classroom so that everything will run smoothly.  All a person needs to do is follow these plans.

Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen.

One of our retired substitutes has been subbing with us for awhile.  When I was teaching first grade, she refused to allow my students to work in their learning centers because she didn't like the "chaos."  A few weeks ago, I was at a professional development conference.  I was out for two days, and I got a text from a teacher on my team the second day.  The sub from Thursday had done ALL of the work I had planned for reading for Thursday AND Friday.  The worst part of it was that she assigned part of the work as homework.  Luckily, the sub for the next day was one I could trust, and we just had the students read for their reading period.

I can't tell you how many times I've come back from an absence--planned or otherwise--to a disaster.  Stuff that should have been done that wasn't.  Stuff that was done that shouldn't have been.  It's not that hard to follow a person's plans.

Subs will inevitably get things done faster than you because they don't know the students or the nuances you add into your lessons.  For my sixth graders, the simple solution is to let them read quietly.  In fact, I usually write in my plans that if they have extra time they should let the kids read!

It's not rocket science.

Music Monday

Every year, I download at least one Christmas album.  This year, I downloaded Bethlehem by Kari Jobe.  Kari is a contemporary Christian music artist.  I recently started listening to songs of hers.  Her voice is beautiful, and she writes truly powerful, worshipful songs.

When I saw that she had a Christmas album, I knew it had to be my download this year.

One of my favorite songs from this album is her version of "O Come, O Come Emanuel."

I hope that you like it as much as I do!

Other songs on the album:
The Christmas Song

What Child is This?

O Holy Night

Silent Night

White Christmas

O Little Town of Bethlehem/Away in a Manger

The First Noel

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

I think the whole album was only $8.99 on iTunes.  If you like this song or her voice, I highly recommend a download! :)

Stuff & Things I Want for Christmas

I thought it would be fun to link up with Kristin & Joey today for Stuff & Things!  I decided to share some things on my Christmas wish list this year!

1. Books- I asked for a ton of books this year.  In fact, I was killing time in Barnes & Nobel one day, and I just grabbed my phone and started making a list of books I wanted.

2. Alex and Ani bracelets- I'm obsessed with these!  I just started my collection.  So far, I have the "B" initial.  I have a September birthstone and the elephant one on their way.  I also have a similar bracelet from Jewelry in Candles.  Theirs are called Crysalis.  The one I chose has a Christmas tree on it.  I liked this picture because I thought it looked pretty, but I only want the bracelets in silver.

3. Miller Throwback Jersey- Make fun if you must, but I think the Throwback Jerseys (aka Bumblebee jerseys) are fun!

4. Victoria's Secret The Dreamer Henley Pajama- I have 2 pairs of these already.  My newest pair came with a sleep mask and fit better than the first pair (my first pair is too big).  They are super cute and comfy!  I like this color, as well.

5. iTunes gift card- I have a bunch of music I would like to download.  I didn't want to go overboard, so I asked my brother for either the albums or an iTunes gift card so I could download them myself.

6.  Remote Car Starter- Seriously.  There is nothing more irritating than running out to start my car before leaving for work.  It's not just about liking to have a warm car when it's cold out.  In winter time, it's usually a necessity to heat up the windshield to more easily rid it of snow and/or ice before driving.  I will typically throw on whatever shoes are handy and run out to start it, but when it gets REALLY cold, I need to bundle up, go out, start the car, take off the bundling, finish getting ready, bundle back up....Get my point?

What is on your wish list this Christmas?

Teacher Thoughts: What it's Like to Be a Sick Teacher

I came across a pin on Pinterest the other day that really hits the nail on the head.  The pin linked to a blog post about teachers being sick.  Needless to say, I was inspired and decided to share my own thoughts on this matter here on Teacher Thoughts.

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First of all, to clarify for any non-teachers here, teachers are required to write lesson plans about what you will be teaching for each class each day of the week.  Some teachers write very lengthy plans and others are able to communicate what they will be teaching in a condensed manner.  (I am a condensed manner teacher).  BUT when a sub is coming to my classroom, I want to be as detailed as possible.

My first problem is that I am a control freak.  I like things to be done the way I want them done and not how a substitute teacher thinks I want them done.  So I write step-by-step plans to describe to the substitute not only what he/she should be doing but what the students will be doing, as well.

I think this should go without saying, but this takes a lot of time.

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The second issue comes up when you have a lesson (or lessons) planned that only you can teach.  I'm not saying that substitutes are not competent educators (although, some are not).  What I am saying is that there are lessons that I just can't explain to someone else.  For example, I have been attending some professional development conferences recently, and I'm learning new methods for teaching in reading and writing.  I am just trying out some of these things, and I don't have the time required to try to type up a plan explaining it to someone else when I attended a 6 hour conference to learn it myself.

Last year, my principal decided to have us all make up a folder with emergency sub plans to be kept in our mailboxes in the office.  Basically, this is for times when you need to miss work and were not planning to.  Almost every absence I have is a planned one.  My absences are almost always for professional development.  I rarely need/use sick days....mostly for the reasons I've already stated.  These plans are basically only to be used in the event that your sub can't figure out what to do, OR that you would prefer the sub follows those plans instead of trying to follow yours.

Most of the time, if I end up calling off sick and wasn't planning on it (like in October when I woke up and couldn't talk.....), I grab my phone, mentally recall my plans, and email detailed instructions to one of my fellow sixth grade teachers to print out and give to the sub.

Truthfully, this is also about leaving your "kids" in the hands of someone that you probably don't know!  I don't like not knowing what will happen in my classroom while I'm gone, but sometimes, it's just that hard to get out of bed and go.  My school has a severe substitute shortage, and you never know if you'll actually get a sub to fill your absence.

And that, my friends, will be in the next installment of Teacher Thoughts....sub problems!

Music Monday

It's been a long time since I've done a Music Monday!

I think December is a good time for this because it's Christmas Music time.  (Although, who am I kidding?  I started to listen to Christmas Music on October 1st....)

Last year, my friend, Kim, bought the new Pentatonix album That's Christmas to Me.  We played it while we were baking cookies, and I was immediately obsessed.  I ripped it to my computer and added it to my iTunes (and burned a copy for my dad for Christmas, too).

One of my favorite songs from their album is "Winter Wonderland/Don't Worry Be Happy".

Enjoy! :)

November Books

Another month has come and gone!  As I mentioned last month, I completed my Goodreads challenge already, but I'm still pressing on to see where I end up at the end of the year!

This month, I am kind of disappointed with myself because I only managed to finish one book.  In my defense, I have been listening to a book on Audible that is really long, and as of the date of this writing, I have about 40 minutes left.  So I was close.

I technically finished the following book at about 12:30 AM on December 1st.  But I'm still counting it as a November book because I read furiously to finish it and since I hadn't gone to bed before finishing it, it counts (and Goodreads thought so, too because it's listed as finished on November 30th).

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this next installment of the Outlander series. The only reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I found myself being a little confused at certain points throughout the story. As the story goes from 1968 back to the 1700s and back to 1968 again, I found myself confused about how there can be so much left to talk about in Claire and Jamie's story.

BUT overall, I loved the story, and I was moved to tears again in places. I am very excited to begin reading Voyager!



View all my reviews

What did you read this month?

Teacher Thoughts: Gifts for the Teacher

Happy first day of December!  Now that this magical month is here, I thought it would be a good idea to use this segment of Teacher Thoughts to share some great gift ideas for teachers!

(Or at least great gift ideas for this teacher.)

I have gotten some great gifts over the years.  I am always truly grateful for the gifts I receive from my students.  In truth, they don't have to get me anything.  So it's very touching when they do.  Some of the gift ideas below are gifts I have received or gifts that would be great for the teacher(s) on your shopping list this year!

1. Candles
I have never been disappointed with the gift of a candle.  Scott and I love burning them at the house, so he gets to benefit from this gift, too!  Even better than a regular candle?  Jewelry in Candles!  I'm obsessed with these right now.  (You can choose the type of jewelry that's included in the candle, and it's SO fun to be surprised!)

Naughty or Nice candle

2. Restaurant Gift Cards
There are few things that make me happy as much as going out to eat.  If I don't have to cook, I'm a happy camper.  The only thing that makes going out to eat better is going out to eat for FREE (or for less than we would have paid without a gift card)!  Scott and I have been to The Olive Garden, Applebee's, and many other restaurants for a treat thanks to the generosity of my students' families.

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3. Scarves, hats, gloves
Some of my favorite winter weather items have actually been gifts from my students.  It can be scary to buy these things for someone you really don't know because you want them to match their coats or be colors you like.  Ask your kids.  They will be very likely to know the color of their teachers' coats and/or what their favorite colors are.  Still unsure?  Include a gift receipt!  The worst thing that happens is that the teacher can take it back and exchange it for something else.

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4.  Barnes & Noble Gift Card
This is a little specific.  I suppose it could be a gift card to any book store.  I just happen to love Barnes & Noble, and I LOVE it when I get a gift card!!  The best part about this is that the teacher can choose to use the gift card to buy books for the classroom or him/herself.  Since I teach 6th grade, sometimes that's one and the same thing.  I have purchased books, read them myself, and added them to my classroom library.

Barnes & Noble Gift Card

5. Bottle of wine
I've never gotten this.  I suppose it's probably not acceptable for your child to bring an alcoholic beverage to school.  But if you happen to know your child's teacher well enough, or don't mind making a trip.  You could always drop it off in a gift bag at the office.....or a gift card in an envelope would suffice here.

Fellow teachers, what are some gifts you like (or would like) to get from your students?

Parents, what are some of your favorite gifts to give to your children's teachers?