Michigan State is saying it will definitely need subs come this Fall semester and it's ready and willing to train them to teach online platforms. Let's hope every state follows suit.
Quote:
Michigan educators have a lengthy to-do list before reopening classrooms this fall amid a global pandemic.
Included on the list: Beef up the pool of substitute teachers.
Let's hope there are enough jobs for all of us here. Trying to stay positive here.
Quote:
"We are going to do everything we can to train subs on the basic needs of understanding of how to handle an environment," he said.
Other training is needed for subs to teach online...
One of my teacher friend's suggested looking at You tube online teaching videos. We use Schoology online educational learning platform, what does your district use? Google classrooms, Canvas?
Quote:
"I think substitute teachers are actually well-suited for this pandemic. We start most workdays walking into a room full of unknowns: unknown lesson plan, unknown kids, unknown class behaviors. COVID-19 is just another unknown, but on a much larger scale."
Ain't that the truth? We basically secure, start and end a new job full of unknowns every school day .
Quote:
"First and foremost, your country needs you," she said. "I would also say this is probably the best, the most noble profession that anybody can do.
In my experience, a hi, how was your day? and a Thank you from administrators goes a long way, any form of acknowledgement for that matter. How about increasing our pay? What has been your experience?
Quote:
"The best subs have patience, enjoy being around kids and teens, and feel energized facing something new every day," she said. "Sometimes the work is babysitting, sometimes it’s performance art, but on the best days you feel like a special guest speaker with the right experience and information to get kids excited about learning."
Hmm, I don't agree with the babysitter part- most guest teachers (as my district calls us) actually teach something, they support activities that engage students, and support a safe learning classroom environment in the absence of the regular school teacher. Other than the babysitting part, I agree - we are patient and we love being around kids and teenagers. We love the school culture. Let's hope that there are jobs for us to secure within our districts once school starts. According to this article, we are an important part of the opening process. https://www.freep.com/story/news/edu...ow/5363598002/
Last edited by Sweetsunset; 07-07-2020 at 11:59 PM..
1. The Governor has not helped by making masks optional for kids grades K-5 (no mention of Young 5's - must be optional for them, too). But of course masks are required for all adults. No social distancing required, either.
2. "sometimes the work is babysitting. . . " this contributes to the "he/she is just a sub" mentality, which is adopted by the kids
Interesting article. Did you notice the people quoted are a substitute and a former teacher? I want to hear it from an administrator!!! Thanks for posting; we got good press
Many look at us as babysitter, not real teachers. Well if high school students need to babysit so be it. My new outlook going forward is that in the high schools, I will try and make sure there is enough quiet for those who are invested in their education. I would say now a days 20% in classes I go to. I generally don't like high school,although I have done it all through the 90's and early 2000,s. It is usually a very boring day for me, so yeah probably more like babysitting. However, with our new pay rate doubling from 4 years ago, I don't feel I should complain.
TheMercenary: Thank you for adding the second post.
And Yes, I agree- that "babysitting" mentality trickles down to students and it gets passed on and on...it needs to change from the top down, schools need to see and treat us as the guest teachers we are, how do we treat guests in our home/ how should we treat guests in our classroom
Sublime: Michigan does have good press! It's hard to find any information related to substitutes, but I found quite a few coming from Michigan State
This video shows a Marion Public School Superintendent addressing the need for subs come the start of this skl year.
I noticed that most teachers leave full lesson plans with what they would have done if they were there, and they trust me to teach and whatnot.
But there a few that just leave busywork and I'm not actually doing any teaching and it does feel like babysitting The kids are crazier in those rooms because they're not really learning anything new and it just feels like a throwaway day, but what can ya do!
Yes, I agree. I usually just keep to those teachers that request me, bcz I know they'll leave full lesson plans for me to teach. Engagement activities help curb misbehavior and task evaders, as I like to call them. I can understand that teachers become sick overnight or other factors that limits them from leaving more meaningful lesson plans for subs to follow though. Just the practice as a whole to leave meaningful lesson plans is simply- good measure. Never ending topic though. Sigh.
Los Angeles and San Diego just went full online mode for fall's semester. My (california) school district is tiny but we've followed LA's guidelines for the most part, copying whatever they've done about a week after they put it in motion.
The messed up part is their "reasonable assurance" is stopping me from collecting unemployment over the summer and taking advantage of the CARES act before it ends. School districts are behaving like a relationship partner you haven't seen in months who NEVERTHELESS keeps telling other people that you're still together so you can't at least move on and enjoy the single life. They have no plans to include subs in the coming school year, they canceled all of our assignments, they made no effort to reach out and help subs they'd screwed over; the least they could do is just not send the stupid letters this year and let subs collect since we have effectively all been FIRED since March. But they want to pretend they didn't fire anyone. They merely canceled everyone's assignments and then pretended we didn't exist until we tried to collect unemployment -- then we were magically employees again, just ... employees who they don't need and won't pay.
It's honestly some of the scummiest stuff I've seen in a while, and I left the private sector to get away from this sort of bull#### lol
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07-07-2020, 10:37 PM
The kids are crazier in those rooms because they're not really learning anything new and it just feels like a throwaway day, but what can ya do! 
