I graduated from college in 2011, a year when finding a job was nearly impossible. I spent my first year in substitute work (besides the 2.5 hours resource work I got a week as a maternity cover). There are a lot of benefits to subbing although it can be frustrating sometimes not knowing when your next pay check is coming in. With that in mind I’ve compiled a list of tips for those of you intending to sub when you finish college and those of you subbing at the minute. I hope it helps.
- Go out and visit schools. This for me was the hardest part. Any day I wasn’t working I would take a bundle of my CVs and go on a day trip (alone) to different parts of Dublin to hand out my CVs in the hope of speaking to the principal. Without a car and without Google maps this was a daunting, tedious experience but it was worth it as I did get calls from some of the schools I visited. If possible ask the receptionist if you could speak to the principle briefly to introduce yourself but as I am more than aware more often than not this is not the case. I wrote the name of the principal on the cover of the envelope so as it didn’t go astray and tried to make small talk with the receptionist about the school while I was there just to show my interest. Text a sub is another option where you can register and a txt goes out from the school which you can reply to if there is a need for a substitute teacher but I don’t think I ever got subbing work from it.
- Be prepared. Have a small bank of ideas for junior and senior classes which you can use if you are called unexpectedly. I remember being woken many mornings at 8:30 and getting asked could I come in asap as a teacher has called in sick. With barely having time to eat I ‘d book a taxi and get out there as quick as I could. In these situations there usually isn’t a plan of work left for you, this is where your ideas coming in handy. Some I liked to do with the older classes include creating advertisements on random products such as sandals for people in the North Pole or woollen coats for people in the Sahara Desert. They had great fun making these. Another is getting them to create their own songs in a group or if you’re in a Gaelscoil getting them to translate a song to Irish. For Junior Classes I’ve a pack available on my site which you can download and maybe have one or two of the sheets ready to go for a whole class. https://primary-teaching-ideas.com/store/Substitute-Survival-Pack-Junior-Infants-1st-Class-p82343573
- Leave notes for the class teacher on what you covered or any children who were misbehaving that day. Follow any behaviour management routines the teacher has in place as it will just make your life easier.
- Ask the principal if there are any children in your class with a care need (e.g. allergies). I was subbing for two days once and only at the end of the second day was I told one of the children had a serious heart condition!! Don’t presume like I did that you will be told these things.
- The best part, take notes of anything you seen in class that worked well with that age group whether it be behaviour management, routines, ways to give out books etc. Subbing is a wonderful experience if you make use of it. I was no where near ready to take on my own class when I first left college so this was a perfect way to ease myself into it and seeing ways of working with different class groups and children with various behavioural and education needs.
I hope that has answered a lot of your questions but anymore please let me know on Facebook or Instagram (links for both on top of the website).
Sarah 😊
