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In & Outs of Substituting:
New training prepares subs for classroom
You’re vastly outnumbered, the “enemy” appears to be well-organized,
and you’re in their territory.
At first, it may seem like being a substitute teacher is a suicide mission.
But with proper training, preparation, and the right frame of mind, you
can turn this seemingly hopeless situation into an educational victory for
both you and the students.
With that in mind, the WEA Professional Development Academy has developed
a unique training program that is preparing substitute teachers for their
forays into the classroom.
“Some of them just have no idea how to start – checking into the
office, taking attendance, doing lunch counts,” said Terri Cullen,
an experienced substitute teacher who is one of four trainers conducting
workshops. “Usually they want to know about discipline situations.
And they really want to know about lesson plans – how to follow through,
and what to do if there aren’t any.
“We try to cover everything that’s likely to come up.”
The PDA’s substitute teacher training program responds to a growing
need. Many school districts are experiencing a shortage of substitute teachers.
In 1995, Wisconsin enacted a rule allowing school districts to hire non-certified
teacher substitutes. In order to be issued a permit, these individuals must
hold a baccalaureate degree and receive appropriate training.
The PDA program satisfies that training requirement. It is a professionally
designed approach to delivering relevant, up-to-date, and high-quality information.
WEAC believes the best solution to the substitute teacher problem is to
pay subs better so that more people are willing to obtain full certification
and take the jobs, said WEAC President Terry Craney. When you fold in benefits,
people can earn more working at McDonald’s than working as a sub, he
said. Substitute teachers often get paid in the range of $55 to $65 per
day with no benefits, compared to first-year teachers who earn about $132
per day plus benefits.
PDA Director Deb Berndt said the training program recognizes the existence
of the emergency rule that allows non-certified substitute teachers. Although
the PDA believes all subs should be certified, the program is designed to
at least ensure that non-certified subs are prepared the best they can be.
“We are attempting to accomplish two main objectives with our program,”
she said. “One is to ensure a safe and secure classroom, and the other
is to facilitate a productive day for students. We dispel the notion that
a day with a sub is a wasted day.”
The program consists of a full-day workshop that covers the basic information
needed to meet the training requirement for non-certified substitutes as
well as half-day workshops about six months later where participants can
discuss their experiences and gain additional knowledge from colleagues
and seminar leaders.
After the day-long seminar, participants receive a personalized wallet card
that verifies their completion of the training.
Background
Posted February 5, 1999