Substitute teacher requirements

3NEWS looked into how substitute teachers are hired.

[@jennyferrios245]

My personal experience and is not the same for other teachers. I am a substitute teacher and I can tell you among the few issues of shortage is the reasons behind it. Substitute teachers are not being treated with respect by staff and students. Students are becoming openly defiant and the school is not providing more assistance or consequences to students who are basically being disrespectful and disruptive to teachers and other students. We are left to handle situations that requires Dean and security to handle. The school knows who the students are and yet they continue to allow students to attend after so many infractions. Specifically middle and High schools. Repeat offenders. There are times substitutes have no keys to use a bathroom or open the classroom and have to rely on other staff to open a bathroom door during the 7 or 8 hour day. There are classroom with no proper accommodation for seating or a clear desk to write on. We have to get creative with what is available in the classroom to create a comfortable work environment. There are schools that don’t offer or won’t tell you where you can sit for lunch. Subs are also being asked to do administrative work outside of the classroom like file confidential forms, admin work during planning hour. If I don’t feel comfortable and say I prefer to stay in the classroom and wait for the next class they will block you from future work in the school. If you don’t do this on your feet for an hour then you don’t get call back from that school. Not all high schools do this but the majority does. I have been able to work in this field since 2013 and now is 2023. It is rewarding but it comes with many lesson and challenges physically and emotionally. I think things are getting better but I cut ties with many schools. Once the few schools I work at begin to act this way, then I willl be done for good.

[@charlessantee8329]

In order to get more teachers/substitute teachers into the classroom they need to raise their salary to, or above the national average maybe, they will get more people interested in the teaching profession.