As we pull educators to cover for absent colleagues, we are reckoning with the value of adults who are vital to the educational system. District leaders bemoan that higher pay may not be sufficient to recruit substitute teachers. What can be gained when we look squarely at roles that are suddenly hard to fill?
It’s not just the pay, although that is important.
By doubling as substitute teachers, educators- many of them leaders- are stepping back into a role they haven’t been in since getting their teaching credential. It isn’t comfortable. But it can offer a valuable perspective. Here are a few ways substitute teaching has influenced how I see our schools.
Closing schools is a worse-case-scenario when personnel is scarce. As an educator, however, I think it’s important to name the more cloying ways our sub shortage affects schools. They are not as drastic as school closures but are as harmful as a slow leak. Eventually, the pipes can burst.
Years ago, I faced a dilemma in my classroom. As a teacher, I had embraced my district’s move toward project based learning (PBL) with curiosity and optimism. It only took a few projects with my middle schoolers to see that the relevance of PBL resonated with them. We consulted community experts, dabbled in new technology, and threw ourselves into creative projects that leveraged collaboration. Their engagement soared. When it came to projects, we dazzled. However, when it came to mastering language arts standards, we fizzled.
I never got around to thank you cards; we couldn’t safely pass them around the classroom to sign. So I want the people I’m thanking to see the rest of the names on this list, and know that they are in supreme company. For other readers, I want you to give these folks a high five or buy their books or support their businesses. These people represent the best of giving simply because they could.
