Juneau’s schools face a slew of challenges, from fiscal deficits to unexpected enrollment hikes, but there’s one seldom talked about issue that affects the efficiency of our schools on a daily basis: the substitute teacher shortage.
Every weekday, schools across our district fail to fill the hole left behind by sick or training teachers. In some cases, that hole drags an administrator or counselor away from an already overloaded schedule. In other cases, students are herded into areas to be overseen without guidance as best as possible. A class without a substitute teacher is 30 young minds wasted for an hour, and at today’s educational pace, that is a very big loss.
Many believe that substitute teachers are glorified babysitters, and that may have been true in the past, but that’s not so anymore. With the growing integration of technology in the classroom, a proficient teacher can create a rich and meaningful lesson plan for a substitute to follow with very little background knowledge necessary. An ailing teacher can even help supervise the classroom from afar, manning cellphone and laptop and watching in real-time as their students complete their work. That’s only possible with a substitute teacher at the helm.
Few temporary work positions are as rewarding and demanding as substitute teaching. Substitute teachers often take control of a classroom full of strangers, not knowing what to expect. It is a daunting day of work, especially because it often starts unexpectedly, with an early morning message from the district. I know from personal experience how awful it feels to switch gears from a day off, to a day of work, with only an hour’s notice. Every teacher in the district knows that feeling, which is why we so very much appreciate every substitute teacher who enters our buildings. We even make lists of our favorites and beg them to sub for us, because we know they can keep our students on task. Students have favorites, too.
Which brings me to a gentleman named Mike Rydman. Mr. Rydman substitute taught at Thunder Mountain High School so often in the last few years, he might have been there as much as any other staff member. The students loved him for it. When I had to go to Anchorage for a competition, and I warned my students about the penalties for disrespecting a substitute, they would all eagerly ask, “Will it be Mr. Mike?” He grew so popular that two years ago the graduating class asked him to speak at their graduation. He did. And he was great. There are many more stories of substitutes like Mike throughout our district, too many of them to recognize here. He is just one example of how rewarding substituting can be.
Substitute teaching fills a very real need in our community, and we desperately need more substitute teachers. Substitute teaching offers community members a means to engage with our youth in a real and meaningful way. If you have the time and inclination, please give it a try. Sadly, you will not make a lot of money. You may not have an easy day. But you might make a positive connection or brighten a young person’s day. What’s more valuable than that?
To apply to become a substitute teacher, fill out this online application through the JSD website: https://www.applitrack.com/jsd/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=SUBSTITUTE.
• Patrick Roach teaches at Thunder Mountain High School.
