Substitute teacher

A substitute teacher is a person who teaches a school class when the regular teacher is unavailable; e.g., because of illness, personal leave, or other reasons. While "substitute teacher" is the generally used phrase in the United States and Canada, supply teacher is the more common term in the United Kingdom and Ireland (though the term is also used in Canada), and relief teacher is used in Australia and New Zealand. An "emergency teacher" or a "sub" is another name for a substitute teacher in Australia. There are also various other terms which may be used in a particular region (such as teacher on call T.O.C. in the Canadian province of British Columbia).

General qualifications

In some regions, the qualifications for substitute teaching may not be as strict as a regular teacher. Some areas require a college degree and the successful completion of competency tests; others require only that the applicant possess a high school diploma or its equivalent; others again insist on possession of full teaching qualifications. Some authorities will allow a substitute teacher without any training in the subject to be taught and who may simply be present so that students can maintain the routine of going to their regularly scheduled class, even if no new material is covered. Some school administrators may not hire full-time teachers unless they have had substitute teaching experience.

Pay

Rates of pay for substitute teachers vary widely depending on geographic location, length of assignment and teacher qualifications.

In the United States the position's national average is about US$80 per day, with rural districts paying as low as $40 per day and larger, urban districts, paying over $200 per day..

In the Republic of Ireland, substitute teachers are paid a rate of 41 EUR per hour.

In the United Kingdom, supply teachers employed by a local education authority or school directly must be paid a daily rate of 1/195 of the annual salary to which they would be entitled were they employed in the position on a full-time basis. Teachers employed through agencies are not subject to this rule, but nevertheless daily rates are generally around UK£100-125.

Substitute Educator's Day

The United States observes a Substitute Educator's Day, which was instituted by the National Education Association (NEA). The purpose of this day is to highlight the role and importance of the substitute teacher by providing information about, advocating for, and helping to increase appreciation and respect for this unique professional. This day also focuses on the needs of substitutes, which include better wages and health benefits and continual professional development. Substitute Educator's Day is observed on the Friday during American Education Week. Other countries and jurisdictions have similar observances.

Substitute teachers in fiction

• A series of movies feature a mercenary posing as a substitute teacher in order to take on criminal elements within the school. The first, The Substitute, starred Tom Berenger. The remaining three starred Treat Williams, and were The Substitute 2: School's Out, The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All, and The Substitute: Failure Is Not an Option.
• A sequel to Class of 1999, which featured teachers in gang-run schools being replaced by deadly robots, was titled Class of 1999 II: The Substitute.
• A scene in Catch Me If You Can portrays famed con man Frank Abagnale convincing a class that, rather than being a new student, he is in fact their substitute teacher.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger portrayed an undercover police officer who disguised himself as a long-term substitute teacher in the movie Kindergarten Cop.
• The character of Steve Barkin, from Kim Possible, is Middleton High School's "permanent substitute teacher", having taught just about every class at some point.
• In a second season episode of The Simpsons, Lisa Simpson develops feelings for an unconventional substitute teacher named Mr. Bergstrom (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) in the episode Lisa's Substitute.
• In a first season episode of Saved By The Bell, Lisa Turtle, Jessie Spano, Kelly Kapowski and the other girls of Bayside High School developed feelings for Ms. Simpson's handsome substitute teacher, Tony Crane (played by Hank Stratton) in the episode The Substitute.
• The character Peggy Hill from King of the Hill is a substitute Spanish teacher, although her Spanish skills are substandard to say the least.
• The character of Dorothy Zbornak (played by actress Bea Arthur), from The Golden Girls, is a substitute English teacher, although she takes on many additional odd jobs throughout the series.
• Jack Black plays unconventional substitute teacher Mr. S (Duey Finn) in School of Rock.

References

External links

• Substitute Teacher Magazine: - A publication for substitute teachers: tips, stories, handouts, and forums.
• "Tricks of the Trade": website that discusses the experiences of a substitute teacher, offers advice for people who want to be a substitute and why someone would want to go into the field
• Education World: Substitute Teaching: a complete description of the good, bad, and the ugly of Substitute Teaching
• Not Just a Warm Body: Changing Images of the Substitute Teacher - From the ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education