Substitute teaching can be a wonderful “sometimes” job for many people. It’s a great way to learn more about teaching, particularly if you think you might be interested in teaching full time. By substituting, you can try out a variety of age groups and subjects to help you decide where you would best fit should you decide to teach full time.
Substitute teaching is also great because it carries little responsibility with it outside of the time you spend in the classroom. Full time teachers have papers to grade and lesson plans to prepare, but substitutes have no work to take home. In addition, substitutes can turn down an assignment, if they have other plans for the day on which they’ve been asked to teach.
Requirements for substitute teaching vary by state. Some states require a teaching certificate and others require simply that you have a college degree in some field. Check with your local school system for requirements if you think you’d like to try your hand at substituting.
So, now that we have convinced you that substituting is a great way to make a little extra cash and figure out if teaching is your passion; here are 17 tips designed to make your substitute teaching experience pleasant and rewarding.