Substitute Teacher "Top of the List" Tips from a Teacher and Her Student (Daughter)

What questions would a teacher/coach and daughter, her student/player ask a substitute teacher?  Find out this week.

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Transcript

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In this week's episode, I interview a teacher and her daughter who is one of her students at a middle school. And I let them turn the tables and interview me. What was I thinking? All right, I'm pleased to say today we are interviewing for the first time a teacher and her child who is a student she teaches. So we're going to talk about that. And also for the first time, I'm going to have turned the tables a little bit and let them interview me. So amber is the teacher roses, the student How you doing today? Guys? Good, good. Now I'll have to say, even though substitute teachers aren't allowed to have favorites. Amber has taught me a lot about how you know how to be a better substitute teacher how to be a better math teacher, she is a math guru. So as her daughter, for that matter, wrote roses as well. And even though I'm not allowed to have favorite students, Rose already knows this. She knows that she's one of my favorites, because she always goes out of her way to help me when I needed help I have substitute taught her class before. So that's the kind of situation we're in. What's that? numerous times? Yes. In fact, we'll talk about that. Let's get into that. And, you know, I've told people in this show all the time about how I know everybody wants to get to the top of a teacher substitute teacher list. So let's start with the negative first and get that out of the way. Okay, so Amber, what did a substitute teacher ever do that would? What could they ever do to cause then you cause you to cross them off of your list? So I think it's really important to understand what are my expectations for a substitute teacher. And, and, and I, this is my sixth year of teaching. And I actually substituted substitute taught for a semester before I got my own classroom. Okay, I don't know if I knew that. Yeah, I did that while I was working on my clinical hours, because I quit my job on a whim to follow this dream of teaching. So anyways, um, I substitute taught before teaching, and I got to do that in various classrooms, elementary, middle High School, etc, whatever, I got to see what the teachers left me. Right. And, and so I've tried to take that as I've moved into the classroom, and, and generally, my expectations for substitute teachers are, keep my kids alive, keep them in the room, and try to get them to do the work that I have left. Now, for the most part, the work that I leave is usually not new content is usually going to be review, I work really hard to make sure I'm in class on time, blah, blah, blah, blah. And so, but you know, things happen, life happens, you have meetings, whatever, and you have to be gone. So, like I said, My expectation is keep the kids a lot. And there are a couple of substitutes that I have said, Nope, nope. my classroom. Thank you. I have a pretty good relation. ship with my, with my students, they're pretty upfront and honest with me. Sure. And when they say, hey, and I say, Hey, guys, how'd it go yesterday? Because either I got a note, or I got a horrendous note, or I got no note at all. Then I gotta ask the students, hey, how did it go yesterday? And, and, and, and you're looking for feedback from a couple of data points, right? The ones that usually always do what they're supposed to do, the ones that don't, and the ones that are kind of quiet about things and and when students say well, all they did was sit at their computer and play games and buy Amazon awesome. That's, that's that's one I don't need to come back to my classroom. Right? Or, you know, they they they yelled at us a lot Miss snow. My classrooms not one that that's our culture. They yelled at us a lot. And I'm like, you know, I mean, like, we I know you guys can be a little unruly sometimes. And so you kind of check in and they're like, No, you know, they were really yelling at rows a whole lot, and they even getting slammed down on their desk. Okay, I don't I don't, I don't need that person back in my room. Thank you. Um, so, you know, not engaging with my kids. Yes. or treating my kids less than they deserve to be treated, are generally to like, I don't want you back. You know, you have sub substituted for me before you're like, Hey, I did that instead of the worksheet where the arrows are. Rose knows I love Kahoot. So no, I'm just just treating my kids the way that I want them to be treated in a way that they deserve to be treated. And if you don't do that, then I don't want you back. Yeah, that's a great answer. Let's let rose talk a little while. What? What made it you have to have just I mean, that's the way math works, you have to have a least favorite sub. So what made that least favorite sub your least favorite? Um, probably. First of all, they just they really did have a good attitude about being there. They were just like, so your teachers not here. So I'm here. And yeah, that's pretty much. And we had gotten left to do like iready. And so it was pretty easy. All we had to do was get on the computers and do our stuff. Right. And at that point, we were allowed to listen to music while we did already as long as we did it. Sure. And, um, she, they were like, I don't want you all listening to music. And we were like, our teacher lets us listen to music anyways. And she was like, I don't care. I'm the teacher today. You don't get to listen to music. And we were all like, Well, okay, then you're only gonna be here for a day. It really it doesn't it doesn't hurt as that. And so we got to do some of us already. And usually, once we were done with our rating, we could pretty much do whatever we wanted. Because as long as we had done our already, it really didn't matter for you, right? And so when somebody got done in the class, and they went to raise their hand, and they were like, I'm done with my already, what should I do? And they were like, I don't know. I don't. They were like, I don't know, that's your problem. And so Wow. Yeah. And they were so the student was like, Can I just do like, Can I pull like cool math games or something? Because that's what she usually lets us do when we're done. Sure. And the sub was like, I don't want you playing that. And so the student was like, Okay, what do you want me to do? Did and they were like, I don't know, just don't do that. Oh, what are we supposed to do once you're done? And she was like, and they were like, just keep doing already. We were like, but we've already got the time and we've already got our lessons done. And they were like, next person who says anything? I'm writing you up, but we were all like, but we didn't do it. Yeah. No, I I agree with everything both of you said and I might flip the question around but I'm not really sure I need to in rows. I'll start with you this time. I was going to ask you if you think about some of your favorite subs, what made them your favorites and of course some of that would be they treated you the opposite of the way you just described. Is there anything else you can think of that you like to see when a substitute teacher walks in? Well, usually when you first walk into the classroom your teachers not though you look for the first person that's there, and usually if they're like smiling or they're talking like your first impression is okay there they seem like a good setup. Yeah. And usually if they really interact with you, and they you do fun stuff with them even if it's just you talking to them while you're doing that ready. Like it really makes you feel like hey, you're pretty cool actually I like I like you a little bit haha yeah, I I hear all the time that when I interview students how they they not only like the interaction they like the personal stories and I'm thinking all these corny personal stories that I say I can't believe you guys like that. But it seems like they that they do. What do you think amber what what would what would make a substitute teacher go to the top of Your list. Um, so like you said, just the opposite of not doing those other things, right? You know, it's always refreshing when you walk in from having been gone. And you're like, so how did it go? And they're like, we love that person. And, and as a math teacher who has limited time to get in all my content, like, Yeah, I love that you love them. And that's awesome. But what did what did you do while I was gone? Because sometimes we have, we may have a week long training. And while I don't want to necessarily push a whole lot of new content during that time, maybe self paced new content. And so I still need you to do the things that I needed you to do, right? And so when I check in, and the kids are like, we just played on, I read it the whole time. And it's like, awesome, you were doing something, okay. We're alive. And you like them, and you did something cool, right? If they got through the things that I asked them to get through, then that's definitely and they they responded well to my kids, then that's, that's always a higher plus. And, and honestly, thinking back to when I subbed, I learned some of my best classroom management techniques, techniques. During that time, I feel like because you're thrust into a classroom, that you don't know the culture, you don't know that any of the expectations, you don't know if you've got kids that are normally sitting in detention all day long, or you know, that are the advanced accelerate, you have no idea. And I mean, I have felt bad for the kids when, in my own class in substituting when I walk in. And it's like, here's a worksheet when they do this worksheet, do another worksheet, do another worksheet, do another worksheet. I was like. And so I think about this, in the middle of the first class, I was like, there's got to be a different way. Like, I can't I can't I bored and I can't imagine. And and so you know, I think at that time is when I learned like some popcorn age, or some stand up and move? Or how would you show this shape? Or, you know, my kids roll their eyes when I make them stand up and show me parallel lines or 90 degree angles, but they're moving? Yes, the face I get when they do that. And learning to do some of those, or learning to do like the Kahoot or finding those resources just to build engagement. Right? Right, um, was things that I try to remember even in planning my own class. So at the end of the day, if I've given a worksheet because I don't know the comfort level of the substitute, right, at the very least you can put a worksheet in front of them right on a computer and do something. But if you advanced that or Excel that into an engaging activity, that is like my kids enjoyed you, you are done. You are engaging to them. Like Please come back, I will check with you. I will book you six months in advance. That's great. That's great. All right now guys, there's, there's a set of questions that I have to ask and I'm not sure which one of you to start with. I'm gonna I'm going to start with rose. I actually met rose before I met you. So Alright, Rose, what's it like to have a parent as a teacher? And in your situation as a coach to Yeah, what's it like? We, we spend a lot of time together. But I think it's actually really, really cool. Because like, if I'm struggling with something, I just be like, Hey, Mom, I'm struggling with this thing. Can you help me out a little bit. But it's just nice to have that like the back coach, math teacher right there to be able to be like, okay, let's work on a strategy to figure this out. But right, it's free. And I just like, it can get a little I get a little questions that allow time to like, Does your mom ever help you with anything on like, I mean, she helps me but like, it's not like she gives me answers to a test or anything. Yes, yes. This like, she helps me a lot more and I just think it's, I think it's really great. Good, good. That was is that the answer you paid her to say. And, and and there are there are share of tears at our house. You know, sometimes She's like, I just need you to step away right now, because I want to help, right? And I think that dynamic of the teacher, right, because you're not going home to your parent who you don't see all day long, and asking them for help. You're you're going home, she not only sees me for our class, but she sees me for homeroom. We have practice multiple times a week or games. I mean, we like she said, we spend a lot of time together, right? It's not so blessed to do. But it can be intense sometimes. So sometimes she's like, Mom, I just need to step away. And let me do this on my own. The flip side of that as, as the teacher's kid is, even when she was at a different Middle School in sixth grade, because she came to me in seventh grade, and I've had her for seventh grade and eighth grade. And then I have my son now for sixth grade, where she had a really terrible substitute teacher in sixth grade, too, that's probably part of that problem. There's no longer substitute for, um, but, you know, while she was going to school there, and they were pacing through content accordingly, she'd come home, and I would test out things on her, okay. And, and even last year, when I went into teach a seventh grade and had never taught the content before, she would almost have to take tests twice, once as I was building it, so I could see where maybe I had missed some misconceptions. Okay. And then another version for class. So it wasn't ever that she, that they get it easier. In fact, they probably get a little bit harder, because, you know, they're my guinea pigs. And yeah, I agree with that. And I think that's true of life in general, you always, you know, the kids are kind of our sounding blocks in. And we're a little bit you know, I don't want to use the word tougher. But we're, we're a little bit tougher, maybe on our own kids. Sometimes, I have to tell you guys this story. I haven't had too many teachers in my life that actually had students, their own kids, his students in my class, but one that I did, he was smart, but he was just mischievious. So he would talk, he talked to a couple of guys, one day, we just gotten back from lunch, and his mother hadn't gotten back yet, math teacher to learn plain geometry, solid geometry, all those things from the really smart teacher, like yourself. But he convinced the other guys to drag her desk, that big, old fashioned desk back in the old days, out into the hallway and hide it under a stairwell. And, you know, she didn't really discipline him in front of us, but I don't know what happened to him when he got home that night. But that's my experience. So I'm glad you guys are not in that situation. Well, and and I think my own two, if that was to have happened to me, there wouldn't have been a waiting for getting dressed. And they both know that the way that I set the expectations for my class is the same way that I do for my kids. I mean, my children know that they are loved and that I think very highly and expect a lot of them. And, and you know, we'll help them get there. But you know, that's, I had the same expectation. Students, right. And I can see that in YouTube, too. So I think that I think that's a great relationship you have there. Alright, guys, let's do this. Let's turn the tables now. And you interview me for a while. You can do it as a substitute teacher. You can do it about any part of my background. You know, me as a volleyball coach, I talk about volleyball on here all the time. Anything you want to ask me is free game. Go ahead. And guys, I have no idea what's coming. So here we go. How much time do we have? Like, this is a podcast we have forever? Probably, I'd say 10 minutes. Okay. So what do you do when a teacher doesn't leave enough work for the entire class? You know, that's a great question. So much so that we have had an entire episode on that. I always talk about my back pocket. I go into it, in fact, to be honest, if I hope we run out of material. Yeah, yeah, I want to it's not so much play. I still try to make sure that it's on task. I meant that I know definitely playful though. I would agree with that. I i at the same time, I'm Trying to make sure they get their work done. I'm trying to build relationships with them too, because I know they're going to talk to the teacher, I want to come back. I've mentioned this several times, there's actually a teacher at another middle school that I've talked for several times. And the second time I came in there, she said, you know, she said, Those kids like you. And she said, sometimes that bothers me when I hear that, because I don't think they're getting their work done. But she said, they got their work done. So I always like to have some stuff in my back pocket, whether it's Kahoot, or just personal stories, to be honest, I'm pretty good about looking up a teacher on Facebook, or whatever social media, and I try to get a feel for what class I'm teaching. And maybe that helps me formulate my thoughts on what I want to do if we do run out of material. Okay, how'd I do on the first one? Good. All right. All right, what else you got? Um, what are you? What about your favorite classrooms are the ones that you have substituted in, from a standpoint of the room or the teacher, or either either, okay. I'm actually been in classrooms. In fact, yours is one of them. I've never told you this. But there's others too, that, that I really enjoy what's on the walls, so much for the so much so that I'll take a snapshot. And we also have a Facebook page. And I'll post it on the Facebook page, because I really like it. So anything. And you know, I don't know if rose ever told you this, but when I taught her in sixth grade, and the class I taught at that same school in seventh grade to, I used to keep a whiteboard outside the room, and put put goofy stuff on it, right? I want to be known for goofy stuff. I want students to feel like, they can talk to me about anything in addition to their subject. So I like classrooms that create that atmosphere. I like teachers that allow me to create that atmosphere. And I like to get personal with teachers eventually, you know, not the first time But eventually, because I'll start asking them questions. And as you know, we text each other all the time. And I would say probably, maybe you and the teacher that teaches across the hall from you, if I can't, if I don't count the long term sub positions I've had, I probably have talked for you guys more than anybody. So and if I'll be you know, if I wasn't crazy about an atmosphere I'd be in I probably if the teacher asked me specifically, I'd come back in. But if it was like a sub alert, or a frontline type situation, I'm gonna say I don't think I enjoyed that class. Last time, I might wait and see if something else pops up. So that's the kind of things I look for. Yeah, I think actually, I'm the teacher across the hall from me. Because when I came to, he was the first one I ever substituted for. Well, and when I came to Madison, middle, I, you know, brand new to Madison County, I didn't know what subs were available. I had no clue. And so, you know, I asked rose at her school, who did she have? And she likes and and there again, try not to be absent that much. But for kids, it happens. Yeah. Um, and I think my co teacher had mentioned you and but you know, everybody kind of has their person or a person they can get a hold of, and it was like, I don't, okay, I'll take some numbers. And I'll see. And then if I remember correctly, Rose was like, I love this or call it and I was like, Okay, what do you like it? Cuz I'm goofy. I'm goofy. And I always say that I never mentally matured past their age level. So I think that's why I've fitted you know, it's funny that you say that the teacher across the hall that we're talking about, she was my first class is when she was a science teacher. And her son came in and greeted me that morning because he was putting his lunch in the refrigerator. And I was actually, I was kind of nervous. Because I'm a retired accountant, I would always want it to teach and now No, I wish I had done that for my career. So you're saying I made a good move, leaving corporate and coming to teaching? Oh, man, let's not even get into that. But at the end of the day, I had a lot of students commenting favorably about me and I didn't know why now some of it is, you know, I've got a pretty outgoing personality. So I will and not everybody's like that. So I'm joke around with them a lot. And I usually tell them the first day Listen, the more I get to know you You, the more I'll joke around, you know, to the point of maybe picking on you a little bit, because I know you're going to give it back to me. And when I see you joking back with me that's, you know, to me, that's how you build a relationship to it's not just teaching the material. Yeah, it's like having some stories to share back and forth to. Yeah, but anyway, I don't even know what question I was answering. I hope that was okay. Yeah. All right. Make this one the last one, and we'll wind it down. You don't have to? Well, you've seen some other teams play recently. Just like a coach, I actually was in the county that was adjacent to ours the other night. I give you a hand. It's one that has been one of the newest high schools in the state. I was at their middle school last night, which was high school, when I, when I went to high school, that was the high school. They look pretty strong. There was a team that came in from our capital city. If that gives you a hint to who it was, they were very strong. Even their sixth graders were serving overhand from behind the line. So but I've seen you guys play enough that good things are coming just like last night, good things are coming to your team. So it's, you know, to be honest, I'll tell every, you know, it's a you're all it's not a relatively new program, but but you're a newer coach. And it's a relatively new program that they're learning. And I've enjoyed watching them get better as those years have gone by. So you guys are on your way. We actually had a parent last night, one of our seventh grade parents, and he pulled me aside and he said, Listen, I know you get all sorts of negative things. And you know, all the negative stuff, he said, but I will tell you, they are fun to watch. Yes. It was a little tough. He said, yeah, it was it was hard to watch, but that's actually a pretty dang good team. Yes, yes. And I always say my favorite coaches are the ones that I can tell the girls enjoy playing for them. I don't care whether they're winning or not if they're enjoying themselves, in fact, it's harder to enjoy yourself when you're losing. So if you're still enjoying yourself to me, that's the most important thing. Yeah, well, I think that all goes into you know, the idea of like continuous growth and growth mindset and just out you know, enjoying the process of learning and we always think about of if you're either winning or losing whether it's grades or games or whatever, and just enjoying the process and learning through the process is so important. I couldn't agree more. Great job guys. Thank you, Amber. Thank you rose. I know I will see both of you soon. Very soon right? volleyball court and the hallway. So what in what profound thoughts do you have to close this out? As you look to the student I want to go on record to say to look to the students give her a chance to go. It was fun. I always know when it was a good interview because the time just flies by Yeah. Okay. All right, guys. Thanks very much. And we'll see everybody again next week on I've got the name of the podcast. Substitute Teachers Lounge See you later. Ah uses provided by