Substitute Teachers Lounge
Substitute Teachers Lounge
Interview with Substitute Teacher Felice from Texas
Ever wonder what life is really like for substitute teachers navigating classrooms in today's educational landscape? This candid conversation with Felice, a substitute teacher from the Houston suburbs, pulls back the curtain on this vital yet often overlooked profession.
Felice brings a remarkably diverse background to her role, having worked as a Department of Commerce geographic specialist and an air quality planner before eventually finding her way into education. After five years as a certified elementary teacher specializing in science, she transitioned to substitute teaching for the flexibility and variety it offers. Her unique perspective bridges the gap between full-time educators and substitutes, giving her valuable insights into effective classroom management and building meaningful connections with students.
Throughout our discussion, Felice shares the genuine rewards of substitute teaching—from witnessing those "lightbulb moments" when concepts click for students to the freedoms of choosing when and where to teach. She doesn't shy away from the challenges either, addressing head-on the post-COVID behavioral issues many students exhibit, the frustration of missing lesson plans, and the need for flexibility when suddenly reassigned to different classrooms. Her story of improvising a 20-minute motivational talk when technology failed illustrates the quick thinking required in this role.
What makes this episode particularly valuable is Felice's practical advice for both new and experienced substitutes. From how she maintains classroom order with brain teasers and proximity techniques to her philosophy of treating each assignment as a job interview, her strategies translate across grade levels and subject areas. Whether you're considering substitute teaching, are already in the classroom, or simply curious about education today, Felice's story offers both inspiration and actionable takeaways for creating positive learning environments despite the inherent challenges.
Substitute Teacher's Lounge of interviews with some of the people that I have met virtually through our Facebook group. Today we have Felice with us and we're going to ask her some questions about substitute teaching. I know you guys get tired of talking hear me talking so you always listen a lot to the interview, so I'm glad she is here today. Felice, how are you doing today? I'm doing good, greg, thanks for having me. Good, you're welcome. Tell us what area you're in. I don't want to say area of the country, because I don't necessarily know you're in the United States yet, but go ahead and tell us a little bit about yourself and where you're at.
Felice:Okay, I am northwest of the city of Houston in Texas, so I'm in one of the suburbs, and I have had a varied background. I was a certified teacher for five years. Early childhood through sixth grade. I taught fifth grade science. Childhood through sixth grade. I taught fifth grade science. Before I became a teacher, I was working for the Department of Commerce as a geographic specialist and then I was an air quality planner for the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Greg:Interesting.
Felice:Yes, and I got into teaching. I'm actually oh sorry, go ahead. And I got into teaching. I'm actually oh, sorry, go ahead. I got into teaching because I wanted to do something different and I answered a. I guess they're not called one ads, they're job openings for a vocational college. They needed an adjunct instructor. So I said OK, I'll go ahead and try that. And I was with the college for a couple of years and that's how I got into education.
Greg:Okay, all right. I have actually been to both Houston and Dallas, both for the same reason because they were hosting college basketball final fours the year I went there and my brother. He worked for Texas A&M, which is in the Houston area College.
Felice:Station.
Greg:So I am familiar with that area. I probably like Dallas a little bit better, at least the stadium, because there's things you can walk to around that stadium and there's not really in Houston, you're right, so let's start with this one. What do you enjoy most about substitute teaching?
Felice:I enjoy my flexibility. If I'm honest, there are several things that I loved about teaching the interaction and connections with students and also seeing the light bulb go on, you know, whenever I'm working with a student and they finally get something, whether it's math or science or something like that.
Greg:What's your best subject?
Felice:My best subject is science. Okay, yes, I love science. Occasionally, you know, I've been asked to help with math and reading intervention before the state testing, so I've had to brush up on my math Right. But yeah, I mean just the flexibility, the connections with students and teachers. And then you know I like to have new experiences. So I will take that middle school course in principles of engineering and you know I'll see what that's about.
Greg:Yeah, really.
Felice:So yeah, that's what I enjoy.
Greg:Okay good, I'm a math guy. I like math the best. The only thing that's frustrating for me is I can teach math, but I can't teach exactly what that program wants you to type in here. Do they want you to type in two-fourths, or do they want you to reduce it down to one-half? Will they count it wrong if you put down one-half? That's what makes it aggravating for me. So I can help them with their problems, but sometimes I can't always help them with their formatting of how it goes in. Good, all right, what do you think the biggest challenge is for substitute teachers or for school systems in general? This is going to get a different answer from probably every part of the country right now. What do you think the biggest challenge is right now? I can see you have your think face on.
Felice:I do Well. I mean, I think there's a few challenges, you know.
Greg:Okay.
Felice:It's walking into an assignment for me is not having lesson plans in place.
Greg:Right.
Felice:Having been a teacher, I understand you got to leave all of a sudden. You don't have time to put lesson plans in place, but if you had something basic you know, set up. Even that's helpful For a sub. You know you have to anticipate that, so I think you have to have a plan B ready to go.
Greg:No doubt.
Felice:Yeah, and then behavior. I mean a lot of these kids stayed home for COVID and now they're back in the school and they're not exactly you know they don't have any real practice of being in the classroom with the routine and consequences.
Greg:And so I agree with you.
Felice:Yes, that can be a challenge. And then also, you know, when you sign up like we have, I use Frontline, and so I sign up for a certain class or grade and I get to school and they say oh well, we need you here instead.
Greg:Happens all the time.
Felice:Yeah, it's PE. Well, I'm not dressed for PE, but okay, I'll go ahead and do that. Yeah, so yeah, those are some challenges. But, yeah, the behavior, because you need to know what you can and can't do, what you can say, what you can't say, when to ask for help, right, Right, you know, and I'm an older person compared to all the other teachers around me I'm 67, and I'm an old school kind of guy.
Greg:I've told them. You know, I remember, you know all the teachers when I was your all's age had a wooden paddle behind the door. Now we don't do that anymore, but you know, I remember teachers that used to paddle kids so hard you could hear them back in the classroom from the hallway. So you know, it's that and just some of the things that are really not proper to say or even teach anymore that they were teaching, and then some things that they're learning today. Even the method we were talking about math. The method they do now for math is different than the way I was taught it. We get to the same answer, but it's a little bit different.
Greg:Yeah, yeah, that is true, you're right about I was just going to say, the lesson plans. A lot more schools now are using google classroom and they so, uh, even an absent teacher can load a lesson onto that, so that makes it better probably yes, it does all right. So let's say I'll let you talk about yourself a little bit in this regard. What makes you different from other substitute teachers that you've met? You seem to me to be an extrovert. Is that correct?
Felice:I was an introvert for a lot of years and then you know, growing up and having job responsibilities and being a teacher. I had to become an extrovert.
Greg:OK, all right, tell us what makes you different from other substitute teachers.
Felice:Let's see Well probably my experience as a teacher. You know I'm not walking in blind, teacher you know, I'm not walking in blind. Um I I know what it was like when I was teaching and so I'm familiar with the um, maybe the culture of uh a school. Um, I keep up with you know, like the safety concerns and you know uh the upcoming um state testing. You know the upcoming state testing which is really big in the state, so I'm sorry, the hours is this week.
Felice:Yeah Well, I think everybody got theirs in Texas in April. So yeah, I try to get to know the students, especially if I'm in an elementary school. You know, if I have one or two days in a row if I'm doing reading or math intervention, I really form those connections with the students. And then when I go to sub in middle school and I see them again, it kind of helps me, like, you know, if I'm in their classroom I can say, you know, oh well, I know some of you from elementary school and I already have that connection there. And also I try to kind of make a connection with the teachers. I know teachers are very stressed individuals I was one of them Absolutely but, you know, try not to, you know, get on their nerves per se, but just ask questions, kind of visit with them, just kind of build some sort of connection. That way, you know, they remember me also being courteous and nice to the school staff, because walking into a school I always think of it as a job interview.
Felice:I don't want a full-time job but, I, think of it as an interview and I want to leave a good impression and I don't want to be just, you know, a good sub. I want to be a good person.
Greg:Right and you know you are when they start calling you back.
Felice:That's when you know when I get those alerts on email I was going to say I don't have sub alerts, but I do have two sub coordinators in different campuses, and so they will call me personally.
Greg:Oh, that's the best thing to have right there.
Felice:Yes.
Greg:Because they're comfortable with you, you're comfortable with them, and all that. Now do you sub elementary, middle and high school?
Felice:I have not subbed high school. My daughter's in high school and she has forbade me to sub on her campus, so I do. When she was in elementary I did sub at her school and also at her middle school. I tried not to get her class specifically, but yes. I do stay with upper elementary third, fourth and fifth, and then I do sixth, seventh and eighth.
Greg:Right, and you probably know this because I know you listen to the podcast but I subbed middle school and high school for six years. I always said middle school was my favorite. I always said sixth grade was my favorite COVID hit. And then all those students just all of a sudden seem more immature and I told my wife. I said, well, I'm going to try elementary school and I just tried it for the first year, fell in love with it. This year, third grade's kind of my wheelhouse. But I've done them all. Third grade just seems like the last grade before they start developing their attitudes and their egos and that kind of thing. So I've really enjoyed it. All. Right, let me see, I'll ask you this, and if you don't have one, that's fine. Okay, can you recall a humorous situation in the classroom? Maybe it's something I want to reenact where I am.
Felice:I would have to say it was middle school. Okay, Every teacher in the middle school has what they call an advisory period, and so if you're a science teacher, you're going to have another set of students come in for advisory and it's going to be some sort of life lesson, whether it's about you know, suicide prevention, drug abuse prevention or even just motivation and you know what makes you a good person, kind of thing. There's always a lesson planned and there's always a slideshow, kind of thing. There's always a lesson planned and there's always a slideshow, so I was subbing orchestra, yes, orchestra.
Felice:And so, yeah, the orchestra students left. It was time for advisory. Students came in that were not orchestra students, and I had someone helping me with the setup, with the slides and everything. Well, all I knew about the advisory lesson was that it was about motivation. How do we keep our motivation? So technology didn't work and I had to wing it for 20 minutes and my mind is racing.
Felice:I was like, okay, I know this, I live this, what can I say? And I'm looking at, you know, the seventh and eighth graders in front of me going okay, get it together. So I just started talking. It was like an out-of-body experience. I don't really remember what I do remember.
Felice:At the end one of the eighth grade boys, which he was having side conversations and I would just kind of pause while you know when I was talking and just hey, how's it going over there he said oh no, ma'am, I'm fine. Well, at the end he said that was the best class, you're the best, and I thought good, good, good, good for you.
Felice:I wish I could remember what I said. But yeah, that was quite humorous and my stomach was fluttering and I just, you know I was nervous but I was just trying to pull.
Greg:I mean, really the story of my life is think fast yeah, you know you, sometimes you never know how kids are going to react. I feel like here recently, the kids that I've had to fuss at the most because they weren't getting their work done. They're the ones that come back up to me the next day and say oh, Mr Clowens, I'm glad you're back again today. You just never know. You just never know. Let's end with this one. I'm not even sure that I mentioned this one before we started, but I'm going to ask you this anyway If you came across another person that was thinking about becoming a substitute teacher, what would you say to them?
Felice:I would say yeah, well, obviously I would start up with the positives. You don't want to scare anyone away, especially if they're interested in doing something like this. I would just focus on the positive and say it can be very rewarding.
Felice:You will learn as much as the students will be learning. You will form connections with students that you never thought possible, I mean, and I would also tell them that students are human beings. They're not robots. A lot of times they may not. They'll be non-compliant. Don't take it personally. Every student has a story and you know you're human as well. If you're not having a good day, chances are somebody in the class is also not having a good day. So just don't take things personally and just be open to being flexible when you do sub, because you will have those challenging moments when you are asked to give up that planning period and go down the hall and cover for another teacher, and that's just the nature of what a substitute teacher is.
Greg:Correct? Yes, I agree, you know, you made me think of something Correct.
Felice:Yes, I agree. You know you made me think of something. Do you have a tip or trick about when your your classes get too loud, to maybe settle them down?
Felice:Yes, Well with the elementary, you know I've learned some of their call and response sayings so I can implement those. Middle school not so much. You know, I do use proximity and I try to, especially at the beginning of class, just kind of go around and meet these seventh and eighth graders. I keep picking on them. But eighth graders are checked out and you just want to, you know, get to know them as humans for like maybe a minute or two Right, and then just kind of. And it's hard to just stand there in silence because then a few people will notice and then it could turn into a lot of yelling, like you know, be quiet, she's waiting, kind of thing. But yeah, I try not to. I've never banged on the desk, that's just not me, me either.
Felice:Yeah, so I just try to. If there is a mic and I have used the mic with the loop around the neck, I will turn that on because my voice is. I try my best to, you know, throw my voice to the back of the room, but sometimes you know, with these big voices, especially in middle school, you can't get through that way.
Greg:So I'll have to search for the mic.
Felice:But I also use brain teasers with my third, fourth and fifth graders. If I have a computer, if I'm lucky, I will log into my google slide presentation and I will throw up a picture and I will. You know, we'll do a wonder about it, or I'll do a riddle or a joke, or you know just something, um, something fun that they can kind of focus on and get settled I like it.
Greg:I like it, in fact, I might. I might steal some of your ideas, if you don't mind.
Greg:Oh no, go ahead All right, felice, we thank you for being with us here today and wish you the best as you continue to substitute, teach, don't get in too much trouble when you post something on the Facebook group's. That group is so funny because, you know, I let them say just about anything on there, as long as they're not insulting each other, and it's kind of what. That's why the group has grown, because they knew they could do that. But anyway, right. So that's it for us today and I wish you the best.
Greg:Thank you, greg, all right.
