Joining the ranks of the New York City Department of Education (DOE) teachers, fondly called “New York’s Brightest,” is a dream of every prospective teaching candidate. This has been extremely difficult over the past two years, especially for certified teachers that recently graduated from an accredited college or university, due to the New York City DOE’s hiring freeze.
The New York City DOE has implemented many hiring restrictions, where most DOE schools are not permitted to fill their vacancies with external candidates; they must only hire teachers or staff that are currently working in appointed DOE positions. If the principals fail to oblige, the Chancellor has warned them that their particular school is at risk of losing a substantial amount of its funding. College graduates are left with only two choices: either to teach in parochial or private schools, or work as substitute teachers for the DOE. Most education graduates choose the latter.
Working as a substitute teacher for the DOE is far from a simple task to undertake. There is a high degree of uncertainty that comes with the job of a substitute teacher. Substitute teachers may or may not know in advance whether or not they will be working at a particular school or school district. They could be called anywhere from 5:00 PM until 10:30 PM of the night prior to an assignment, or may be called anywhere between 5:30 AM and 8:20 AM on the day of an assignment.
Substitute teachers may be assigned to work in a school that is located far away or at a school with parking restrictions, including alternate street side parking or difficult-to-find parking. Once assigned a school or classroom, the substitute teacher may be unfamiliar with the corresponding curricula that each grade level entails, as well as the students he or she will be instructing for the day. Furthermore, a major disadvantage that comes with substitute teaching is that substitutes may not work all the days throughout the school year. Most substitutes are paid only on a per diem basis and do not have any health insurance, paid vacation, or other benefits that appointed teachers have.
On a more positive note, substitute teaching provides the prospective teaching candidate with a substantial amount of teaching experience, which cannot be obtained otherwise as a regular classroom teacher. A regular classroom teacher typically instructs the same grade level for the entire school year, while a substitute teacher may be asked to cover multiple grade levels within a school year, ranging from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade. The substitute teacher may be exposed to various schools and school districts within a short time period and be asked to instruct various subjects to diverse student populations, consisting of different age groups. In return, the students may not always respect the substitute teacher since are unfamiliar with their teaching styles and it may be their first encounter. By substituting, prospective teachers who are initially shy and introverted, can obtain a level of comfort and ease in speaking in front of a classroom, as well as establishing efficient classroom management skills.
Once a substitute teacher has showcased his or her reliability, diligence, and passion for the teaching profession, the school may establish a good rapport and be inclined to call that substitute additional times during the school year, and depending on the occasion may ask that same substitute to fill in long-term vacancies such as maternity leaves, jury duty coverage, professional development coverage, and teacher illnesses. If a vacancy were to ever arise in a particular school, the school principal would be more inclined to hire a substitute teacher who is already familiar with the school’s daily routines, curricula, expectations and personnel.
So, in the end, is substitute teaching a blessing or a bane? Although it may come with many challenges, substitute teaching is an effective way for future teachers to get acquainted with a particular school or school district, in an effort to get their “foot in the door.” Substitute teaching will also help the prospective teacher candidate garner a better idea based on his or her experiences as to whether or not the teaching profession will suit them as a long-term career.
