How to be a Successful High School Substitute Teacher
by This article looks at what is needed to succeed as a substitute teacher in high school. It discusses classroom control issues and dealing with various problems that might arise.
Many people are not fans of being a substitute teacher at the high school level. This is because many substitute teachers believe that they lead the class either by intimidation or by being the class hero. Neither of these approaches work very well in high school. There are some simple guidelines that make most high school substitute teaching assignments work. For those who are making their first foray into this arena, these tips should give you help to get going in the right direction.
Always Know How to Get Help Quickly
This may sound like the classroom environment is unsafe. For the most part, this is not true. However, as a substitute teacher, you are being placed in a room with a class of 15 to 35 teens. Some of them will be bigger than you and have attitude. The teacher will normally leave you the names of potential trouble makers, but not always.
Even if you have the list, most of the time you will not know what name goes with what student. If the school has an intercom system, familiarize yourself with how it works. If it has a phone system, make sure you have the number of the office and the classrooms next to yours. Being armed with this information will give you additional confidence in the classroom and a way to get help if an emergency arises.
Dress for Success
Clothes do not always make the man, but high school students are insecure enough to be swayed by someone who looks important. Dressing in professional looking clothes will make the students identify you with the administrators who are the law enforcement of the school system. This will give you an immediate edge in the area of classroom control.
Arrive With Enough Time to be Prepared by the Time the Students Come to Class
As a substitute in high school, you will be asked to teach a new group of students with every class change. This means that you need enough time to read through the notes for each class that you will face that day. Having some of the assignment written on the board for students to see as they enter the room will give the impression that this work time and not play time. If you can come across as knowing what you are doing and where you are going with the material, the class will be more likely to follow you.
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