I never tried teaching yet I have often wished I would have tried it.

Learning is one of my strong suits. Yet I will never know if I would have been a talented teacher.

My folks are the ones who effectively prevented me from graduate/law school.

I fear that I will retire/die without ever realizing the ideal outlet for my set of skills and interests.

Every time my career really, really boomed, some jack ass in a vehicle would "cripple me up" some.

I was once told by one of my college professors (a rather wise one) that when a person had a desire to teach, it often indicated that the person had a teaching talent that hadn't been nurtured.

It's not too late for you to try it, PT. Check into the school systems where you live and pick up a substitute teacher application...or you could find out what it would take for you to spend a few hours volunteering in a school. If you like it, great. If not, at least you don't have to stay longer than you want to.

Thanks for the good advice. With a degree in Business and minors in Economics and Political Science....I wonder what I might sub in?

I'm thinking my name and background might work for Government/History/Civics type courses. How could one resist a teacher named John Adams for that type of course....lol.

I really feel strongly about the importance of Drivers Ed. But my own driving is less than perfect. Got a lil speeding ticket a few years back.

Funny thing...I have long felt an inclination to teach about marital wisdom. Hilarious thing about that? Never got married in spite of reading numerous books on the subject.

The fact that you have a college degree will make you very attractive to most school systems, regardless of what it's in. Many school systems only require a high school diploma or its equivalent. You would be subjected to a criminal background check, of course, and you might have to take a short training course to orient you to classroom management, subject matter, school-wide expectations and schedules, etc. Some systems require this kind of course and some don't. Your pay won't be fantastic, but it's better than minimum wage and you're free on most days by 3 pm. IF you're willing to sub in any grade K-12, you'll be more likely to get called after your application has been accepted. (In my area, the local school board decides whether or not an application to substitute teach is accepted.)

However, I would advise you to be honest with yourself and decide what you can take and what you can't. Some people would never consider subbing in a kindergarten class while others would go no higher. With most school systems divided into elementary, middle, and high schools, there's a wide range of grades to choose from.

lefty has been doing substitute teaching. She would probably be glad to fill you in on her experiences. I think you should give it a try, PT...nothing ventured...and all that.

Also, there are many websites that you can go to for information...one of my favorites is http://teachers.net/mentors/

Sounds like great advice. I would prefer that kids be at least 10 years old. I don't know why I prefer that however. My real preference is 8th grade or higher. Being practical however...I should indicate a willingness to sub grades 3rd and higher.

I'm cheering for you, PT...visit your local school system's central office and get your foot in the door before the school year is completed. There are also many summer schools and tutoring programs that you can explore. AND don't forget to check out that website I told you about. It's great...and there are links to others.

Let me know what you find out....

Oops...almost forgot. Many schools will give you a warm welcome IF you show that you're competent and reliable. Ask questions...and always follow the teacher's lesson plans. What if there aren't any plans? Well, that is when you learn to put together a "bag of tricks." If you get a sub job, I'll help you with that absolute necessity.

This is going to sound sexist, but a male sub is rare...especially in elementary school. You have an advantage there, along with the college degree.

When you go to the central office for an application, dress professionally...a white shirt and tie would be impressive. When you're called for an interview, dress even more professionally. When you get that first sub job...dress in business casual, even if the other "real" teachers don't. Believe me...dressing professionally will make the students be much more respectful than if you go into a classroom in a t-shirt and jeans...which I NEVER encourage subs to wear...

I have a purple and black triathlon suit made of lycra...somewhere. You are saying I should leave it at home?

j/k!!

Let's put it this way.... sell the lycra and get a nice tie!

It doesn't matter where you're subbing, PT...you do not want to wear lycra. IF you show up in lycra to teach a PE class, your chances for surviving the day aren't good. The kids would love it...the administration would not.


I recommend athletic shorts or sweats, a t-shirt (or golf shirt), socks, athletic tennis shoes,
(preferably cross-training tennis shoes), and/or a sweatshirt. A good track suit would be suitable for outside PE...again, check into what the school system requires or recommends as to professional attire. They vary from system to system.

Subbing is great fun and extremely challenging. In my school district (surprisingly) you did have to have a college degree, but because the pay is so low, $60 a day, they had to lower the requirements to ANY college experience, like that somehow makes a good teacher...anyhoo. I would say that if you aren't really sure about anyone below 8th grade, you should probably start off in the high school. MAYBE after you've gotten a hang of that try younger, but I seriously don't think you realize the difference in kids between 3rd and 8th grade. Its stunning. I prefer younger kids, which really surprises me because I always wanted to teach on the college level. I think I like the young kids because they really don't know how to lie yet and if they do lie, its usually because they are scared, not for nefarious reasons. As the kids get older, their bag of tricks becomes much more varied and they get a lot harder to deal with. Just my opinion. You may prefer the older kids because you can be much sterner and get respect that way. With the younger ones, you usually have to win their respect by kindness and understanding. I'd say up till 4 th or 5 th grade you are going to still encounter frequent bouts of crying and a lot of emotional reactions. The older kids hide those feelings better, so think about which you think you can handle better.

Catherine helped me a good bit when I first started with ideas and activities...after you get a hang of it you will start to know what to do. Always have generic work that would be fun and educational for whatever grade level you are teaching. NEVER just let them watch a movie. The more you teach them and attempt to keep the classroom "normal" the more you will get called back. The subs who don't do anything are the last ones who get called. Some teachers won't even try to prepare you, but some are great about it. If you know a teacher's going to be gone before hand, stop by and ask them to give you pointers. Usually they enjoy the fact that you aren't going to be lazy and that you want to help continue the learning experience.

I haven't subbed this year for various reasons (nothing about teaching though) and every single time I see ANYONE from the school they go on and on about missing me and hating to get anyone else for their room. That makes me feel so APPRECIATED! Try it out though, you may love it. I know I do/did.

That web site is huge. I am now registered. It seems appropriate to generate a teacher specific resume.

Having a resilient cold lowers my initiative. Does anyone know of a handy "template" for a teaching resume?

Did you register as Purple Tang? (I sometimes go there and make a comment or two at the POLITICS board, although it's been quite awhile since I made the last one.) I like the retired teachers and the Golden Apples boards.

It is indeed a big site, PT...but chock full of information. The various discussion boards are populated with helpful people. Sure you'll run into a few snotnoses but if you ask a question at the sub board, I promise you'll get lots of feedback.

For teacher resumes, check out this site: http://www.bradleycvs.co.uk/how-to-writ ... plates.htm

If you can't find what you want there, just make a query at teachers.net sub board and someone will have more ideas.

GOOD LUCK WITH GETTING RID OF THE COLD, TOO.

I registered as johnhadams after finding that so many had no idea what a Purple Tang was. My name usually helps more than hurts though it seems that some expect a lot more from someone with that name. Perhaps I would too.

The resume templates look pretty good. Thanks for linking that!

This cold baffles me. I break out in a light sweat from minimal exertion. Watery eyes, runny nose, congestion, cough. It sucks.