New substitute teachers get instruction on survival

The newest squadron of Clark County substitute teachers massed on Tuesday for instructions before they march onto what can be a brutal battleground -- the classroom.

The Clark County School District held an orientation for 123 future subs, an event designed to prepare the recruits for long days of spitballs and chaos that start with a 5 a.m. phone call.

"I know the kids aren't dumb -- they can smell a sucker," said Jim Carlson, 49, a retired U.S. Treasury officer who moved to Henderson from Portland about two years ago. "But I really like the kids. I like to talk to them and treat them as adults."

Carlson is among those in the district's 1,800-member substitute pool who are retired professionals fishing around for a second career or simply looking for part-time work. Others in the pool are working on degrees or angling for a full-time teaching position.

Carlson said he mostly wanted to work at Vanderburg Elementary School, where he could keep an eye on his 9-year-old daughter.

"It's kind of selfish in a way, I guess," he said.

Evan Emett, 56, a retired electrical engineer, has dabbled in real estate and is now looking for something "more meaningful." He said he was bracing himself for students who terrorize subs.

"I know that kids can pick you apart," he said.

The district places between 700 and 800 subs a day during the traditional school year. For their services -- sometimes glorified babysitting -- subs earn $80 a day.

Anyone with 62 college credits -- about two years -- including six education course credits can substitute teach. Anyone with a bachelor's degree automatically qualifies.

"Teaching is my calling," said Heather Perkins, a 22-year-old UNLV junior and education major, who is looking for classroom experience.

The district holds day-long orientations about once a month to prepare civilians for the rigors of subbing. Last year, veteran teachers trained 871 subs during nine orientations. During the sessions, recruits chat in small groups and discuss survival strategies.

Included in the lessons: how to deal with defiant students and students who just don't pay attention. Among the tips offered: avoid the stigmatized term "substitute." Try "guest teacher." And keep the students engaged from the first minute of class.

"We don't want you to just survive, we want you to be effective," said veteran teacher Paula Naegle, orientation organizer.

Teachers also suggest substitutes pay attention to their dress, manner of speaking and posture from the moment they walk into class.

"Studies say that a student can get a read on a teacher in the first seven seconds," Naegle said. "We don't want students to groan, 'Oh, no, we've got a sub.' We want them to say, 'Oh, I wonder who this is."'

archive