My fall plans as a transitioning teacher

8/29/2023

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With the school year only a week away, it’s time to announce my plans as a transitioning teacher (as much as I would like to ignore the “Back to School” ads and classroom set-up videos).

I will be working part-time as a substitute teacher!!

You read that right. I will not participate in classroom set-up and professional development meetings. However, I will still gain valuable experiences in classrooms around my city. This fall, I will take my first solo flight as a teacher, managing students across grade levels, environments, and demographics. And as we stay in teacher lingo, my bucket of teaching strategies will fill with each day.

I view substitute teaching as a transitional period at the start of my career. It is my first step towards independence in a classroom with flexibility, autonomy, and differentiation as enticing benefits. Therefore, I can join a family vacation to Maine, visit my hometown for birthdays and holidays, and engage in outside meetings, work sessions, and investments. The familiar nerves and excitement of a new school year feels bittersweet.

So now that I have announced my position, what are my plans for navigating work-life balance?

Starting in September, I plan to substitute at most three days per week to reserve the other weekdays for my other part-time barista job. In the beginning, I will accept only posted jobs on my company’s online portal (because I presently refuse to receive calls at 5:00 a.m. the same day), so I have control over my schedule week by week. Ultimately, my work schedule depends on job availability across the district, so there may be weeks when I sub only once and others when I work six days across both jobs.

Substitute teaching will still be demanding, but I am ready for the challenge. With every decision and every opportunity, I forge my career path as an educator.

So, what’s the story behind this decision?

The story behind the decision

In April 2023, I stood at a crossroads: I was still waiting to receive my finalist status notification from Fulbright. Therefore, I needed to plan for acceptance or rejection. If I did become a finalist, I would find a temporary teaching position or work within education while mentally preparing for departure. If I did not, I would enter the field as a full-time teacher.

You know what happened a few weeks later. The acceptance letter arrived, and I finally exhaled with some relief. After the adrenaline subsided, I shifted my focus back to the present. “So, what now?”, I thought. For days, I felt indecisive about applying for full-time positions or more temporary options. Eventually, I decided it would be best to commit the fall and winter to gaining experience outside of my own classroom.

After researching temporary teaching options, I settled on applying for a substitute teaching company serving my local school district. The application was simple, the interview informal, and the PD simple and swift. As the first day of school approaches, my mind becomes overwhelmed with questions that can be answered only by experience.

How I am preparing

My go-to coping strategy when I feel stressed and anxious about a job or opportunity? Over-prepare. In the past few weeks, I have collected every ounce of reluctant motivation to create backup materials, purchase school supplies, and fall into a niche YouTube rabbit hole.

This summer, I strived to set myself up for success in the classroom. I prepared my substitute teaching bag with backup pencils, lesson plans, and notebook paper. I completed online PD courses, scrolled through articles, and overanalyzed all possible worst-case scenarios. The truth is that I will never feel ready enough. However, I will step into my first classroom open-minded and enthusiastic to meet a new group of students.

Each classroom offers a fresh perspective on teaching methods, materials, and management. I will observe which of these I plan to save for the future and which I will leave behind after the dismissal bell. It will take time to readjust to the pace of teaching and the craft of multitasking. I anticipate both my physical and mental notebooks will fill after each day with reflections on what went well, which de-escalation or management strategies I used, and my areas for improvement.

As someone who finds comfort in routine and structure, this position presents an uncomfortable challenge. A different classroom, different school, different grade, different group every day. Substitute teaching is a humbling experience; being in a new site every day puts me in the role of a learner, a guest. I do not understand the ins and outs of each guest classroom, so I will always learn from the students and the environment.

The challenge extends to my confidence as an emerging teacher. As a substitute, I will be the only grown-up in the classroom; I am in charge, despite how insecure and out of place I may feel. Substitute teaching is the nonpareil “fake it ‘till you make it” scenario. My presence must be steady and firm, and I must be prepared to be pushed, questioned, and challenged by students.

Preparation for any teaching position surpasses purchases and material items; the majority is mental. How will I greet students as they enter? What do I do when a student refuses to participate? How can I make today a successful learning experience? And finally, WHAT DO I DO WHEN THERE ARE NO SUB PLANS?

The first day of school is almost a week away, and I am eager to begin. The first day of teaching solo is like ripping a bandaid off. All of the scaffolding anticipation for the infamous “first day of school” will wash away over eight hours. After the schedule flies by, I hope to feel relief and reassurance. I can lock the classroom door, return the keys at the front office, sit in my car, and sigh, “Yes, I can do this.”

So the next day, and the day after that, my confidence grew with each introduction: “Hello, class. My name is Miss Hesterman, and I will be your teacher for the day.”

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