“It Felt Like I Had Air Back in My Lungs”: Eleanor’s Journey Back From Burnout

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the story of a secondary ensemble teacher who experienced burnout and chose to remain in the profession. Eleanor and I met for three semistructured interviews and two observations. I used Clandinin and Connelly’s three-dimensional inquiry space as a framework for this study. Narrative analysis revealed that Eleanor experienced symptoms of burnout during a first teaching position that was a poor fit for her. Her passion and enthusiasm for teaching were reignited during a period of long-term music substitute teaching in a successful program surrounded by a supportive community. The importance of recognizing burnout, finding support systems, and identifying hegemonic assumptions about teaching emerged as critical points in Eleanor’s narrative. This arc became visible through narratively coding the field texts, and thoroughly reviewing data obtained from interviews and observations.

More Than Shortages: The Unequal Distribution of Substitute Teaching

Classroom teachers in the US are absent on average approximately six percent of a school year. Despite the prevalence of teacher absences, surprisingly little research has assessed the key source of replacement instruction: substitute teachers. Using detailed administrative and survey data from a large urban school district, we document the prevalence, predictors, and distribution of substitute coverage across schools. Less advantaged schools systematically exhibit lower rates of substitute coverage compared with peer institutions. Observed school, teacher, and absence characteristics account for only part of this school variation. In contrast, substitute teachers' preferences for specific schools, mainly driven by student behavior and support from teachers and school administrators, explain a sizable share of the unequal distribution of coverage rates above and beyond standard measures in administrative data.

Novice middle school teachers’ preparedness for teaching, and the helpfulness of supports: A survey of one state

Novice teachers’ readiness for teaching may affect the quality of the classroom environment and teachers’ likelihood of remaining in teaching. Using a survey of novice teachers in one state, we examine teachers’ preparedness for teaching, the supports offered, and the perceived helpfulness of those supports. Even novice teachers often had some type of prior experience: particularly substitute teaching (64%) and as a teacher aide or assistant (44%). Still, they often did not feel well prepared. Sixty percent of teachers felt well prepared in their subject area, but only 34% in using appropriate pedagogical strategies, 28% in managing their classrooms, and 17% in reaching all students. Teachers typically received multiple types of supports and received them multiple times over the first year, with a mean of 163 instances of supports. Teachers most often viewed supports as helpful if the supports were in the areas that teachers felt least prepared and provided at least monthly. The supports most related to teachers’ perceptions of helpfulness were mentoring, planning lessons, using student assessment data to make decisions about instruction, using appropriate pedagogical strategies, professional development for new teachers, teacher networks, and regular collaboration with other teachers.

Teacher Induction Pathway of Physical and Health Education: A Case Study

This article aims to describe teacher induction (TI) with reference to two physical and health education (PHE) teachers based on three variables: 1) self-efficacy, 2) motivation and 3) satisfaction. Our case study relies on individual telephone interviews conducted during each teacher’s first five years of teaching and allows for describing the perceptions of these two teachers who persevered in the profession. The findings reveal that self-efficacy relates above all to harmonious relations with students and teaching colleagues, an experienced teacher in particular, and evolves over the course of TI through a process of introspection undertaken by the new teacher. A surprising observation is that, despite the difficult conditions of substitute teaching during TI, teachers maintain that it offers diverse contexts and opportunities for learning about the profession; thus, substitute teaching appears to positively impact self-efficacy. The relatively high motivation fluctuates over time, based on whether it is approached positively in terms of professional relations, or negatively in terms of job insecurity. The same holds true for satisfaction, which alters over the years, either upwards if based on positive contact with students or downwards if based on difficult hiring conditions. During the induction process, satisfaction evolves towards the quest for academic freedom and an awareness of the teacher’s impact on his or her students. The conclusion explains how a strong feeling of self-efficacy can contribute to perseverance in the profession during the TI phase, even in the presence of difficult job conditions.

Making My Time Count: Attempting Global Education as a Substitute Teacher in the K-12 Classroom

This paper explores substitute teaching as a potential site for transformational Global Education. I use autoethnography to better understand my experiences as a teacher and learner, how I became a substitute teacher, and my desire to use a critical pedagogy and Global Education framework for my teaching practice in a guest teacher context. Perceptions of substitute teachers, challenges faced by substitute teachers, possible barriers to effective teaching and learning while a temporary presence, as well as various conceptions of Global Education are explored, along with where these two seemingly disparate worlds may intersect. I investigate the limits of current research regarding substitute teachers and make recommendations for embedding Global Education in the substitute teaching practice.

Substitute Your Way to a Real Job

Follow these tips from principals, teachers, and human resource directors to make the most of your substitute teaching experience and use it to get your first job.