Substitute Teaching (Middle School and High School)

it really depends on your level of tolerance. i teach and can positively say that i am not, and i repeat am not suited to teach lower than around 7th or 8th grade (i'm a 9-12 social science teacher).

i'm not sure how the credentialing process is in tx, but in ca it is totally different as for primary teaching you'd need a multi-subject credential. for secondary you need a single-subject credential. but subbing first is smart to figure out if you want to get either credential.

to sub for middle/high school you need to be MUCH more savvy...kinda hard to put into words. but they will definitely try you in much more ways than primary in my opinion. my students come to understand that i am here to help them, but i'm not to be played with. there is time to laugh and joke, but when its not that time everyone needs to be on task. i generally give my students options....hard way or easy way (my way). good luck! there is MUCH more than meets the eye in this career.

I found subbing for junior high and high school to be nothing more than glorified babysitting. That's how it is here in IL anyway. Most of the teachers gave the kids a movie to watch or seatwork to do. Some of the high school teachers gave the kids a study hall.

I found some classrooms to be wonderful. The kids just did their work and I usually allowed them to talk QUIETLY. I would often just bring a book and make sure no one got out of hand. Other classrooms were a nightmare and I remember at one point going next door to find out from a regular teacher what I should do about the two girls screaming at each other. She had one of her kids get the dean.

I would say Middle School was the easiest. Those kids are young enough where an adult has authority still and they'll listen to you if you're hard enough. High school--some of those kids were bigger than me and looked older than me! Scary!

I haven't subbed yet, but I was tutoring for an AVID program at a local high school around here and I had an amazing time. There are difficult students and easy students, but I think they have those in elementary too. I think the important thing to remember is that in middle and high school these kids are struggling with a lot of hormonal and identity changes. They are dealing with a tough transition from being kids to becoming adults and I found that if you treat them as adults with a mutual respect they are a lot easier to deal with. Especially when working with the difficult kids I found that the less you treat them like children, the more they respond that includes being honest and up front. But you also have to be pretty firm and no nonsense too, otherwise they will take advantage like any other kid.

I know a lot of people think high schoolers are a nightmare, but I had a great time working with them. Being a teen can be really difficult, just remember how you wanted to be treated when you were there age. I loved working with those kids and hope that eventually I can get back to school to be a high school teacher someday! Good luck to you and congrats for wanting to be an educator, especially at the middle/high school level!!

Middle and HS are difficult b/c of the level of content that needs to be addressed. If you are doing day-to-day subbing I doubt you will see any "real differences" in your experiences (aside from some of the obvious differences). If you are considering a long-term sub position then you may need to be certified in the content area to sub for longer than 6 weeks!

Don't get mad at me mamapedia ladies. I dont make the news, I only report it......
Subbing for Jr Jigh and Middle school sent me screaming in the other direction! Remember that teacher that got into trouble for saying bad things about her students? That's all true! I did it for 2 years. Those kids were talking about sex, drugs, violence, bullying, stealing, selling drugs, all right in front of me. They showed up high and drunk. Jr High was the worst. They had no sense of there own mortality. And this was in a good school district. I felt so sorry for some of the kids, for example, the girls with no self esteem that let themselves just get passed around from boy to boy. But some of them, especially the girls, were downright mean, confrontational, and threatening. There was enough, I'm young and pretty so I get to be mean, attitude to make you want to shake them, hard! Oh wow, if my kids ever acted like that! My tender heart weeps for the future!

I subbed for a year and a half (all levels) while getting my teaching certification, and loved it! I prefer middle and high school, but enjoyed the little ones as well. One thing to consider, with all of the teachers in our area losing jobs at the end of this year, it may be more difficult to get sub jobs next year. I know that many of the teachers who are losing their full-time positions at my school are considering subbing next year. Good luck, and enjoy teaching wherever you teach!

**Edit: Morenita is exactly correct in her post, and everything is the same in Texas as in California as far as certification for different grade levels goes.

I have subbed over 10 years and I will not go near a middle or high school. You could not pay me enough for those ages.

I hear the horror stories my daughter brings home about what high schoolers do, etc.

I witness it when I have my volunteer hat on and I'm at the school.

I LOVE elementary and will stay there.