Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/substitutes-were-the-real-thing!/5008219/
The life of a substitute is not an easy one - the very word suggests someone who is not the real thing, someone we must put up with for the interim. The word, usually shortened to "sub," even sounds awful - rather short and low.Yet it would be hard to come up with a person more sought after than a reliable, effective substitute care-giver. Early childhood programs will desperately search - even beg, borrow, or steal - to find a substitute. But on the job, substitutes often feel neglected, even exploited.
As I worked as a substitute teacher in early childhood programs, I discovered that I sometimes felt most valued before I entered the center. An affirmative response to a plea for help resulted in all sorts of joyful, enthusiastic gratitude - I was made to feel important and helpful. After I began my day's work, I often found myself abandoned, saddled with the worst jobs, and floundering to really take care of children with minimal information and support.
To give a sub his or her due, I would like to focus attention on some often forgotten truths about life as a substitute:
A Substitute Is a ...