Depending upon the time of year that you’ll be entering the job market, there may or may not be an abundance of positions available within your particular subject field. Substitute teaching is a great way to market, build and establish your personal brand within a school prior to landing your own classroom.
Here are some additional ways that substitute teaching can benefit you:
- Practice Your Skills
- Substitute teaching is a great way to demonstrate success, as well as focus on your teaching skills in particular areas (e.g., classroom management, working on a team, organization) learned through pre-service training.
- Network and Build Relationships
- Leveraging new relationships with fellow teachers and administrators can work in your favor when new job opportunities become available.
- Target Your Job Search
- Targeting particular schools and areas demonstrates that you’re being proactive in the job search. A good teacher/school match is key, and selecting particular schools and areas offers the opportunity to learn individual school culture and administrator management styles to later make a good long-term career fit when positions become available.
- Experience Multiple Grade Levels
- Working as a substitute teacher will give you opportunities to test your skills by working with various grade levels and learning styles which will give you additional experience and open up more opportunities.
- Secure Your Place in the Applicant Pool
- Administrators will be selecting applicants from the established substitute teacher pool first, so demonstrating success as a substitute teacher could help to secure your spot as a lead contender.
Derrick Williams, Staffing Director
Patrice Pendergast, Recruitment Coordinator
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Suwanee, Georgia