Substitute Teaching Success

Getting Asked Back: Marketing Your Services

Now that you have made a great impression from your substitute teaching assignment (you have, haven't you?), you can market yourself a little so that teachers start requesting you by name. That's the critical next step toward options in teaching careers.

Simple marketing for continuous sub teacher jobs

Start by printing some cards with your color picture and your sub number or identifier and your cell phone number. The picture is important because it helps staff remember who you are even if they don't recall your name. Leave one on the classroom teacher's desk and also in the office.

More important than leaving behind a card, however, is leaving behind a classroom that welcomes the regular teacher back.

Do:

• Leave a positive note explaining how the day went
• List the things that you accomplished
• Explain the status of lessons or projects that are not finished
• Correct any papers that can be corrected
• Note any extreme discipline issues that occurred (things that involved the principal)
• Tidy up the room, leaving it cleaner than you found it

Don't:

• Leave the classroom in a mess
• Leave a tattle-tale list of behavior issues

About that last item: Remember the "sub behavior" discussed on this page? Every teacher knows their classroom will misbehave to a certain extent for a substitute teacher. And they certainly know which students in particular will be the main behavior problems.

Leave the "naughty" and "nice" lists for Santa,
not the regular classroom teacher.

Believe me, they really don't want to come back to a list of "nasties" left by substitute teachers that confirms all of this. If you had a really rough day and feel that someone needs to know about the horrors you faced...well, that's what spouses and non-teacher friends are for!

Don't fool yourself that the troublesome students will face any sort of consequences just because you left a "tattle" note.

The bottom line

Substitute teaching can be a very tough job...but so worth it. Focus on the kids; you'll have the chance to influence hundreds of them in short order. And that is what it's all about.

They called! Now what?!         "Teacher Interviews 101" The resume gets their attention, but the interview gets the job. Read and listen as I walk you through it step-by-step.

Sub Marketing Tips from Teachers

Here are some great tips on getting asked back for more substitute teaching jobs, shared by my readers. If you have an idea, please share by using the comments at the bottom of the page. Teaching careers come from minding the details!

Fact sheets are better than cards

I know some people have cards made up and I have some, too, in my purse in case someone asks for something. But I usually leave a sheet of my information for the teacher and for the office. I think that having larger type on colored paper (with my picture) makes a more memorable impression.

I print them off using colored ink, too. Classroom teachers get all kinds of different subs and they blur together.

Lannette - Colorado

Be sure to e-mail a thank you!

After I get home from a day of subbing, I like to send the classroom teacher an e-mail with my contact information. That way it's easier for her (or him) to copy and paste my info into a contact list or document or whatever they use for sub teachers they like. I can usually find their e-mail address on the district website or the school website.

They don't all like me of course but most do! I think this helps.

Dan Stinson - Murray, Utah

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