barbierox
Junior Member
Posts: 88 
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Post by barbierox on Jul 21, 2014 19:35:57 GMT
I just left a message at the ROE to see if they have a transition into teaching program.....
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Post by SabrinaM on Jul 21, 2014 19:42:44 GMT
I made more money as a sub than my parapro friends. I was a highly sought sub for my abilities to teach varied grades and subject matters as well as my ability to manage a classroom. I could easily sub 5 days/week. I didn't need the benefits that came along with the Parapro position.
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ddly
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,019
Jul 10, 2014 19:36:28 GMT
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Post by ddly on Jul 21, 2014 19:48:41 GMT
Where I am it would be with the state Agency of Education. Look licensing and alternative, or something similar, licensing.
Lisa D.
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barbierox
Junior Member
Posts: 88
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Post by barbierox on Jul 22, 2014 15:32:11 GMT
So when you are a sub....lets say for elementary class...are you to teach the varied subjects or do you just give busy work? How is subbing handled at the middle school level??? If I read the website correctly, I will need to take a test within 5 years. This parts freaks me out a little ..
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Post by monklady123 on Jul 22, 2014 15:56:48 GMT
I can't speak for how it is in your district. But in mine being a sub is a pretty good part-time job, if you like kids. I started as a sub for assistants only (i.e., kindergarten assts, special ed assts, resource, etc.) but I still do mostly that even though I've been "promoted" to being a sub for the main classroom teacher. I discovered I love the special ed kids (unlike that guy someone mentioned earlier in this thread). And I like the more one-on-one that you get there, that you don't get in a regular classroom.
If I'm a resource sub my day might look like this:
-- go to regular 3rd grade and begin the day with Joe
-- at 9:00 take Joe upstairs to the resource room to do math with several other kids -- here I might be asked to work with a couple of kids on math
-- 9:45 take Joe to meet his class in the gym, then go to 2nd grade and pick up Jane and take her to language arts in another resource room
-- leave Jane there and go to the ESOL class, take five students to the pull-out ESOL room
-- do reading with whichever kids the ESOL/HILT teacher asks me to work with
-- lunch
-- playground duty
-- James has been at recess with his pull-out group, get him and take him to the regular 1st grade, stay there to help with language arts
-- stay in that class and help with whatever the teacher wants.
Lol. I love it. It's different every day, and it's different kids every day. (unless I go back to the same school to sub for the same person, although even then there can be a different schedule on another day). I've also subbed for the reading teacher, the librarian, preschool, and Montessori.
Mostly I do elementary school, but I have tried middle and high school (also special ed assistant) to see what it was like. The difference I see, besides the age of the kids obviously, is what they want to do with subs in general. What I mean is, once at an elementary school one of the kids on my schedule was absent so I had a hole in my day. I went back to the office to mention that and immediately had three teachers fighting to get me to come to their class. lol. Never a lack of something to do. But when that happened at a high school (I was supposed to meet a certain class at the computer lab but the lab was closed that day for testing) the office lady said "um... well..." and shrugged her shoulders. I ended up just sitting outside on a bench for an hour reading a book. I much prefer the elementary school.
For me the pay is decent. However, I don't need health insurance because I'm on dh's, so it's a good job for me for the time being. If you need benefits then a regular-hire (like a para) would be the best.
And yes, in a regular elementary classroom you usually are supposed to follow the teacher's lesson plan which means teaching everything. I fail at 5th grade math, a fact that I learned when I was supposed to help second-language kids with some ridiculously wordy math word problems. oy...Obviously for middle and high school you're hired to sub for a particular subject teacher.
I could work every day if I wanted, but the beauty of being a sub (at least in this county) is that I don't have to. 
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Post by shutterspeedgirl on Jul 22, 2014 16:07:54 GMT
I'm in Oregon, so take it with a grain of salt, but here you have to be certified and licensed to be a sub or classroom teacher. As a para you do not. That could be a factor in your decision. We also have a demand for science teachers, so I agree with a PP that it could be worth pursuing a teaching license and go full time.
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Post by monklady123 on Jul 22, 2014 16:11:51 GMT
Somehow I left out of my lengthy reply  the requirements. To be a main-teacher sub you have to have a college degree, and for an assistant you need something like 60 credits of college (not 100% sure about that). No training required except for a two-hour orientation when they give us tips for discipline, what to do if there are no lesson plans left, etc. Not much at all. My dd said "no wonder we had some odd subs Mom." oy... |
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Post by freecharlie on Jul 22, 2014 16:14:47 GMT
I know that Colorado standards would not work in Illinois, I only mentioned it as why I would post the link to IL DOE. I didn't know how unfriendly the site was.
As for what you will do, I left 4 pages of sub plans for the teacher with details about how to teach each lesson. I also had a para that could step in at any time. I also had some filler items as I taught kids with severe behavior issues and I'd rather do filler work than have them throw a chair at the sub's head (which did happen a couple of times). I also put sticky notes all over the teacher materials.
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Post by SabrinaM on Jul 22, 2014 16:34:18 GMT
So when you are a sub....lets say for elementary class...are you to teach the varied subjects or do you just give busy work? How is subbing handled at the middle school level??? If I read the website correctly, I will need to take a test within 5 years. This parts freaks me out a little .. I only had one teacher that gave busy work. I hated it. The students hated it. I only subbed for her twice because of it. Typically, my jobs were scheduled so I was able to go to the teacher the day before to see what I would be teaching. In one classroom I was a long-term sub for and I followed the Common Core map and taught from it. |
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Post by 950nancy on Jul 23, 2014 0:45:54 GMT
What you do as a sub generally is dependent on how prepared the missing teacher is. I have a four page typed explanation of how the day goes along with notes on how to teach each subject. I have missed three days in the last five years. I hate to be gone. When I retire I will use all of my sick day pay to take the family to Hawaii. Plus in Colorado your last year you can "trip." This means you collect your regular salary and your retirement. They do it to get the higher paid teachers out of the district. It is a win win. Teacher's pay isn't great, but the benefits are pretty good.
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Jili
Pearl Clutcher
SLPea
Posts: 4,366
Jun 26, 2014 1:26:48 GMT
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Post by Jili on Jul 23, 2014 0:56:13 GMT
The ISBE site is a HOT MESS. Seriously. Here's the licensure page: ISBE Education LicensureI second the recommendation to speak with someone at your ROE. I could not agree more. Speaking with ROE is probably a good idea. My attempts to contact ISBE for various reasons over the years have been exceedingly frustrating. Licensure in IL is a hot mess in general right now because the process has recently completely changed. |
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Post by SockMonkey on Jul 23, 2014 1:15:41 GMT
The ISBE site is a HOT MESS. Seriously. Here's the licensure page: ISBE Education LicensureI second the recommendation to speak with someone at your ROE. I could not agree more. Speaking with ROE is probably a good idea. My attempts to contact ISBE for various reasons over the years have been exceedingly frustrating. Licensure in IL is a hot mess in general right now because the process has recently completely changed. And the programmers for the ELIS system got fired mid-update and then they didn't hire new ones for a while. Gotta love ISBE! |
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Post by Tamhugh on Jul 23, 2014 1:28:41 GMT
I have been a para for 18 years in a special ed classroom. I have never had benefits. I don't remember what I started at but I think in our next contract, anyone working over 3 years, or maybe it's 5, gets close to $16 per hour. The maximum amount of hours per week is 29 so they don't have to pay benefits, but they have always kept us to just under what was required. We have to participate in the retirement program and they state sets the amount that we must contribute. We do get two personal days and 2 (maybe 3?) sick days per year. Snow days and holidays are not paid. A few years ago, the state changed requirements and everyone in a classroom setting had to have at least a 2 year degree or if they were grandfathered in, they had to take a series of classes and pass a certification test. That requirement seems to have been dropped.
Subs make $107 per day for the first 50 days and then it goes up. They can only work 4 days per week to avoid ACA regulations, so in the end, they make less than the paras and they have no sick or personal days. They are expected to teach the classes they are covering. However, most teachers try not to leave a totally new lesson. In most of the special ed classes, the paras will run the class and the subs are there purely for the legal requirements. Sometimes this is just because the students will react much better to the para that they know than a sub. I work in emotional support and a lot of our students just do not do well with subs.
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Post by meridon on Jul 23, 2014 1:29:30 GMT
In my district, the subs are contracted out through Kelly Services, so they actually work for a temp agency, not the actual school district. Our parapros probably make less money, but they have the retirement and health benefits that teachers do. You might want to look into organizations like your local zoo, children's museum, etc. and see if they run children's programs. I have a friend who is a full time science teacher, but she also works at a children's museum summer program and makes pretty good money. A job along those lines plus subbing or being a parapro might be okay money, at least until you can figure out what you would need to do for certification. Plus it would give you some practical experience working with kids that principals will want to see on a resume.
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gsquaredmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,091
Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Jul 23, 2014 2:00:24 GMT
Kane County still competitive. Contact NIU. Cheaper than small colleges and close. Consider a graduate degree in chem. or education (careful with that one--get certified then finish so you stay a cheaper hire). If you get a grad assistantship tuition is waived. You can also purchase insurance that is pretty reasonable and pretty decent.
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Post by angel97701 on Jul 23, 2014 2:29:38 GMT
I've been a full-time high school Science teacher, mostly Chemistry  It was a blast to teach HS kids how to think, which is where they learn to actually apply equations to real life situations. For example, gas laws . . . why do helium balloons using burst when left in hot cars? Or why do batteries discharge, or how does a catalytic converter work in a car engine? With that said, you really need to figure out if you want to teach. In my state you must have a teaching credential to teach, but we are better paid that other parts of the country. I sub now and make about $170 / day. Because I have the freedom to work when I want, this is the route I have chosen. Sept and June are slow months, but I usually work as much as I want the other months of the year. I do not have benefits, and retirement accrues IF I work a certain number of hours per year. I've had a couple of long term jobs where I was requested because I could teach the advanced Chemistry and Biology courses. |
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*~*amanda*~*
Junior Member
Posts: 51
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Post by *~*amanda*~* on Jul 23, 2014 2:56:22 GMT
I sub teach. No benefits. Pay varies depending on the district i work in. Last year the pay ranged from $85 - $105 per day.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 5, 2024 17:45:42 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2014 3:26:30 GMT
I've considered going to work as a para. I don't have any interest in being a sub.
I don't want to be the main person in charge of discipline...when I taught that's the part I hated. I liked helping the kids.
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barbierox
Junior Member
Posts: 88
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Post by barbierox on Jul 23, 2014 13:18:23 GMT
It is interesting how the pay is so different depending on where you live. So if you are a sub...is there some sort of training they give you...to handle discipline, etc...?? Did your district require you to pass a test to become a sub??
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Post by honeyb on Jul 23, 2014 14:03:17 GMT
The pay varies so much because of the qualifications required. If you are in a state that doesn't require a teaching certificate, pay appears to be much lower. In my district (and state) teaching credentials are required to be a sub. There is no training because we learned all that in college and during student teaching. My district pays $140/day and after 20 days it increases to $160.
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gsquaredmom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,091
Jun 26, 2014 17:43:22 GMT
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Post by gsquaredmom on Jul 23, 2014 16:57:24 GMT
The pay also varies between districts in a state. Wealthier districts tend to pay subs more. My district pays more than some, less than others nearby.
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Post by SabrinaM on Jul 23, 2014 17:55:25 GMT
It is interesting how the pay is so different depending on where you live. So if you are a sub...is there some sort of training they give you...to handle discipline, etc...?? Did your district require you to pass a test to become a sub?? I have worked with children in an Elementary School setting since I was 16. I was also the director of an Extended Day/after school program for 3 years. Large group control and discipline comes easily for me. I have a few techniques that work great. Our school had a few common techniques that students learned in Kindergarten. ("Give me 5" etc) My last school district (we moved this summer) required a week long training but I never did figure out the point of the whole thing. |
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Post by angel97701 on Jul 23, 2014 17:58:29 GMT
In Oregon the sub pay is based on the pay of the district. Since we are required to hold a valid teaching credential we are paid more than most parts of the country. State law stipulates that the sub pay must be 1/180th of the salary of a first year teacher. When I teach on a contract however I make almost double per hour because I hold a Masters Degree plus more than 45 hours of graduate work beyond my masters.
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the requirements. To be a main-teacher sub you have to have a college degree, and for an assistant you need something like 60 credits of college (not 100% sure about that). No training required except for a two-hour orientation when they give us tips for discipline, what to do if there are no lesson plans left, etc. Not much at all. My dd said "no wonder we had some odd subs Mom." oy...
It was a blast to teach HS kids how to think, which is where they learn to actually apply equations to real life situations. For example, gas laws . . . why do helium balloons using burst when left in hot cars? Or why do batteries discharge, or how does a catalytic converter work in a car engine? With that said, you really need to figure out if you want to teach.
