I’ve been in school for over ten years and within those ten years I’ve met many teachers. However, all teachers need a break once in a while or get sick every now and again and must call for a substitute.
Since I’ve had many teachers, I’ve also had twice as many subs. Yet, of all the substitute teachers that have graced the halls, not one of them has stood in front of the class hungover and proceeded to transform it into a rock band.
Mr. Schneebly, played by Jack Black in the 2003 hit movie “School of Rock,” was kind of my unsung hero. You would never think that a washed up, beer bellied character could actually inspire children, yet he did.
For those who haven’t seen the movie, Dewey Finn (Jack Black) poses as his roommate Ned Schneebly and takes the role of a temporary teacher at a private school for a group of middle school children.
At first, he neglects the students and the curriculum, but soon realizes that his kids are incredibly talented musicians. Since he was recently dumped by his bandmates, he decides that creating a kid rock band would be a brilliant “class project.”
Essentially, what could have been a mundane situation, turned out to be an inspiring one. In part, the stuffy private school students learned to express themselves through music and fight their insecurities. I’d highly recommend the movie, regardless of your age.
Now, I realize that a movie isn’t a good representation of reality, but I also know that I’ve never had a substitute teacher that truly cared as much as Mr. S.
Being temporary feels like another way of saying unimportant. We stamp temporary tattoos on our bodies because we don’t care enough to get real ones. We spray temporary hair dye on our scalps because it will eventually disappear. Temporary teachers don’t have to feel this way, though.
My frustration towards subs hit its peak last week. Normally, a classroom would be excited at the sight of it’s regular teacher being absent; it automatically means that a movie would be played and we could turn off our brains for the period. This time around, I sulked instead of squealed.
Our sub, with a lackluster look on their face, spoke to us in the driest, most monotone voice you’ve ever heard. It immediately lowered the energy in the room and resulted in my class wanting nothing to do with participating or paying attention; I yearned for my teacher’s bright dialect and engaging eye contact.
What substitutes don’t realize is that they’re breaking up the monotony of the regular 40 minute period and should take advantage of that.
Every day we’re greeted by the same teacher, and while I’m not claiming that’s boring, I am saying that throwing us a curve ball is, at times, exciting. Therefore, subs should embrace the role of “guest teacher” rather than “temporary teacher.”
When I was in middle school, every so often we would have a sub named Mrs. Goodfriend. She was awesome. She wore clogs with grey sweatpants, had crazy, large eyeglasses, and awarded us with “wizard points.”
Mrs. Goodfriend had a point system that never expired in which she would ask sporadic quiz questions. For those who answered correctly, a wizard point was granted.
I’m not saying every sub needs to adapt a point system, but the reason Mrs. Goodfriend was so well liked was because her charisma was memorable

.
I can’t tell someone how to do their job, but I can offer some advice to students of subs. I think that in order to make the situation more tolerable, we have to be open minded, say yes, and be patient.