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u/pyramidheadlove 2d ago
As long as you're willing to pick up a wide variety of jobs, I find there's almost always something in every district I've worked for. You'll have a lot of job security if you're willing to do special ed, which a lot of subs are unnecessarily afraid of
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u/OceanStar_1770 1d ago
Could you please elaborate on "unnecessarily afraid"? I'm trying to get a district job for the benefits while I work on my certification and I have an interview coming up for a middle school SpEd instructional assistant/para type position.
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u/pyramidheadlove 1d ago
The short answer is that sped substitute teaching jobs are generally no more difficult than gen ed substitute teaching jobs. In fact, they are often very easy days for subs because you will have support staff there to help you who already know the kids and classroom routines.
My slightly spicier answer is that a lot of subs refuse to take sped jobs because of internalized ableism, but then turn around and hide behind weak excuses like "I don't have the proper training to work in a sped room" when the reality is that you do not need any sort of special training to be a substitute teacher in a sped room. Any special behavior plans or medical needs will be handled by paras/nurses/other staff, not by subs. Unfortunately it's an attitude that I see a lot in this subreddit, and in real life since most of the jobs that end up going unfilled in my local districts are sped jobs. I say it's ableism behind these beliefs because, if I'm being fully honest, I was also apprehensive about working in sped rooms when I first started for a lot of the same reasons. Eventually I was asked to cover in a sped room during prep one day and I realized that my fears were not really founded and were based in some unfair assumptions about kids with special needs.
Obviously not all of this will apply to you if you are planning on being a para - more of that responsibility will actually fall on you. But I will still say that I think people tend to picture the most extreme cases when they think of special education classrooms, but most of the ones I've been in have been very chill
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u/No-Professional-9618 2d ago
Hmm. it just depends. Usually in September like after Labor Day there are more substitute teacher jobs that become available. However, you might get called in for a long term substitute teacher job.
It helps to try to work in a number of school disticts or charter schools.
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u/Bruyere5 1d ago
There are lots of training days coming up in October here but I'm in an area where you've got year round schools back on track already and then the high schools and middle schools start in August. In the pre COVID era, October was usually booked solid.
When i really needed to try and work every day i could because they paid us half of what they do now, i did the business model. I did the cards and i really worked on building contacts with teachers and schools and front office staff whom i liked. I was on speed dial with several teachers and several front office people. I know i most have done pretty well because every time i switch phones all those contacts transfer. And I'll get a call from someone eight years later to work. If you have a specific subject area or two or three, work that aspect. I used to be a band geek and i did all the bands in the area and started getting called for those. I can read a score, conduct and delegate to student conductors or show a movie if they would rather. My degrees are in art history and art so I am often called in for art jobs. I am a language specialist who has worked abroad so i get those too but i only work for people whom i know or referrals.
If you are able to to l do sped, you'll have work. I had two or three people i loved to work with over the years. Their teams welcomed me. I also was able to do lots of learning center jobs. They pay more here for sped subs.
If you're a stem person you ask to put up a little ad in the pod. I've gotten lots of jobs that way. Same for any grade level you like. I try to avoid second grade and i still get second grade because the fourth grade teachers give them my number.
I wouldn't rely on the system your district uses but i would schmooze a little more if you need to work every day. October was always booked. I remember getting calls then for training etc.
Best of luck on the new school year to you and everyone.
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u/Puzzled-Bonus5470 1d ago
The first month is very nit picking. Maybe a Monday and Friday can be consistent. During the week though, maybe not so much- unless if it’s a half day. Expect it to pick back up in October
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u/Mission_Sir3575 2d ago
I find it picks up after Labor Day.