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Substitute teacher is an active and busy community member
John Henker taught for 30 years; 15 of those years he spent as an assistant principal. When he finally retired he never dreamt that he would one day be back in the classroom. He did try other occupations but felt that he wasn’t satisfied or appreciated like he was when he was in the classroom.
Now he is substitute teacher, and though he was initially skeptical about taking on this role, he has found happiness once again with Elk Island Catholic Schools. John finds subbing to be even more rewarding than a regular teaching position because of the shorter hours and the focus on pure teaching without any of the other duties entailed in a classroom assignment.
Substitute teaching is not without its challenges, however. “A substitute,” John tells me, “must quickly understand where today’s lesson fits into what the teacher has done and then decide how to use the time economically to get a concept across.” A substitute must also “get to know the students in a flash.” Students test substitute teachers immediately, sometimes mercilessly, and when asked about that John replies that he enjoys the challenge and knows that as a substitute he is an outsider entering students’ turf, so he strives to win them over. After subbing for a day he often leaves detailed notes for the teacher he replaced. However, he says, “A substitute rarely receives feedback. So you never know if you did a satisfactory job, whether the kids liked having you or whether you are welcome back.” When asked about the best way for a teacher to recognize a substitute, he replied, “Invite them back into the classroom, and if you are really impressed write a letter for his personnel file. Most subs are looking to get hired full-time.”
I asked John what advice he could give a new substitute teacher. John recommends that “a new substitute should go into a job looking to have a bit of fun and to enjoy the day with the students.” New subs should be prepared to handle anything. They should contact office and staff before class so they know they have support in case something goes wrong. John also recommends that a new substitute have a bag of tricks, which can include stories, games or activities to fill those last five minutes of a class. Finally, he says, “Don’t forget to pack your sense of humour.”
John enjoys the responsibility of stepping into a teacher’s shoes and taking a classroom forward in a lesson. In his experience students are often interested in a change of pace as well as a change of face, so he tries to keeps things interesting by always slipping a bit of music into his classes, for which he brings his guitar. For John, “Every day is a different job, always a surprise and full of endless variety.”
John is a busy man. When he is not substitute teaching, he is a representative of the provincial ATA Substitute Teacher Council, where he helps plan substitute conferences, gives feedback regarding ATA publications on substitute teaching, and guides policies involving substitutes. In addition, John volunteers with the Beverly Historical Society and does educational presentations in Beverly schools. He is active in his community league, teaches guitar and plays in an R & B band. John has tried very hard to represent substitutes and the teaching profession, and we are proud to recognize him for it.
