For some, substitute teaching is a stepping stone; for others, it’s a fulfilling second career. Across different backgrounds and experiences, substitute teachers step into classrooms each day, driven by a variety of motivations—whether it’s flexibility, a love for learning or simply staying active after retirement.
For Rosemary Ellis, substitute teaching was a practical career move that turned into something she truly enjoys.
“I was a newspaper reporter, and I worked in food service. I went to school for journalism, “ Ellis said. ”My degree is in communications journalism, and I worked for the Atlantic City Press for 10 years, and then, when I left that, I had odd jobs and I worked in food service. This is my eighth year subbing. I started in January 2017.”
Ellis appreciates the variety that comes with being a substitute teacher, especially at the high school level, where she gets to experience the various classes in a flexibly scheduled manner.
“I like the variety. Every day is different, plus, being at the high school, I can go to different subjects,” Ellis said. “I enjoy the flexibility, because I can make my own schedule. I enjoy meeting people, the students and all the other teachers.”
However, substitute teaching isn’t without its challenges. Ellis, who is close to earning the maximum pay raise offered by the district, isn’t sure if she will return next year.
“I don’t like getting up at six o’clock, number one. I cannot get used to that. I hate it. I’m not a morning person,” Ellis said. “And, sometimes, the students do get on my nerves, and I have ringing in my ears. A lot of times, I have a hard time understanding what students are saying, and I have to ask them to constantly repeat themselves, and I don’t think that’s fair to the students.”
For Bob Lender, substitute teaching was never part of his original career plan. After years of working as a senior revenue tax auditor for the state, he decided to step into the classroom as a way to stay busy.
“I’ve been subbing for approximately six years. I started as soon as I retired from my old job,” Lender said. “I started just for something to do, just to get out of the house while my wife was still working.”
What began as a way to pass the time turned into something he enjoys.
“I enjoy interacting with the students; they’re all very nice,” Lender said.
Similarly, Brian Carland didn’t initially see himself in education. After graduating college, he worked at Asurion doing tech support for DirectTV, but he soon found himself looking for a new path.
In Carland’s case, substitute teaching inspired him to go for the real deal.
“I’ve actually decided to become a health and physical education teacher, “ Carland said. “ I’ll be a student teaching in the fall and will ideally be teaching soon after that.”
Now, Carland finds fulfillment in watching students grow and become the next generation in the workforce.
“I enjoy working with a different group of kids every day, just getting to see them grow up and graduating on to better things,” Carland said.
Similarly to Carland, Harrison Pellegrine is using his student teaching and substitute teaching to enter education as a profession.
“I’m going to be a real teacher after I finish my certificate program, “ Pellegrine said. “I just liked interacting with the kids, and I decided I wanted to teach physical education, so I decided to find a program that works for me.”
For some, such as Mark Perehinec, this passion for building relationships can eventually lead to a fruitful career in substitute teaching.
“The students are for sure my favorite thing, relationships and getting to know the students, “ Perehinec said.
These relationships motivate some teachers to return year after year in hopes of watching students grow and prosper.
“ I love it, and I think I’m going to keep coming back until I can’t do it anymore, “ Perehinec said.
