Every day, students walk into class with the same teacher, the same materials, and the same overall environment. They become accustomed to the routine, which allows for the class to be productive, and learn. When a substitute teacher enters the mix, it disrupts the natural student routine and creates disarray.
This is why they should be more carefully chosen. They should at least be able to answer basic student questions. Overall, the substitute should at least have minimal knowledge on the subject they are to teach. They need to be able to continue the learning process that the original teacher has initiated.
However, many substitute teachers know little about the topic at hand and are incapable of answering students’ questions. They fill in as more of a babysitter than a teacher. This forces teachers to leave behind less brain intensive activities. For example, when a teacher knows they will be absent for a class, they often to leave things to keep the class busy rather than actual work such as tedious worksheets and movies. When teachers do leave actual work to be accomplished, it frequently ends in failure.
Students tend to slack off, and in the end, practically an entire class is wasted. The situation overwhelms the teacher when they are finally able to return, and many times they are forced to review subjects that the students should have already learned. Everything on the teacher’s calendar is postponed, and lagging behind class is the final result.
In AP or honors classes, this can cause an extensive amount of problems. With the fast pace of a higher level class, teachers unwillingly cram multiple subjects into one session. The end result is a confused class and a teacher frantically attempting to catch up to the other classes.
Without a capable substitute teacher, a great deal of learning time is lost and whether the students like it or not, having a substitute should not constitute a free class. Time to learn is valuable, and wasted time at school is just as good as an empty sitting on the couch at home.
