Analyzes problems faced by substitute teachers and suggests some possible remedies. (WD)

Describes a school administrator's experience when he was a substitute teacher for a day. (MS)

Guest teachers are not sanctioned counterfeits of "real" teachers; they are optional community resources who can provide an additional, meaningful dimension to students' learning. This article provides administrators with recommendations for welcoming substitutes, familiarizing them with school schedules and lesson plans, and helping them work…

Discusses difficult problems faced by substitute teachers, what can be done to alleviate those problems, and how a substitute teacher should deal with a hostile student. (SR)

Substitutes might never be as good as regular teachers, but they still can provide high-quality instruction. Suggestions include meeting with them as a group twice a year, principal and peer support, and development workshops specifically for substitutes. (TE)

Suggests that substitute teachers be eliminated and that schools establish a pool of well-qualified, talented "guest teachers" to replace them. (FL)

School districts across the country are developing information and special programs to assist substitute teachers. The following examples of such initiatives illustrate creative, often cost effective practices to improve the effectiveness of substitute teachers or to reduce the district's need for them: (1) Many districts have developed handbooks…

A former substitute teacher explains how she won first-graders' attention and significantly improved deportment by pretending to be a Martian with different communication modes and hearing capabilities than terrestrials. Children painlessly learn tips on listening, communicating, and engaging in friendly behaviors. (MLH)

Substitute caregivers are needed by day care centers in every state. Indeed, some areas are experiencing severe shortages of applicants for child care positions and short-term substitute work. This article describes problems encountered in current substitute caregiver systems and suggests ways of dealing with such problems. Specifically discussed…

Advocates establishment of training programs for substitute teachers in the local school districts, along with active recruiting of substitutes. Emphasizes that substitutes' salaries must improve and that the regular teacher should provide adequate information about school policies and procedures, as well as complete class lesson plans that any…

An efficient way to help students achieve academically is to maximize the consistent attendance of permanent teachers in the classroom. Students nationwide are spending increased amounts of time with instructors other than their permanent teachers. A large contributor to the problem of teacher absenteeism is mandatory leave for professional…

In the Norwalk (Connecticut) School District, education graduate students from the nearby University of Bridgeport serve as interns, working as substitutes or assistants each day in the same school. The district and the interns realize administrative and financial benefits, and both interns and students report favorably on the program. (RW)

Argues that when teachers take time away from the classroom for workshops, teacher meetings and similar activities, students suffer. Adds that taking time away from the classroom for school improvement tasks is counterproductive. Suggests that rethinking the school calendar is a way to minimize disruption, and offers several possible scenarios.…

Examines the problems substitute teachers have with conducting regular lessons when the class is unruly and offers a student questionnaire that gives an idea of what substitutes face as one solution. (JC)

States that the problems of substitute teachers are caused by a breakdown of communication. Suggests that regular teachers leave the substitute a more complete and concise agenda as well as convince their pupils that substitutes are a vital part of the entire educational process. (EL)