Serving as a substitute teacher can be an effective method of gaining eventual full-time employment in an educational system faced with a teacher surplus. (MB)

Among the numerous problems faced by substitute teachers are: (1) lack of adequate lesson plans left by the regular teacher; (2) lack of adequate preparation for substitute teaching by schools of education; and (3) low expectations as to what a substitute teacher will be able to teach. Solutions to these problems are discussed. (JN)

This article discusses substitute teaching in urban and suburban schools, discipline problems encountered by substitute teachers, and creative solutions devised by some of these teachers for the academic and behavior problems they face. (IAH)

Directors of student teaching programs in 38 states, as well as student teachers and supervising teachers at Texas A and M University were surveyed on the use of student teachers as substitutes. The findings showed that the use of student teachers as substitutes is widespread, difficult to control, and, as seen by directors, a source of abuse of…