On the other hand, from a substitute teacher’s point of view, it can be challenging to teach a new class of students. Billy Mitchell is currently a full-time teacher who spent more than a year as a substitute teacher, working with nearly all grade levels, K-12.

[pullquote_right] I would encourage students who have substitute teachers teaching their class to talk to their substitute teacher and try to get to know his or her teaching style. Or ask someone for help, maybe a friend who had the class before. [/pullquote_right]

Mitchell said he would encourage students to save more in-depth questions for when their actual teacher returns, and looking back, wishes he had done a better job helping students with certain assignments he had limited knowledge of.

Having substitute teachers that cannot help students with their work is a serious problem that has been overlooked.

I would encourage students who have substitute teachers teaching their class to talk to their substitute teacher and try to get to know his or her teaching style. Or ask someone for help, maybe a friend who had the class before. Other options would be to ask a parent, look through a website that can help with particular subject, or try to look over your notes and study until you get it right.

The schools need to hire more qualified substitute teachers, who are trained in a specific subject. That way, when students want to ask about specific questions or need subject-specific help, there will be someone who can help.

Also, if the school sees grades dropping across the board in a certain class, an administrator could watch the class to see why the decrease in grades is happening and intervene if necessary. It may not be the students’ fault for their poor performance, but the learning environment or even the teacher whose job it is to make sure the students are learning.

Tags: school, spotlight, substitute teachers