Dear Paul

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I can’t get a teaching position, and will have to substitute until an opening occurs. Any suggestions for survival?
Anxious.

After I took early retirement I became a study skills consultant and a substitute in my school division. I chose assignments at the Junior High Level.

When the students entered the room and saw me, they chuckled to each other—a sub. After they were seated, I introduced myself as Paul Ruta, STUDY SKILLS CONSULTANT. I was an “INVITED GUEST.” I was going to share my expertise on this very important skill.

I handed them each a file card and showed them how to print their last name on it by modeling my own name on the chalkboard. My last name is pronounced (Roo-tah) and I asked them to do the same if their name had a different pronunciation. They were asked to underline the name they preferred to be called. Then I walked around the room collecting the cards and saying each student’s name and asking them to help me correctly pronounce it. If I mispronounced, I apologized and asked them to be patient with me because I was a slow learner (if any student laughed at my mispronunciation, I advised the student that it was me who was being laughed at).
This took approximately 5 minutes. I believe that once anonymity has been reduced, a change of behaviour takes place.

I wrote the numeral 5 on the board and advised the students that this was the grade all would receive if they made a reasonable effort, or the entire class would lose a mark if anyone became unreasonable.

We began the assignment which the teacher had left by using the Study Skills approach. I explained the first, perhaps most important skill, LISTENING. I gave some examples of how this works for students, in fact, for all of us. If no assignment is left, one can adapt the listening skills approach to any subject area.

I modeled listening by reading the questions aloud which helped the students focus on the task. This made a difference to those with auditory learning preference. I circulated around the room and found some student(s) who were experiencing difficulty with the materials or instructions. I enlisted neighbouring students to explain the requirements of the assignment which assisted the student(s) in getting started. The class always ended with their 5 marks intact. I left a note for the teacher and hoped that the credit could be incorporated into their marking grid.

Sounds like a lot of boasting. I shared this experience with a young instrument SUB. She followed the approach and excitedly shared the successful day she experienced by merely announcing she was a guest, invited by the teacher to test the students’ progress.
The class ended on a positive note as the word went out that a special guest was teaching today.

Administrators and other teachers note positive experiences. Once the substitute’s anonymity has been erased, they could receive consideration for future openings.

Paul Ruta M. Ed. Director,
Brain Gym Resource Centre, Winnipeg, MB.
Paul is a licenced Brain Gym Instructor/Consultant, Certified by the Educational Kinesiology Foundation, Ventura CA.
www.braingymcanada.com.