Growing up, I have always been fond of children. My mother was a teacher and I spent most of my youth either babysitting or volunteering in younger classrooms. I started tutoring in high school, and eventually got a job as a camp counselor. Needless to say, I have always felt comfortable surrounded by kids, and working with them gives me a sort of happiness that I can’t find anywhere else. I was in my first year of college when I found out that I could apply to be a substitute teacher, working during my breaks and holidays. As a Biology major that didn’t know if I would get to work with kids after I graduated, I was ecstatic at the idea. Not only would I make a little bit of extra money to put towards loans, but it would be another way to do something I love while I still could.
Substituting is not the most glamorous job, and I never thought it would be. You go into a classroom full of kids that you don’t have time to get to know. You are given work that you aren’t trained to teach, and thrown into situations you aren’t prepared to handle. Television shows and movies always show the substitute as a push over; someone that’s either on their phone or simply gets no respect. Sometimes that’s the case. Despite this, I went into my first day confident and excited. I truly believe that the next generation is the key to our future and everything good that will come of it. The chance to be a part of their development was a dream come true, even if it was just for a day.
When I started working as a substitute; however, I quickly realized that my idealistic view on helping to cultivate their growing minds was not the reality of my situation. I was a pawn, a random tool placed in the classroom simply to keep the kids in check and hopefully get through the day without too many problems. With each teacher I spoke to about their classroom, or other substitutes, I got a strange mixture of advice that was the opposite of helpful,
“Make sure you keep an eye on ______. They always cause problems.”
“If ______ starts acting out, just call the office.”
“It’s no use trying to talk with ______. They are always like this.”
“Rough day? Yeah, that classroom has some of the hardest kids.”
“I try to get into ______’s room. They have the easier kids.”
In the short amount of time that I substituted before returning to college I only had the chance of working in an elementary school. That means that by the age of, at most, 12, these students are already being labelled. They are being marked as difficult, unmanageable, and trouble. By the age of 12, there are students that have continuously been looked over by their teachers, by other faculty, and a lot of the time, by substitutes that haven’t even had the chance to meet them properly. By the age of 12, they are either an easy child, or a hard one. Its heart breaking to think that there are children out there that are being looked over simply because they have a behavior problem, a difficult time expressing themselves, or that they have caused issues in the past.
Now, the summer camp I worked at was incredible, and my director taught me more about working with children than she could ever truly imagine. One thing she said the very first week I worked there, and that has stuck with me ever since was this, “There is no such thing as a bad child. Only bad behaviors.” Behaviors are learned. They are taught. They require practice. If a child is struggling or showing a behavior that is less than desirable, they should be taught a better one. They should not be ignored or sent to someone else to be dealt with. The last thing a child, especially a struggling child, needs is to feel like you don’t care.
I don’t believe that all teachers are like this. I believe that most people that work in school districts do want what’s best for their students, and feel that it’s their job to help them succeed. Educators are some of the most important people in the entire world and definitely don’t get the credit they deserve. I also don’t believe that I am a perfect example of how to deal with kids. There are plenty of times I have been at a loss for what to do or I have had to call on someone else to help. No one is ever perfect because children are unique and each one needs to be treated a little differently.
That doesn’t mean that we should ever give up on someone. If you choose to go into a classroom, or work as an Ed Tech, or even just volunteer, you should be doing so knowing that every child deserves to be there, deserves to succeed, and deserves to feel your support.
Substituting is something I will never regret, and I can’t see myself stopping just because I was frustrated by some of the comments made. I still believe that every child matters and refuse to listen to those that are cynical. The next time you hear someone making a comment about difficult kids remember to go in with an open mind, because it might be rare for them to find someone that hasn’t already got an opinion about them. They are the future. You can help give them their best chance. Make it count.
