substitute teacher

personal care assistant

paraprofessional

substitute

elementary school teacher

Substitute Teacher Service

What is the best part of working at the company?
Flexibility! If you get a job and don't like the school, you never have to go back. There are enough open positions you will work every day and the schools are big enough that there is more than enough work somewhere you want to be.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Not knowing exactly where you will be and how the students will behave until you get there. If you are a licensed teacher or a new substitute, they will often put you with the classes the well-known subs don't want. You'll get the more unruly classes until you establish rapport with those in a position of power in the school.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
In most schools the classrooms are large and well lit and the students are respectful so the day is peaceful. In a few classrooms in very few schools, the students are a bit more unruly and you will not receive the assistance you need from the administration. Most schools, however, are helpful and most of the classrooms are normal. It's not very often where you will have unruly students and little support.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Arrive. Cross your fingers. Sign in, take your schedule and substitute packet from the main office and then find your classroom. Pray on the walk to the classroom that you have enough work for the students and that they are respectful. If you have middle or high school, walk into the classroom and wait for the students to arrive. If you have elementary school, pick up the kiddos from a designated area and walk them to class. Follow your detailed, substitute plans exactly, until dismissal. Return items to the office, sign out and go home either smiling that you had a great day or relieved that it's over.

Training consists of several videos regarding policy and reporting child abuse. Very little information or advice about effectively teaching given, and no actual contact with humans until you go in for your first assignment. Jobs themselves are different each day, which can be stressful.

The Sub Service themselves are very hands-off. You will only meet them for the initial interview where they scan your security clearances and take your ID photo. Otherwise you must email their support line and wait for instruction if there are any issues, which can take several days. This also means it is VERY difficult to get professional references should you wish to leave. Building rapport with the staff of the schools you sub for is imperative.

There are no benefits. You are paid for the days you work, so no paid sick leave or holiday pay. Generally pay is around $100 for a full day of work before taxes. Some districts will increase the rate of pay by $10-15 after you've worked 15+ days, but it varies. You can apply for unemployment over the summer months.

There is no upward mobility, though if you have a non-emergency teaching certification, schools you sub for may prioritize an application for a job that opens up. No minimum or maximum work days, so it is very easy to schedule, and if you sign up for multiple school districts in your area you will easily find available jobs every day.

There has been a change with assignment at the school .when you go on line and sign up for a vacancy . When you go to the school they may assign you completely opposite for what you sign up .So instead of teaching you feel like you are baby sitting in the classroom. For example If you signed up a vacancy advertised for an absent Social studies teacher when you get to the school they may assign you to the Gym or the cafeteria or the music room. This experience has ben very un-nerving for me. It is a struggle to maintain a high level of professionalism in a highly unethical environment.
The other down side is the behavior of the children and their negative response to the substitute teacher. One student stated that (he/she) does not like substitute teachers and will always act up when a substitute teacher shows up. I experience a lock down in one particular school where the communication was very poor to the substitute teachers, Please let me emphasized that many of these situations I did not communicate to STS ,except on one occasion. I do not hold them accountable for what happens in the school environment.

Being a substitute teacher is one of the most difficult jobs.  It is a wonderful way to gain experience in a wide variety of educational settings, but most days are in new environments and classrooms and students tend to show their worst behavior in the flux of change to their regular routine.  That being said, substitute teaching is an excellent way to refine classroom management skills.  Some schools embrace and welcome substitute teachers better than others.  Educational culture and learning environments are vastly different between districts and individual schools.  I am, without a doubt, a better teacher today than I was when I received my teaching certification.  Each and every day, school, staff member, classroom, and student has taught me through experience and helped me become a highly effective teacher.

STS is a good company in that it's exactly what you would expect from a sub service. I don't know who my supervisor is, nor do I know anyone who works at the office anymore because everything is automated. The only time you hear from them is if there was a complaint, so it's good not to ever get a call.

On a typical day subbing, I arrive early and read over the teacher's instructions. These are usually pretty straight forward. Sometimes you get a convoluted instruction page, but it's best not to say anything about it because the teachers can be sensitive and, again, you don't really want to hear from STS. The hardest part of the job is going somewhere different every day. The kids can be really tough sometimes, but there's almost always at least one bright spot and that's the most enjoyable part.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Meeting new people, the bonds you make with some coworkers 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
There is no support at all. Your replaceable and they don’t fight for you if district employees say things that are not true.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The environment at first was great, but then I was attacked by a student and employee employees lied to cover themselves because they put their hands on the student and said I left Marks which I didn’t and then the district said they didn’t want me to come back instead of just sending me to a different school.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
The first school I worked with was great. I was a one on one taking a student to classes because he was in high school. My day went by really fast.

Student disrespect substitute teacher automatically when they do not know the person.
Students 10-12 years old are extremely rude and respond only when teachers yield at them.
Having the opportunity to help students do better in class by giving them more time and personal attention to complete their class work is very rewording.
The hardest part of the job is the discipline. Some children are not afraid of consequences. 
Some teachers are hard on children with special needs and even when the administration receives a complaint from the substitute about this situation, they do not remove the abuser from the job.
It seems that the administration is not very interested in the students learning but just their safety.

STS (Substitute Teacher Service) its self is an AMAZING company to work for!  I started off with them in my early 20's got married, had a child and stayed home a few years raising my family.  When I went to return back, it was a breeze!  Although the school district I frequently worked for often gave me issues,  I always had support from my STS HR Rep!  I loved the flexibility and the ability to explore different cultures and school settings.  Through STS I was able to see that although we as human beings have differences, we have more in common than we think!  THANK YOU STS for providing me stability and flexibility all at the same time! 0:)

For the most part, the pay is not bad, though my personal belief is it could be a little better...(maybe its just me) But the perks are awesome; there are shortened summer hours but you get your full pay,  There are company luncheons twice a year, a paid hour lunch, and paid benefits.
Management is very down to earth and friendly.  There are annual raises and bonuses. 
The work load can be hectic at times but it is not a constant issue. Coworkers are helpful. All things considered, it's one of the better places that I have worked. My only real concern is there is rarely advancement opportunities for growth and higher pay.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Everything is great except for one important. Pay does not change and does not reflect adjustments for inflation. My pay is the same as when I started four years ago! The district does not account for inflation for substitute teachers. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The stress level is at its minimum! The schedule is set by the school, the curriculum is also set by the teachers in the classroom. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It is great. I have had no issues! The only concern is the pay and lack of adjustments for inflation! 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Meet at the front office and we get our duties and off to the classes!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Substitute teacher 47 salaries reported	$171 per day
Personal care assistant 36 salaries reported	$18.40 per hour
Paraprofessional 21 salaries reported	$17.66 per hour
Substitute 17 salaries reported	$161 per day
Elementary school teacher 3 salaries reported	$182 per day

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