Oh man I'm going to feel old writing this one. Right now my career is in a state of transition and I'm working as a substitute teacher to fill the time. I'm not that far removed from being a high schooler, but 10 years is a pretty decent chunk of time if I really think about it.
It seems that in my time post-graduation, the next generation of high schoolers has forgotten some of the key tenants of how to handle having a substitute teacher. There's an art to having a substitute where you can make it so you only have to do minimal work, and never get into any trouble.
One thing that has definitely changed is the allowance of cell phone use. I'm not sure when this changed, but when I was in high school, getting busted with your phone out would get it taken away from you and your parent/guardian would have to come pick it up at the end of the school day or whenever they felt like it (mine would often make me wait a couple days). The school system I work in has decided that this is a fight they don't feel like keeping up, and have just decided that we'll allow them to be on their phones, but try to limit it when they actually have work to do. There really aren't any consequences for it, but it's still annoying to see because they're willingness to do their work goes into the perception I create of my substitute teaching abilities.
Now, while I'm jealous these kids are able to be on their phones all the time and I wasn't, I really don't care if they're on it, as long as they do their work. A normal thought by most of the substitutes I had even when phones weren't allowed. Seems simple, right? Keeps the teacher happy because your work is done, and you still get to do what you want. Apparently I'm asking the world of these kids though, as many of them just flat out refuse to take a break from them, or pull their earbuds out to listen to the instructions I'm giving them. This makes them a target for me to pay way more attention to you than I want to, because of the blatant disrespect.
To be completely honest, I'm watching several kids who are on their phones right now, but won't be saying anything to them because I saw them doing their work. There's one kid I will key on, because he hasn't done his work, or even made it look like he is.
That's the other key part to having a substitute. Even if you don't do your work, at least make it look like you are. There's a certain subtlety that seems to have been lost, where these kids just don't care anymore, because what are the consequences? There's nothing that can really be done by me other than sending an email to their regular teacher, as well as the administration, or be a pain in your ass the entire time to do your work if I really feel like doing it. I have yet to have a day where I don't feel like being a pain in their ass to do their work.
There really is an art to handling a substitute teacher, and it's a shame to see it being lost with more time passing by. We used to put effort into bullshitting our work, now there's no flare to it, nothing that requires anything, it's lazy, and our kids deserve to know better. We as adults, educators and parents need to do better in helping our children know how to get away with doing the bare minimum when the situation allows for it.
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