What I’ve Learned From Substitute Teaching

Today was my last full day of substitute teaching (at least until next school year rolls around) and so I thought I would take just a minute to share some of the lessons I learned from my substitute experiences this year…

1. Teachers are the most under paid professionals in the world. Think about it. Were it not for not for teachers, we would have no other profession. Yet, there is absolutely no money to be made in the field of education but you would be AMAZED at the CRAP teachers have to put up with each and every day. And I’m not even talking about the kids at this point…

2. Students just want to be loved. And they will do anything you ask them to do once they know you really love them and you truly have their best interest at heart. Think of the impact the church could make in their lives if we just took the initiative to show them how much we really love them. Yet, we are losing more and more students from the church every single year.

3. The local school system is the largest mission field in your church’s area. It is high time we started making an impact right where the culture is craving Jesus the most! Why are we not doing all we can to be in the schools as often as humanly possible? Maybe it is my Student Ministry heritage starting to come out, but I still see way too many ministers (Student Pastors especially) sitting at the office rather than engaging in the hallway. And you wonder why your student ministry has failed to take off…

4. Public Education is the lifeline and heartbeat of every single community. It is where life happens for nearly every family. From the youngest child to the oldest parent, and everyone in between, we are all connected in some way through this local organization we call the “school.” Why has the church not done more to tap into this resource to make a lasting impact in their community?

5. Teaching is FUN because of the eternal rewards. Let’s be honest. As a substitute teacher, you really aren’t teaching any new information. You are only there to help reinforce what has already been learned (most people call this “busy work” or “baby sitting”). But I have taken a different approach. I now see each time that I’m called to sub as another opportunity to invest in the life of a younger individual who may need to experience Jesus. And for me, teaching is where the best investments in life are made every day!

And nothing is more rewarding than investing in another person’s life only to see the radical life change take place! I want to always live my life as a person looking for daily opportunities to actually make a difference, even if it is only one day at a time. Its always fun to be one call away…