Are you wondering how to become a substitute teacher in Texas? Do you have a passion for teaching? Or taking a career in education seems like one of your forte, but need help figuring out where to begin? You are indeed in the right place!
This post will review what substitute teachers do, how to become one, and how much income they make. Moreso, we will explore questions like; skills required of a substitute teacher and the benefits of substitute teaching.
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Who Is A Substitute Teacher?
A substitute teacher also known as a relief or emergency teacher is someone who educates students and manages the affairs of the classroom. This happens when a full-time teacher is away from work due to one reason or the other.
Substitute teachers can work in any educational setting. Be it public, charter, private, or specialized schools such as fine arts or STEAM academies.
Moreover, this kind of job can easily fit into your current lifestyle. This is because of its flexibility, attractive salary, and above all, allows you to pursue other interests.
So if you are moving to Texas or are seeking a fresh career start in education without a standard certification, substitute teaching might just be a great choice for you.
Schools in Texas are struggling to fill their teacher vacancies and students are seeing bigger classroom sizes and less classroom support. Help your local schools by becoming a Texas substitute teacher now!
Types Of Substitute Teachers
A substitute can work in elementary, middle, or high schools. They can be put in for teachers of academic subjects or specialized subjects such as music, art, or PE.
Moreso, this role can be a short-term position, when a teacher is away due to illness or personal days. On the other hand, long-term substitute positions are available, in situations when a teacher is on maternity or prolonged medical leave.
Do I Need a Certificate to Be a Substitute Teacher in Texas?
Certification is not required by the Texas Education Agency. This implies that there are no state-obligated demands for people who want to substitute in public institutes.
In essence, you can put in for sub without a certificate because private and public districts set their demands for substitute teachers. For instance, if you applied for a role at a public school, you likely need to hold an official TEA-issued certificate or be certified through a private agency like STEDi or SubSchool. Nevertheless, this isn’t always the case—some schools allow subs without certification while some don’t employ them at all!
What Are The Skills Required To Become A Substitute Teacher In Texas?
There are several skills one needs to possess before applying for the post of substitute teacher; some of which include:
1. Ability to work with children
2. Ability to mediate
3. Problem solving
4 Creativity
5. Adaptability
6. Leadership
7. Organization
8. Interpersonal skills
9. Training/instruction
10. Public speaking
In all, a substitute teacher needs to be ready to relate with kids with the best of behavior, especially being patient.
What Is A Substitute Teacher Work Environment Like In Texas?
The work environment for substitute teachers requires them to be ready to manage their time between sitting and standing, walking around when taking classes, and assisting with assignments. It may also require staying back after closing hours to give reports and check assignments for permanent teachers.
The work environment is however dynamic in schools making the substitute teachers role to need adaptability skills, as a teacher can take classes of different age groups and sometimes different subjects in a week. Substitute teachers may work in either private or public schools, and each type of school has its own culture, policy, expectations, and rules. An individual needs to have the skills to easily understand these varying environments. The substitute teaching job can be unpredictable
What Is The Salary Structure Of A Substitute Teacher In Texas?
In Texas, substitute teachers get an average salary of $39,185 a year. This amount might however vary depending on some factors. Some of these factors include teachers’ level of experience and education, location of place of work, and type of school being worked in.
Individuals can visit their local teacher or substitute teacher’s union to know what other benefits are available for them.
How To Become A Substitute Teacher In Texas
These steps carefully explain how to become a substitute teacher in Texas:
1. Completion of the minimum school requirements:
Individuals who want to work as substitute teachers need at least 60 college credit hours or a bachelor’s degree in education or a similar field. Below are some of the courses covered in a bachelor’s degree in education:
- educational foundations,
- educational psychology and development of children and adolescents
- educational technology for teaching and learning.
The above requirement is set by the Texas Education Agency.
2. Acquisition of a license:
Several Texas districts don’t demand substitute teachers to have a license. However, having one can help you stand out among other applicants when seeking a job. To obtain a license through the Texas State Board for Educator Certification, you will need to tender your application and college transcripts. You will also need to complete a pre-admission content test (PACT), which is similar to the one you will take once enrolled in a certification program.
After completing this test and all necessary training, you can then select a certification program to partake in. There are numerous programs available both physically or online that meet standards and needs. Afterward, you can take the Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES) exam to get your license.
3. Take a Background Check
There is a need for an individual working as substitute teachers and other education roles to take a background check. This may entail fingerprinting and evaluating previous employment history and any other necessary information related to their teaching experience.
4. Gain teaching experience
One sure way to gain experience is by working as a teacher’s assistant. Another way is to secure a job or volunteer in an environment that deals directly with children.
5. Prepare your resume
Almost all substitute teaching jobs require you to submit a resume, so taking time to update yours is a wonderful idea before and during the job search process. Take a look at the job listing and consider what the school wants in terms of a substitute teacher and their abilities. You can also tailor your resume to each role you’re applying for to cover any relevant skills in the listing, such as communication, time management, teamwork, and innovation.
Contact Fasthire today for an expertly crafted resume.
6. Working with a recruiter
It is important to consider working with a recruiter especially those specialized in education. This gives you better access to jobs you’re interested in. Recruiters can also contact the employer on your behalf to tender your application and set an ideal date for interviews.
7. Begin Application
There is liberty to apply for more than one job at a time. This helps increase your chances of getting the job.
You may check education service centers such as the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) to locate open roles or contact schools to get on their list of subs.
Substitute Teacher FAQs
1) How Long Does It Take To Become A Substitute Teacher?
This depends on your state or district’s education and certification demands.
So in a situation when you already meet the requirements to be a substitute teacher in your district, the general process involves application, background check completion, and new intake training that will take place in a month or less.
However, note that the process could take longer if you have to finish extra education or get certifications. Getting 60 hours of college coursework will probably take a minimum of two years, and obtaining a bachelor’s degree on the other hand will take nothing less than 4 years. Moreso studying for and going for certification exams could take 1-6 months. This depends on the time required to study and how often exams are carried out in your area.
2) What Are The Advantages of Substitute Teaching?
Substitute teaching gives room for more flexibility compared to full-time teaching roles. This is because substitute teachers have the liberty to choose which days of the week they wish to work, what class they want to take, and which district they want to sub in. This as a result allows them to take part-time jobs while attending school or at a different job.
Furthermore, aside from giving flexibility, substitute teaching offers life-changing experience and networking advantages. That’s, you’ll get real-world experience in diverse grade levels and subjects as a sub. And the more frequent you sub, the more likely you build connections. With this, you can get offers for long-term subbing or full-time teaching positions.
3) Do I Need To Have Teacher Certification To Be a Substitute Teacher?
The simple answer is, no. Most regions or states do not need their substitutes to be certified teachers, however, some states demand you to be certified to take on long-term substitute roles. A long-term role is often defined as teaching for over 19 days in the same classroom during a period of one school year but may change from state to state.
While a teaching certificate is generally not needed to be a substitute teacher, several school districts have greater pay scales for substitutes who are certified teachers, so you may need to give it a look.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, substitute teaching is an amazing choice for those who want to balance work and life while building a career in teaching. The minimum requirement for this role is having a High School diploma alongside a substitute teaching certificate for most school districts.
References
- Indeed.com
- hellosubs.co
- teacherbuilder.com
- texestest.org
