Nobody Likes a Mercenary

The term substitute teacher doesn’t work for me. Teachers know their students since they spend six hours of the day together. Teachers have a vision of how lessons, units, and curricula fit together. Teachers know the subject matter they’ve studied and taught for years. Substitute teachers know an outdated, alphabetical list of full legal names; their vision is crusty-eyed from the jarring 6:15 am wake-up call; and their subject knowledge consists of bulleted instructions on a Post-It Note dictated to the school secretary. How can the one be a substitute for the other? Sub is better: sub, as in subpar or subhuman – “less than, degenerate.” Or sub, as in subbasement or subzero – “under, beneath.” It’s the traditional location of Hell. But when I subbed, I quietly preferred “mercenary teacher.” Have chalk, will travel. Write referrals, ask questions later. Do anything if the pay is right.