Post 1, Version 2 (with cynicism)

Thank you for bearing with my attempt at pretending I am a “real” teacher.

Yesterday I posted a satirical “first day of school” bit, welcoming you to my new blog to help you feel comfortable, engaged, and aware of expectations. I would have prepared for and done something similar this coming Tuesday if I had my own students to welcome to school.

But alas, I am a small fish in a large pond. After being spat out by the middle-to-upper level college bureaucracy with training in secondary education, I entered the job market. With the rest of you. Against the rest of you, all of you college-educated, certified, qualified, and unemployed teachers. We applied to the same jobs, went to the same interviews, and got denied by the same panels. Don't worry, you are not alone.

Its not hard to guess why I am now a substitute teacher – I chose a career that was in surplus five years ago and still is to this day. My choice to become a teacher was a conscious decision to do what I love.

While its not what I had in my plans, I can say, after much hesitation, that within the following days I am utterly excited to follow out my teaching ambitions as a substitute teacher.

Through this blog I hope to:

• create a solid resource for secondary substitute teachers, something the internet is in dire need of
• inspire, engage, and collaborate with fellow substitutes
• promote a community of teachers who take their job professionally and seriously
• provide a shared outlet for experiences and reflections on substituting
• occasionally post irrelevant yet hilarious YouTube videos

My end goal is not to be a substitute – like the rest of you college educated certified teachers, I am looking for a teaching job with a classroom I can call my own.

However, in the meantime, let us embrace the present. Let us master the skills. Let us do what we love. Let us enjoy The Substitute Experience.

To start this blog off right, here's a word of advice that also involves a hilarious video. The advice: don't do this.

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I invite you to contribute by sending in questions, personal stories, thoughts, and articles about substitute teaching. Thanks for stopping by.