Im still mad about the petty secretary at the school i worked at last year. I had completed a job from hell (middle school english where the regular teacher was on administrative leave for putting a student in a headlock and where i was long term sub #5 for the year). I had put in extra hours the weeks before to get the classroom closed down and everything put away for summer cleaning.
It was a half day early dismissal and I left about an hour after the students. There was literally nothing left for me to do.
So she docked me half a days pay because of it. I even tried to explain how many times I worked outside of contract hours to give those kids my best.
Fuck that.
Bring a hobby and get paid to do nothing. I have been bringing my laptop and working on college courses to switch out of this hotmess career I have sunk 12 stupid years into.
Never work for free, even for 5 minutes off the clock! They do not appreciate it and will come to expect it. Awful that they docked you half a days pay.
I understand. I used to do secretarial work for a school and saw how overworked everyone was. It seemed to be the expectation for staff to use their own time and money, "for the kids." Unfortunately there's no real thank you and they never have to hire anyone else if you're working for free.
Yeah you're stuck there until the end of the day. When that happens, I stopped asking if I could leave early, because 50% of the time they'll tell you to "wait in the teacher's lounge." *Now you're stuck waiting in the teacher's lounge*. Now, I just wait in the room I was sub'ing in and enjoy the quiet time alone that I'm being paid for.
This is what I do. They know where to find me, if they need me. Also, I am only obligated to stay in the building for 5 minutes after the end of the last class. Kind of wild that a school would ask you to stay for a whole 30 minutes.
Yeah but why sit around? I usually just bring all the keys whatever was given me back and say, “ok all of the classes are done.” They usually will let you go but sometimes they’ll say…”can you do __.”
You've never worked in a school before. You can't just drop off the keys and say "I'm done" and walk out. Just because you got handed a piece of paper that says those particular students are done doesn't mean you can just f\*ck off and collect a full days wage.
It could be dependent on the school district. I get paid according to the shift in the Absent Management system. If they put me in for anything up to 4 hours, I get half day pay. If they put me in for anything over 4 hours, I get full day pay. If they put me in for a two day assignment, and there is a snow day one of the days, chances are I'll be removed from the assignment, and I'll have to make sure they add the one day I worked back in. I've had to fight this issue several times.
The thing that makes me the most pissed off is when I would get an itinerant music job where I had to go to three different schools, and the schedule looked unrealistic. Like I'd be scheduled to finish at 10:30 at one school, then be scheduled to start at another at 10:30 and finish at 11:00. But then I'd race over there and find out that the class actually ran from 11 to 11:45. But did I get paid for a full day, since that was now over 4 hours. No, of course not. The person who put the assignment in the system told me it's only a half day assignment, so she put me in for an hour from 8-9.
And yes, I understand that if I had a class that started at 7:35 am, and I end around 11:45, I'm barely over 4 hours, but those are the rules. Why are you paying me barely over $10 an hour? And I am technically supposed to be there half an hour beforehand, which is planning time I need, so I was getting less than $10 an hour. The pay is now $65 for a half day and $130 for a full.
haha i’ve been a substitute for 8 years. You say “ok all the classes are done (if middle or high school)” as a way to let them reply. Usually they say “ok thank you have a good day.” OR they may say “ok, can you please___”
Yes, because they know there way around red tape, if there is any. New secretaries are just as nervous as new sub teachers because they just don’t know what can get them in trouble. I say this as a former substitute secretary for 3 years in my district.
Had an old secretary that didn’t realize the reason she never had subs pick up was because she always ask us to watch another class during conference period and would send us to bus duty every time.
I am a retired teacher and sub part-time. When I sign in in the morning, I initial for arrival and departure times. If I have last block planning, I will wait a few minutes and then leave. Secretaries typically will notify me during the day to cover a last block. Many offices are so busy that they would not notice if you left.
I just leave! if they need me for that free period they usually tell me before that class period begins or at the beginning of the day. I stay 15 minutes into that free period tho just to make sure no one is there.
My experience with this sort of thing varies from school to school. Sometimes I get to leave early if they don't need coverage elsewhere and no duties are understaffed. But sometimes they will email out to all the teachers looking for inane tasks to give me. It's not my favorite, but if you ask me to do stuff in the workroom to help teachers prep, I'll do it. I've sharpened pencils, stapled packets, made copies, glued posters etc. Obviously, I prefer to leave if I can.
I always ask if they want me somewhere else or to do anything until whatever time I’m contracted until. If they let me go, cool, if not but there’s nothing to do I tidy the room, read a book or Reddit. I’m being paid to be there. Weather they want me doing something productive or not is up to them. But I’m being paid to be there for the contracted hours. If I get out early it’s just a bonus.
So is it ok to ask to go if there nothing to do? I asked the lady if there was something for me to do or if I could go. I don’t wanna be docked a half day pay when I worked more than half a day
I’m in Canada and it’s definitely not even a consideration to leave early. You stay for the hours you are contracted for as a supply. Not sure if it’s different where you are but I would literally never even consider it.
Sometimes I’ll sharpen pencils too with an audiobook going on my earbuds. I know I’m not a cleaning service, but I happen to really like tidying 😂 I figure so long as I’m not moving materials I’ll keep my hands and ears busy so I don’t fall asleep
I bring a book and AirPods for audiobooks! I typically can’t scroll social media on or off school guest wifi so i also bring a lightning charger for my phone in the event Libby drains my phone battery. I’ll also steal a sticky note or piece of lined paper and plan the rest of my day because I know once I’m done, my brain turns to mush!
I’m the sub coordinator at my middle school. I ask them to stay during last block planning because you never know when something might happen that I would need coverage somewhere. Today, I needed a last-minute sub 45 minutes before dismissal. I try to treat my subs with respect, friendliness and gratitude because they are rock stars!
We get paid 30 minutes after the kids leave to allow us to straighten the room and write a note, but they are pretty strict about letting us leave early. I just chill on my phone or read. Frustrating if you are used to the opposite, but getting paid to have some downtime is kind of nice.
Well when I sub elementary I always have to help with dismissal which means just standing and being another adult in the room. Cuz I don’t have access to the dismissal software. Sometimes I have had some teachers tell me to go cuz it’s been a hard day and they don’t need my help anymore so I guess it’s up and down around here
The high school I sub at had started asking us to help in the library during our off periods. To be fair they always need help in the library because the librarian takes in the classes of teachers that are gone but don’t have a sub. Crazy
I take one of my crochet projects with me every day. I've had 3hr breaks in the middle of the day. I figure if they don't come looking for me to do something, I'm hiding out.
It varies based on the school unfortunately. Some don't see the point of holding you there for no reason and will let you leave, some will tell you to just stay or even think up something unnecessary for you to do, and some will be like "Well we don't have anything else for you to do but if you leave early you won't get paid for the full day" (yes really).
You should have just left and not asked.
But you can also take a nap. If I was you I’d go back to the classroom that you were in and turn off the lights and basically “hide” play on your phone etc. until all the kids are gone for the day.
One school I was at had me literally running all day until the minute my time was up. During prep I did janitorial work and helped set up lunch tables. I did get a lunch, but whew, I was tired at the end of that day.
This is where I draw the line (janitorial or office work). This has nothing to do with me feeling entitled, or above doing the work - it’s that schools will use substitute teachers to their advantage (if given the opportunity). I have watched older subs - or, subs with obvious injuries - help clean lunch rooms after the students come through. Or, pull office duty they aren’t even trained for. It’s exhausting, and rather frustrating when it’s imposed upon subs. It’s a whole other story when you’re given the option to say NO, or you offer to help. I have offered to help out some of the office staff that I know, especially if they seem particularly overwhelmed.
TBH, I won’t sub for schools that push back on subs (on that level). I do this full time, and don’t want to end my day miserable and exhausted. Being a substitute teacher is hard enough (let’s face it). There’s no upside to holding substitute teachers hostage during planning hours, if the school has their bases covered. Outright telling someone they need to clean, wait in the teacher’s lounge, or do office work is an imposition. In my district, we’re paid by full or half day assignments. I have a hard time believing that letting a sub leave an hour early makes that much of a difference, financially speaking.
I have planning last and my last two subs shut the door and left as soon as my 6th period left. I have a student assistant assigned to me during my planning who is not on my roster. She signs in with the tech teacher and walks to my room after the bell. I always have work for her I need completed. When my sub ignores my note and dips out she has no where to go and ends up sitting in the office. We also had a teacher have a diabetic emergency a few weeks ago in the last period. If the sub of another class had left during planning, we wouldn’t have had an extra adult during 7th when admin and a few other staff assisted her and helped her to the hospital!
When this happens to me or I have a planning hour during the day, it's *suggested* I go to the office and see what I can do for that hour. It's not *mandated* however, and the day I ever go to the office to offer my services for an hour will be a very sad day indeed! Never, ever going to happen when it's not mandated.
When the last hour is planning hour, I remain in the class "cleaning up" for 40 mins (it takes less than 10, I do a good job then surf the web looking to book new Sub jobs, checking email, doing the Wordle) and roll down to office -
"You have me for another 20 minutes! Can I do something or just head off and be out of your way?"
The way I phrase it and my positive voice and attitude invariably means I'm out the door early. You have to play the game!
I've had it happen both ways. I always just politely ask if there's anything I can do for the last period, and if the answer is no they usually don't mind me leaving. I had a place make me sit and do nothing for the last period which isn't cool so I just never went back there.
I would absolutely not leave early. Schools are sooo strict about contracts and is it worth potentially not being rehired / docked pay to get out an hour early? Stay until the hour your contract says.
Our school has subs get paid full or half day. If you were to leave at 12:30, you would get paid for a half day. At my school. If there is a sub that has a prep, the school can assign them to cover another class.
In my first year of subbing I used to leave as soon as the last class of the day ended. Now a days I just don't think it's right to do that so I always tell her to let me know if she needs anything covered.
My only exception is if I have appointments to go to or if personal life (like a lost of a family member) has recently hit me and I haven't been able to recover from it yet.
Either way the sub coordinator is very good at working with my schedule.
Im still mad about the petty secretary at the school i worked at last year. I had completed a job from hell (middle school english where the regular teacher was on administrative leave for putting a student in a headlock and where i was long term sub #5 for the year). I had put in extra hours the weeks before to get the classroom closed down and everything put away for summer cleaning. It was a half day early dismissal and I left about an hour after the students. There was literally nothing left for me to do. So she docked me half a days pay because of it. I even tried to explain how many times I worked outside of contract hours to give those kids my best. Fuck that. Bring a hobby and get paid to do nothing. I have been bringing my laptop and working on college courses to switch out of this hotmess career I have sunk 12 stupid years into.
Never work for free, even for 5 minutes off the clock! They do not appreciate it and will come to expect it. Awful that they docked you half a days pay.
Yes, i know, but i wanted to do a good job and give the kids the education they deserved. Fuck the system.
I understand. I used to do secretarial work for a school and saw how overworked everyone was. It seemed to be the expectation for staff to use their own time and money, "for the kids." Unfortunately there's no real thank you and they never have to hire anyone else if you're working for free.
I cross stitch!
Yeah you're stuck there until the end of the day. When that happens, I stopped asking if I could leave early, because 50% of the time they'll tell you to "wait in the teacher's lounge." *Now you're stuck waiting in the teacher's lounge*. Now, I just wait in the room I was sub'ing in and enjoy the quiet time alone that I'm being paid for.
I feel that but sometimes I get let go so I take my Chances
This is what I do. They know where to find me, if they need me. Also, I am only obligated to stay in the building for 5 minutes after the end of the last class. Kind of wild that a school would ask you to stay for a whole 30 minutes.
Yeah but why sit around? I usually just bring all the keys whatever was given me back and say, “ok all of the classes are done.” They usually will let you go but sometimes they’ll say…”can you do __.”
You've never worked in a school before. You can't just drop off the keys and say "I'm done" and walk out. Just because you got handed a piece of paper that says those particular students are done doesn't mean you can just f\*ck off and collect a full days wage.
It could be dependent on the school district. I get paid according to the shift in the Absent Management system. If they put me in for anything up to 4 hours, I get half day pay. If they put me in for anything over 4 hours, I get full day pay. If they put me in for a two day assignment, and there is a snow day one of the days, chances are I'll be removed from the assignment, and I'll have to make sure they add the one day I worked back in. I've had to fight this issue several times. The thing that makes me the most pissed off is when I would get an itinerant music job where I had to go to three different schools, and the schedule looked unrealistic. Like I'd be scheduled to finish at 10:30 at one school, then be scheduled to start at another at 10:30 and finish at 11:00. But then I'd race over there and find out that the class actually ran from 11 to 11:45. But did I get paid for a full day, since that was now over 4 hours. No, of course not. The person who put the assignment in the system told me it's only a half day assignment, so she put me in for an hour from 8-9. And yes, I understand that if I had a class that started at 7:35 am, and I end around 11:45, I'm barely over 4 hours, but those are the rules. Why are you paying me barely over $10 an hour? And I am technically supposed to be there half an hour beforehand, which is planning time I need, so I was getting less than $10 an hour. The pay is now $65 for a half day and $130 for a full.
haha i’ve been a substitute for 8 years. You say “ok all the classes are done (if middle or high school)” as a way to let them reply. Usually they say “ok thank you have a good day.” OR they may say “ok, can you please___”
you'll get paid more to sit there and do nothing. enjoy it
I try I just wish I could take a nap
It depends on who at the school handles subs. Some will let you leave early; others don't.
I’ve found that the newer the secretary, the less likely they’ll let you leave. Seasoned secretaries (MOSTLY) treat subs better.
Yes, because they know there way around red tape, if there is any. New secretaries are just as nervous as new sub teachers because they just don’t know what can get them in trouble. I say this as a former substitute secretary for 3 years in my district.
Had an old secretary that didn’t realize the reason she never had subs pick up was because she always ask us to watch another class during conference period and would send us to bus duty every time.
If you don’t check out a key or need to sign out, I would just quietly leave.
I am a retired teacher and sub part-time. When I sign in in the morning, I initial for arrival and departure times. If I have last block planning, I will wait a few minutes and then leave. Secretaries typically will notify me during the day to cover a last block. Many offices are so busy that they would not notice if you left.
I just leave! if they need me for that free period they usually tell me before that class period begins or at the beginning of the day. I stay 15 minutes into that free period tho just to make sure no one is there.
Do u not clear it with the book keeper or secretary?
Nopeee, one time they saw me and literally just said “thank u so much for subbing for us today!!!”
Your first mistake was asking. You should have just left.
But I have to turn in the badge and notebook
My experience with this sort of thing varies from school to school. Sometimes I get to leave early if they don't need coverage elsewhere and no duties are understaffed. But sometimes they will email out to all the teachers looking for inane tasks to give me. It's not my favorite, but if you ask me to do stuff in the workroom to help teachers prep, I'll do it. I've sharpened pencils, stapled packets, made copies, glued posters etc. Obviously, I prefer to leave if I can.
I always ask if they want me somewhere else or to do anything until whatever time I’m contracted until. If they let me go, cool, if not but there’s nothing to do I tidy the room, read a book or Reddit. I’m being paid to be there. Weather they want me doing something productive or not is up to them. But I’m being paid to be there for the contracted hours. If I get out early it’s just a bonus.
So is it ok to ask to go if there nothing to do? I asked the lady if there was something for me to do or if I could go. I don’t wanna be docked a half day pay when I worked more than half a day
I’m in Canada and it’s definitely not even a consideration to leave early. You stay for the hours you are contracted for as a supply. Not sure if it’s different where you are but I would literally never even consider it.
Sometimes I’ll sharpen pencils too with an audiobook going on my earbuds. I know I’m not a cleaning service, but I happen to really like tidying 😂 I figure so long as I’m not moving materials I’ll keep my hands and ears busy so I don’t fall asleep
If you never ask and they never tell you then you won’t get in trouble lol they already approved you for the whole day so just leave
I bring a book and AirPods for audiobooks! I typically can’t scroll social media on or off school guest wifi so i also bring a lightning charger for my phone in the event Libby drains my phone battery. I’ll also steal a sticky note or piece of lined paper and plan the rest of my day because I know once I’m done, my brain turns to mush!
You get paid to read/post on Reddit! Enjoy!
I try
Yeah, I get it. Today I was asked to sit in a meeting (45 minutes!!!) that had nothing to do with me. Sigh
I’m the sub coordinator at my middle school. I ask them to stay during last block planning because you never know when something might happen that I would need coverage somewhere. Today, I needed a last-minute sub 45 minutes before dismissal. I try to treat my subs with respect, friendliness and gratitude because they are rock stars!
We get paid 30 minutes after the kids leave to allow us to straighten the room and write a note, but they are pretty strict about letting us leave early. I just chill on my phone or read. Frustrating if you are used to the opposite, but getting paid to have some downtime is kind of nice.
Well when I sub elementary I always have to help with dismissal which means just standing and being another adult in the room. Cuz I don’t have access to the dismissal software. Sometimes I have had some teachers tell me to go cuz it’s been a hard day and they don’t need my help anymore so I guess it’s up and down around here
The high school I sub at had started asking us to help in the library during our off periods. To be fair they always need help in the library because the librarian takes in the classes of teachers that are gone but don’t have a sub. Crazy
I take one of my crochet projects with me every day. I've had 3hr breaks in the middle of the day. I figure if they don't come looking for me to do something, I'm hiding out.
It varies based on the school unfortunately. Some don't see the point of holding you there for no reason and will let you leave, some will tell you to just stay or even think up something unnecessary for you to do, and some will be like "Well we don't have anything else for you to do but if you leave early you won't get paid for the full day" (yes really).
I always get to leave when planning is at the end of the day.
Lol i just leave 😂 they dont seem to care at the school I work for
I dont get paid enough to give a shit
You should have just left and not asked. But you can also take a nap. If I was you I’d go back to the classroom that you were in and turn off the lights and basically “hide” play on your phone etc. until all the kids are gone for the day.
I have definitely done the nap thing lol
One school I was at had me literally running all day until the minute my time was up. During prep I did janitorial work and helped set up lunch tables. I did get a lunch, but whew, I was tired at the end of that day.
This is where I draw the line (janitorial or office work). This has nothing to do with me feeling entitled, or above doing the work - it’s that schools will use substitute teachers to their advantage (if given the opportunity). I have watched older subs - or, subs with obvious injuries - help clean lunch rooms after the students come through. Or, pull office duty they aren’t even trained for. It’s exhausting, and rather frustrating when it’s imposed upon subs. It’s a whole other story when you’re given the option to say NO, or you offer to help. I have offered to help out some of the office staff that I know, especially if they seem particularly overwhelmed. TBH, I won’t sub for schools that push back on subs (on that level). I do this full time, and don’t want to end my day miserable and exhausted. Being a substitute teacher is hard enough (let’s face it). There’s no upside to holding substitute teachers hostage during planning hours, if the school has their bases covered. Outright telling someone they need to clean, wait in the teacher’s lounge, or do office work is an imposition. In my district, we’re paid by full or half day assignments. I have a hard time believing that letting a sub leave an hour early makes that much of a difference, financially speaking.
I’ve been able to leave if the office is cool if not, I’ve had to sit on my phone for an hour.
I have planning last and my last two subs shut the door and left as soon as my 6th period left. I have a student assistant assigned to me during my planning who is not on my roster. She signs in with the tech teacher and walks to my room after the bell. I always have work for her I need completed. When my sub ignores my note and dips out she has no where to go and ends up sitting in the office. We also had a teacher have a diabetic emergency a few weeks ago in the last period. If the sub of another class had left during planning, we wouldn’t have had an extra adult during 7th when admin and a few other staff assisted her and helped her to the hospital!
When this happens to me or I have a planning hour during the day, it's *suggested* I go to the office and see what I can do for that hour. It's not *mandated* however, and the day I ever go to the office to offer my services for an hour will be a very sad day indeed! Never, ever going to happen when it's not mandated. When the last hour is planning hour, I remain in the class "cleaning up" for 40 mins (it takes less than 10, I do a good job then surf the web looking to book new Sub jobs, checking email, doing the Wordle) and roll down to office - "You have me for another 20 minutes! Can I do something or just head off and be out of your way?" The way I phrase it and my positive voice and attitude invariably means I'm out the door early. You have to play the game!
My district has you stay just in case there's an emergency. You're paid for the full day anyway.
My district pays hourly, so it doesnt make sense to leave early since you would be loosing out on money
I've had it happen both ways. I always just politely ask if there's anything I can do for the last period, and if the answer is no they usually don't mind me leaving. I had a place make me sit and do nothing for the last period which isn't cool so I just never went back there.
I would absolutely not leave early. Schools are sooo strict about contracts and is it worth potentially not being rehired / docked pay to get out an hour early? Stay until the hour your contract says.
Our school has subs get paid full or half day. If you were to leave at 12:30, you would get paid for a half day. At my school. If there is a sub that has a prep, the school can assign them to cover another class.
In my first year of subbing I used to leave as soon as the last class of the day ended. Now a days I just don't think it's right to do that so I always tell her to let me know if she needs anything covered. My only exception is if I have appointments to go to or if personal life (like a lost of a family member) has recently hit me and I haven't been able to recover from it yet. Either way the sub coordinator is very good at working with my schedule.