SIDNEY — The need for qualified substitute teachers is an ongoing problem which Sidney City Schools and the Midwest Regional Educational Service Center is hoping to solve.
“We are working to fill our sub list,” said Brooke Gessler, Sidney City Schools director of curriculum. “We, along with other districts, have struggled to get substitute teachers. It’s important for them to know what’s going on in the district.”
Years ago, said Gessler, there was training for substitute teachers.
“This year we are bringing back the training,” said Gessler. “We will recruit and train substitutes for the district.”
The collaborative effort between Sidney City Schools and Midwest Regional ESC, said Gessler, is focused on recruiting and retaining more substitute teachers for Sidney City Schools and area school districts.
This training is for people who live in Shelby and counties supported by the MRESC. When people register, they will indicate their preference as to where they would be willing to substitute and what grade level(s) they would prefer, said Gessler. The MRESC serves Hardin, Logan and Shelby counties.
“Some of the substitutes are limited on when they can work,” said Gessler “Some only want elementary school; some only want high school. Some don’t want to work on Monday or Friday.
“We want to work to fill the pool with substitutes,” she said.
The training will support prospective substitute teachers, said Gessler. There will be multiple sessions on the day of the training that will cover locating and responding to guest teaching assignments, learning state software, understanding and being equipped for an instructional role in the classroom and online training resources.
“Every participant will leave with a binder of resources from the various sessions, school contacts and an understanding of how to have a positive substitute experience,” said Gessler.
Gessler, along with Lisa Beigel, Sidney City Schools, and MRESC Superintendent Heather O’Donnell and Shawn McElroy organized the training.
“We want to make a concerted effort to get more people as substitutes and retain the people as substitutes,” said Gessler. “Maybe we’ll get some of them to be teachers.”
Two trainings will be held on Monday, Aug. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Sidney Board of Education office, 755 S. Fourth Ave., Sidney, and Wednesday, Aug. 10, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Bellefontaine High School, 555 E. Lake St., Bellefontaine.
Anyone with a bachelor’s degree can be a substitute teacher. anyone with a high school diploma can be a substitute classroom assistant.
Online registration form is available at http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Straining. For additional information or for a form, contact Susan Shields, 937-498-1354, ext. 5504, [email protected] or Lisa Beigel, 937-497-222, [email protected].
