What do substitutes/teachers do during the summer?

I really enjoy substitute teaching! It is a wonderful opportunity to work in a classroom and build skills like time management, organization, patience, and empathy. Since I’ve started, I actually get bored when the teacher just makes their absence a ‘free’ day for their students (the lesson plan simply says ‘play a video’). I actually like following a detailed lesson plan, as crazy as that sounds- it gives me at least a vague idea of what teachers do from day to day and I try my hardest to follow the teacher’s instructions to the best of my ability. There’s just one problem-

Subbing isn’t a year-round activity. In fact, about five months after I plan on moving, school will be about for summer. I’m trying to think ahead as far as finding some temporary job to fill the summer gap.

I am fortunate in that I already work at another part-time job on top of subbing, which is year-round. So it won’t be as if I am unemployed for three months out of the year. However, I can’t get by on just the other job alone, and once I move I don’t know if my savings up till summer along with my other job will be enough to carry me through summer. Plus I’ll be bored out of my mind.

I don’t know if subs still work through summerschool; the last job I had that worked along the school schedule was as a crossing guard, and while they were assigned to work for summerschool, it was many guards vying for a very limited number of positions each year. In short, it was unlikely that it would happen. I’m kind of thinking that it will be a similar situation for summerschool- since so many fewer teachers are teaching, there is less of a demand for substitutes, and a lower chance of getting called in. I’m going to try and keep an eye out for any summer programs the schools offer/hire people for. Even working as a glorified babysitter (parks and recreation coach) would be worthwhile at this point.

I could use some painting to be done around the place next summer, you any good with a roller and that blue tape?

Around here (DC Metropolitan area), a number of teachers I know work as nannies in the summer. They go through some nanny-placement agencies who provide short-term placements - for families whose kids are out of school for the summer and need summer-long childcare, as well as families who have a full-time nanny who wants to take her own vacation during the summer. The pay isn’t huge (a few years ago it was 10 dollars an hour, I’m sure it’s gone up since then).

In the San Jose areas, there are doubtless quite a few families in the same boat, with needing summertime childcare. You could look into nanny agencies in your area and see if they handle short-term placement.

As an aside - my brother and his family benefited massively from hiring a teacher for just this purpose; their nanny took some weeks off, they used a teacher for those weeks, and she was the one who pointed out that my nephew appeared to be having seizures (the stare-into-space kind) - something that they, their regular nanny, and all the doctors had missed.

I think you’re being funny, but a lot of teachers do paint houses in the summer. Depending on the job, it can be better money than teaching.

I am not a teacher but I have many in my family and circle of friends. Some of them paint houses or do odd jobs. Places that are seasonal or tourist spots usually need summer help. My sister works part time in a library. My brother in law doesn’t work a summer job except for running a basketball camp.

Summer camps might be good places to look, or I know other teachers who teach driver’s ed. The childcare suggestion is a good one too. Maybe lifeguarding if you are willing to train for it.

I’ve been in teaching for about six years, and I’ve always gone ahead and taught summer school (up until last summer, since I got a job that is year-round). Teach summer school, take a couple of continuing education courses, and get a couple weeks off has been my pattern. This is the first year I’m thinking of changing that and maybe not teach summer school.

One summer when I was in high school, my parents decided to get our basement finished. My phys ed teacher was on the crew who did it - he did some of the drywall and spackled the ceiling.

Only half. Funny that is…when i wrote that I was remembering one of my high school teachers telling us about the sunner job he’d had the past year when he painted water towers while hanging off the side.

My entryway and foyer are much lower.

Some teachers can opt to have their annual salary paid in even installments over the calendar year, so they will continue to receive paychecks over the summer. That gives them a little more flexibility in finding short-term placements or projects to work.

One of my high school teachers (30-ish male) was a vendor at Comisky Park over the summer. It was probably cool for him because he was a huge sports fan, but a little disconcerting to go to a game and see him selling Pepsi.

I can say with certainity that many teachers score standardized tests in the summer. They can also do tutoring and test prepartation.

To quote Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes, “I kinda thought teachers just slept in coffins all summer.” :smiley:

I’ve subbed for a couple of years. What I did during the summer was score essays for standardized tests. I remember over the course of 2 summers getting exactly 1 phone call requesting to sub during summer school.
I found substitute teaching to be a difficult way to make a living. The flexibility of subbing was great, but financial stability most definitely was not. Unlike regular teachers (in my area anyways), I only get paid for the days I actually subbed. Not only does that make summers difficult, but also holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, etc. when no work would be available for 1 or 2 week stretches. It’s a great line of work if you are interested in the possibilty of teaching without making major obligations to teaching…it’s also great if you are somewhat independent financially by other means (another job, low bills, etc.), but I personally wouldn’t recommend counting on subbing as your bread and butter if you do have any considerable financial responsibilities, especially considering that the pay for subbing isn’t great either.
If you already enjoy working on your teaching skills and following a detailed lesson plan, why not make the jump to actually becoming a regular teacher? Because there are many areas that have a shortage of teachers, it’s really not that difficult to get certified and start full time teaching with all the benefits and much better pay (provided you already have a Bachelors degree). You can take the traditional route and complete the prerequisites by going to school part time over 2 semesters. Also, there are quite a few school districts that participate in programs where you can get trained and certified (with full-time teacher pay and benefits) on the job in high need schools. Just my 2 cents…