Building rapport with faculty and staff as a substitute educator.

As a substitute teacher, paraeducator, or support staff in schools, building rapport — making meaningful connections — helps everyone achieve the goal of positively impacting students’ lives. 

Rapport doesn’t happen immediately. Like any solid relationship, it takes a little time. Your goal as a colleague is to build trust, get in the same page, communicate effectively, and support one another. 

Benefits of building a rapport.

Building rapport with faculty and staff is crucial as a substitute teacher. You experience many benefits when you have healthy relationships with colleagues.  

• You can trust the people you work with, and they trust you. 

• You know who to go to with a question. 

• Work is more fun when you get to know people. 

• You become a preferred substitute educator. 

Being a substitute teacher or paraeducator sometimes makes you feel like an outsider. Building rapport gives you a sense of belonging and fitting in. The relationships you build while substituting can help you throughout your career. 

9 ways to build strong relationships.

Building rapport with faculty and staff can make a substitute teacher’s day run smoothly and help you become a preferred choice for future assignments. 

1. Be friendly. 

The first few encounters with the faculty and staff of a school system are critical and can shape the relationships you form. To ensure you make a great impression, follow these tips: 

• Be polite. 

• Smile when you greet people. 

• Show respect to everyone. 

• Show appreciation. 

These traits show faculty and staff that you will be easy to work with. When others have a good impression of you, they are more willing to help you succeed in the classroom. 

2. Ask the right questions. 

You will have questions about process and routine as a substitute teacher. Ask them, but be aware that your colleagues don’t have more than a few minutes to help you. Be precise in communicating your needs to avoid distracting faculty or staff from their own responsibilities. For example, if there’s a schedule change, ask for that information only. Avoid going into detail about why you don’t know about the change or any other unimportant information. 

3. Be punctual and reliable. 

Faculty, staff, and administrators appreciate those who show up on time, in the right place, and are ready to work. One teacher or substitute teacher being late or absent affects many more people than just the students in the classroom. Being punctual and reliable shows that you take the job seriously. When you accept an assignment, make sure you understand when, where, and what time to be there. 

4. Follow school policies. 

You must follow the substitute teacher requirements set by the school and hiring agency. It’s inappropriate to try to change routines just because the teacher is absent. Your job is to carry out classroom instructions as the regular teacher planned. 

Avoid assuming you fully understand policies that may seem simple or obvious. Some substitute teacher duties are: 

• Knowing when to show up for assignments. 

• How to handle hall passes. 

• Taking and recording attendance. 

• Taking lunch counts. 

• Procedures for making classroom transitions. 

• Using the school or classroom behavior management system. 

• Handling discipline problems. 

• What to do in an emergency. 

Following school policies shows faculty and staff that you respect and understand why they implement the rules they do. They have the same goal: to offer students a safe, impactful learning environment so they can achieve academic success. Following policies builds rapport, because it helps everyone get on the same page. 

5. Communicate with the regular teacher. 

Communicating with the teacher is crucial. Students must receive consistent education, and the regular teacher must be informed that they have stayed on track. Report information in your end of day note: 

• Lesson plan progress 

• Discipline issues 

• Attendance 

• Changes to the schedule 

• Emergencies 

• Questions from students or parents 

It is also good to report more information than not enough. The regular teacher should be able to return to the classroom fully aware and pick up where you left off. Finally, thank the regular teacher for leaving you detailed instructions that helped your day go smoothly. 

6. Help when you can. 

Offer to assist with minor tasks, like covering a class for a few minutes or helping with a quick setup. There are questions you can ask faculty and staff that show you are interested in learning from them: 

• What can I do to help you? 

• How can I help make your day better? 

• Is there a task I can take over for you today? 

• Are there ways we can collaborate? 

When offering to help faculty or staff, remember to offer only when you have extra time or have completed the instructions of the regular classroom teacher. Do not abandon your instructions to help someone else. Also, offer to assist with minor tasks, like covering a class for a few minutes or helping with a quick setup. 

7. Maintain a positive attitude. 

Even if the day gets tough, try to stay positive. Colleagues will appreciate your ability to remain calm under pressure, and it will reflect well on your professionalism. 

• Find ways to show appreciation to other faculty, staff, and students. 

• Be thankful for the people and events you encounter. 

• Focus on doing your best as a substitute teacher. 

• Offer compliments to other faculty and staff. 

• Avoid negative self-talk. 

• Use your strengths throughout the day. 

• Find ways to learn and improve your skills and build confidence. 

Faculty and staff of a school district will notice your positive attitude and want to build rapport with you. They will want to see you return to their district for future substitute teacher jobs. 

8. Be respectful and discreet. 

Avoid gossiping or speaking negatively about students, teachers, or policies. Instead, focus on maintaining a respectful and professional tone in conversations. If you find someone trying to engage you in drama, redirect the conversation or politely remove yourself. 

9. Thank the support staff. 

Remember to show appreciation to the front office staff, custodians, and paraprofessionals. They are often your best resources during the day, and can make your time at school more manageable. Your interactions with all school employees can affect the day’s operations, ultimately impacting student learning. 

Staff and faculty will remember the compliments and “thank-you” messages you give them. They will encourage peers to hire you for a substitute teacher job, because of the positive way you made them feel. 

Grow with Kelly Education. 

Building good relationships with faculty and staff can help make your experience more enjoyable and increase the chances of being invited back. The more you enjoy your work and the more opportunities you receive, the better you can make a difference in a student’s life. 

Kelly Education has a whole library of substitute teaching advice so you can confidently lead your class—from substitute teacher dress codes to what to bring on your first day and how to introduce yourself to the class. 

Thinking about becoming a substitute teacher? Fill out our brief interest form and one of our recruiters will contact you to answer your questions and share more about opportunities to become a substitute teacher with one of our school district partners. 

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