Looking for work in schools? Types of substitute teaching.

If you’re thinking about becoming a substitute teacher, there’s a little more to it than meets the eye. For example, there are many types of substitute teaching roles. 

Kelly Education fills millions of classrooms with substitute teachers every year. In this article, we’ll look at the types of substitute teaching jobs and provide links to learn more about them. 

• Short term substitute teacher 
• Long term substitute teacher 
• Building substitute teacher 
• Special education substitute teacher 
• Emergency substitute teacher  
• Substitute teaching based on subject type 
• Substitute teacher ambassador 

Short term substitute teacher. 

When you think of the different types of substitute teaching, short term substitute teaching is the first type likely to come to mind. Short-term substitute teachers can work on any day of the week for any class and grade within a school district. For example, you might be called in to teach third-graders one day and sixth-grade English another day. 

Short term substitute teachers tend to experience the highest flexibility in their schedules. It’s also common for short-term substitutes to work daily if they choose. Each state and school district has a minimum set of standards you must meet to become a short-term substitute teacher in their respective areas. 

Long term substitute teacher. 

Long term substitute teachers are assigned a specific class for an extended period. In some school districts, you might convert to a long term substitute teacher after more than two weeks. In others, it could be for more than three weeks. It depends on the requirements of the district. 

Some school districts require long term substitute teachers to meet more stringent criteria to substitute teach. This may include additional training or higher certification or education. That said, in many school districts, the requirements to be a short term vs. long term substitute teacher are similar. 

Long term substitute teachers don’t have as much flexibility in scheduling. They are generally assigned to a specific class for an extended period. One trade-off is they experience consistency in their paycheck, schedules, and work locations. Long term substitute teachers often also have more teaching responsibilities due to the length of the position, including developing lesson plans, communicating and meeting with parents, and grading papers and exams. 

Building substitute teacher. 

If you’ve made a good impression as a short-term substitute teacher, you might apply to be a building substitute teacher. As a building substitute teacher you’re assigned to a single building within the district. This comes with a more consistent schedule, which is generally five days per week. Building substitute teachers often experience variety in their daily schedules. For example, you might teach a kindergarten class in the morning and a fifth-grade class in the afternoon within the same building. 

A building substitute teacher role is ideal for people who want a schedule that models full-time work and provides consistency in where they’re working. If you love the flexibility of being a short-term substitute teacher, then being a building substitute teacher might not be the right move for you. 

Special Education substitute teacher. 

As the name implies, special education substitute teachers work with children with special needs, including physical, mental, behavioral, and learning disabilities. Many substitute teachers find working in special education one of the most rewarding types of substitute teaching work. 

This role requires specialized knowledge related to special needs, including Individual Education Plans (IEPs), 504 Plans, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Some districts require you to have training in working with students with special needs as a special education substitute teacher. Note this role is different than a paraeducator. 

Emergency substitute teacher. 

Many states are experiencing teacher and substitute teacher shortages. So, their departments of education allow emergency substitute teaching permits or licenses.  

These temporary certifications may last 30 days or an entire year. It depends on the needs of your state. However, either you or your school districts can resubmit applications for permit renewal if you want to continue to substitute teaching within their schools.  Learn more about becoming an emergency substitute teacher. 

Substitute teaching for specific subjects and electives. 

As you venture into the world of substitute teaching, you’ll find that you have the opportunity to teach a variety of core subjects and electives. You might substitute teach for a math class one day, a Spanish class for a few days, and an art class another day, all within the same week. 

It’s natural to feel a bit nervous about teaching subjects you’re not that familiar with or good at. Remember, you’re not expected to be an expert in all subjects. As you prepare to teach a subject or any class for the first time, having a game plan is important to help you remain calm and support the students throughout the day. Check out this article to get expert guidance on teaching nine different subjects 

If you excel at a particular subject, you may land a long term substitute teacher job. Some districts require you to have training or expertise for a long term substitute teaching spot. However, this is not typical across districts. 

Substitute teacher ambassador. 

If you love substitute teaching with Kelly Education, then you could be the perfect fit to become a substitute teaching ambassador. Substitute teaching ambassadors with Kelly Education share their passion for being a substitute teacher with others. As a role model, they typically work with our recruiters to help candidates see their potential in making a difference in the lives of students. 

Ambassadors are paid for additional responsibilities outside of their substitute teaching duties. To become a substitute teacher ambassador, you must already be working as a substitute teacher. 

Various substitute teaching job titles. 

In addition to different types of substitute teaching jobs, school districts sometimes use other titles for substitute teaching positions. In your job search, you might come across titles like guest teacher and occasional teacher. 

Learn about the different naming conventions for substitute teaching positions by checking out this article. 

Grow as a substitute teacher with Kelly Education. 

We have an entire library of helpful articles for current prospective substitute teachers. They include: 

• How to become a substitute teacher in your state 

• Complete guide to becoming a substitute teacher 

• What not to do as a substitute teacher 

If you or someone you know is interested in substitute teaching jobs, fill out our brief interest form. One of our recruiters will contact you to answer your questions about becoming a substitute teacher or support staff with one of our school district partners. 

I’m interested