Substitute Teacher Story: Farshaun Pinkston

Substitute teacher talks about the importance of male role models.

Farshaun Pinkston enjoys working with young people—especially those who need extra support from an adult role model.  

Before becoming a substitute teacher 20 years ago, he worked in construction and at a juvenile boot camp through the sheriff’s department. When he learned his local school district needed substitute teachers, he knew he had to apply. He could feel his impact almost immediately. Now, two decades later, Farshaun is still making a difference. 

What unique traits do you bring as a substitute teacher? 

There are not that many black male teachers. Sometimes, I go to school, and I can tell the kids are surprised to see me. They’re not used to it. They like to see someone who looks like them, and someone who might be doing something other than what they might have experienced growing up. Someone with a good job and making money. 

Many of these kids grew up in a single parent home like me. I can relate to them. 

Many don’t have a male role model at home. I might be the only man they encounter. Whatever the circumstances, hopefully I can make a difference. They can say I gave them some suggestions and showed that I cared. Hopefully, it resonates with them as they get older.  

How do you make a connection with the students? 

Students have to know that you care. Once they know that you care—they respect that, and you can get the most out of them.  

I played sports in school, so I try to connect with students about that. I wrestled, I ran track, I played football. They get excited when I tell them that I played college football. This usually gets them to open up, and then I know I’ve got their attention.  

When I go in for my next assignment, I might have them in a different class or subject. They remember me and their eyes light up. They know this is the person who comes in and cares about them. 

There really is more to it than just teaching math, English, history, and science, right? 

Absolutely. It’s a great job for someone who wants to make a difference in a kid’s life. This is our future. These students are our future firefighters, police, lawyers, attorneys, nurses, etc.  

I’ve taught some homeless kids in high school. They were struggling. I always tell them that we’re in this together and that I’m here to help them in any way that I can. 

They reach out to me and say, “Mr. Pinkston, could you help me with this? Could you stay after school or come in early?” And I absolutely will. Then, we get that one-on-one time. We get them caught up if they’re behind. That’s rewarding. 

Many substitute teachers enjoy the flexibility of scheduling. How important is it to you? 

Substitute teaching is a great fit for me, because it allows me to go to different schools and experience different environments; elementary, middle school, or high school. It’s totally up to me.  On any given day, I might have 50 different jobs to choose from or more.  

I typically schedule day-to-day. I wake up in the morning and get my assignment, or I do it the night before. If I have something coming up, I just block that day out. That’s the great part about flexibility. If I want to work one, three, or five days a week, I can. It’s totally up to me. 

What would you tell someone considering work as a substitute teacher? 

We need more substitute teachers. There’s a shortage of substitute teachers. We need more good people working with our future generation. 

There’s nothing like the experience of making a difference in a kid’s life. So, if you have the opportunity, do it.  I love it. It’s gratifying to hear, “Thank you Mr. Pinkston for helping me and showing me that you care.” That’s rewarding.