Several years ago when my manager gave me a sixty-day layoff notice, I wondered what I would do after I lost my job. I don’t remember where I got the idea from, but soon after I got my notice, I decided to become a substitute teacher. And I’m so glad I did. Once I was unemployed, I applied for a substitute teaching position and my local school district hired me.
On my first day in elementary school I subbed in first grade, and right off the bat, I had a great day. I had such a fun time subbing that I couldn’t believe I was paid for my job. Several months later, a third grade boy asked me why I smiled all the time. I hadn’t realized it until then but he was right: I did smile all the time. And why? Because I loved my job! And it was just wasn’t kids who saw how happy I was. One morning when my next-door neighbor saw me leave for school, he later told me that I had a big smile on my face. When I worked in the aerospace industry, believe me, I never had a smile on my face when I left home for work.
What I’ve learned is that subbing is what I love to do, and I enjoy it so much that I’ve decided not to pursue a full-time occupation. I’ve now subbed for four years in 58 schools, 278 different teachers and over 8,000 kids.
