Substitute Teacher
Title
Substitute Teacher
Identifier
SUBSTITUTE_TEACHER
Creator
Jacob Schlitt
Description
"I mentioned in my 'Telling Your Story' class that I had once been a substitute teacher."
Date
2016-01-05
Coverage
1940/1950
Format
application/pdf
Type
text
Text
SUBSTITUTE TEACHER
I mentioned in my “Telling Your Story” class that I had once been a substitute teacher. Irving Schwartz, who coordinates the class, expressed an interest and urged me to write about it. I should make it clear that my career as a substitute teacher lasted less than two months
When I entered CCNY in 1945, I decided to major in social studies. My plan was to either teach high school social studies or work for a union. I therefore took all the relevant courses, and when I graduated, I passed the exams for NYC high school and junior high school social studies teacher, making me eligible to teach elementary school as well.
In the spring of 1950, while I was taking graduate classes in the evening, I registered with a number of elementary and junior high schools as a substitute teacher. The routine, as well as I can remember, was for the school to call you early in the morning when they learned that a teacher would be out that day, and you would show up. Sometimes, if a teacher was to be out for several days, you might be guaranteed several days work. The salary was $16 a day. High schools had all the day-to-day subs that they could use.
The schools with which I registered and could count on calling me were a couple of elementary schools in Harlem and two junior high schools in the Bronx: JHS 52 (boys) and JHS 60 (girls). All of them were easy for me to get to. The elementary schools by subway, and the junior highs on foot. I was still living on Fox Street in the Bronx where I lived when I went to JHS 52. And JHS 60 was the neighborhood girls junior high.
What a difference a decade makes. In 1940, both JHS 52 and 60 were majority white, and a majority of the white students were Jewish. My guess is that less than a quarter of the student body was Black and Hispanic. I entered 52 in 1940, and there were only three or four Puerto Rican kids and no Black kids in my “home room” class. In 1950, both schools were “majority minority.” Following World War II, there was a dramatic transformation in the ethnic make-up of the neighborhood. White families left, and Black and Hispanic families moved in. And of course, the schools reflected the change. Through the 1940s and 1950s, Harlem remained Harlem.
Soon after I registered, I began to receive calls mostly from the Harlem elementary schools. I would get on the subway, check in with the school secretary, be given my assignment, and head for the classroom with some trepidation. It was usually a fourth, fifth or sixth grade class. At the time, the Board of Education did not assign male teachers to classes below the fourth grade. Students seemed to enjoy it when they saw a substitute. It meant that they would not be doing any work that day. I didn’t see it that way. Teachers had lesson plans, and I tried to follow them. I did observe some substitutes who gave the class busy work, and sat at the teacher’s desk and read the paper. Their attitude was that their role as a substitute was not to teach but to be a monitor for the day, to make sure there were no fights or vandalism.
Junior High School was a different story. For me, it was fun being back in my old school. None of my old teachers were there. They must have gotten out when the getting was good. Over the less than two months that I worked as a substitute, I only received a couple of assignments to the junior highs, but they were memorable. Since my license was in Social Studies, I was assigned to one or two History classes, an English class, and I believe a Geography and Civics class. As with the elementary schools, no one expected you to teach, just keep order. Be a monitor.
Where you had one group of students with you the entire day in elementary school, the classes rotated in junior high. With each new class, I had to introduce myself, take attendance, figure out what the lesson was for the day, and try to teach. My successors at JHS 52 were tough, but the young women at JHS 60 were tougher. Most of them delighted in giving a substitute a hard time. There are no tricks to winning them over. You play it by ear. Try to get an interesting discussion going. Get as many students to participate. Have a sense of humor. Most of the students have.
In one class at 52, following news stories about the use of marijuana by young people, there were several kids who were exaggeratedly “nodding off.” Other kids pointed to them and shook their heads. I smiled and continued with the lesson. We connected when I told them I graduated from 52 in 1942.
The high point (or low point) was a class at 60. These were tough teen-agers. It was clear from the moment they entered the classroom. The young ladies sauntered in, occasionally shoving one another. They took their seats noisily. I introduced myself and started to write my name on the board. With my back to them, one girl yelled out, “teacher sucks.” I turned around and asked who said that. No hands went up. I returned to writing on the board when another girl called out, “teacher blows.” The class snickered. A wonderful start. I tried to continue as if nothing happened. I never mastered the art of writing on the board while looking at the class, and decided, no more board writing. I took out the lesson plan for the day and went to work.
Half-way through the class, a young lady left her seat and walked to the teacher’s closet which has a mirror on the inside door. She opened the door and started putting on lipstick. I asked her to return to her seat. She continued applying lipstick. As I approached her, she said, “Look here mother-fucker, lay one hand on me, and I’ll have your ass.” Making sure not to touch her, I closed the closet door. She opened it. I closed it, and stood in front of the closed door. I was grateful that she did not lay a hand on me. She returned to her seat. The class clearly enjoyed the exchange. I don’t remember if I was called again to substitute at 60, but I know if I had been I would not have accepted.
In May 1950, I went to work for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.
1-5-16
I mentioned in my “Telling Your Story” class that I had once been a substitute teacher. Irving Schwartz, who coordinates the class, expressed an interest and urged me to write about it. I should make it clear that my career as a substitute teacher lasted less than two months
When I entered CCNY in 1945, I decided to major in social studies. My plan was to either teach high school social studies or work for a union. I therefore took all the relevant courses, and when I graduated, I passed the exams for NYC high school and junior high school social studies teacher, making me eligible to teach elementary school as well.
In the spring of 1950, while I was taking graduate classes in the evening, I registered with a number of elementary and junior high schools as a substitute teacher. The routine, as well as I can remember, was for the school to call you early in the morning when they learned that a teacher would be out that day, and you would show up. Sometimes, if a teacher was to be out for several days, you might be guaranteed several days work. The salary was $16 a day. High schools had all the day-to-day subs that they could use.
The schools with which I registered and could count on calling me were a couple of elementary schools in Harlem and two junior high schools in the Bronx: JHS 52 (boys) and JHS 60 (girls). All of them were easy for me to get to. The elementary schools by subway, and the junior highs on foot. I was still living on Fox Street in the Bronx where I lived when I went to JHS 52. And JHS 60 was the neighborhood girls junior high.
What a difference a decade makes. In 1940, both JHS 52 and 60 were majority white, and a majority of the white students were Jewish. My guess is that less than a quarter of the student body was Black and Hispanic. I entered 52 in 1940, and there were only three or four Puerto Rican kids and no Black kids in my “home room” class. In 1950, both schools were “majority minority.” Following World War II, there was a dramatic transformation in the ethnic make-up of the neighborhood. White families left, and Black and Hispanic families moved in. And of course, the schools reflected the change. Through the 1940s and 1950s, Harlem remained Harlem.
Soon after I registered, I began to receive calls mostly from the Harlem elementary schools. I would get on the subway, check in with the school secretary, be given my assignment, and head for the classroom with some trepidation. It was usually a fourth, fifth or sixth grade class. At the time, the Board of Education did not assign male teachers to classes below the fourth grade. Students seemed to enjoy it when they saw a substitute. It meant that they would not be doing any work that day. I didn’t see it that way. Teachers had lesson plans, and I tried to follow them. I did observe some substitutes who gave the class busy work, and sat at the teacher’s desk and read the paper. Their attitude was that their role as a substitute was not to teach but to be a monitor for the day, to make sure there were no fights or vandalism.
Junior High School was a different story. For me, it was fun being back in my old school. None of my old teachers were there. They must have gotten out when the getting was good. Over the less than two months that I worked as a substitute, I only received a couple of assignments to the junior highs, but they were memorable. Since my license was in Social Studies, I was assigned to one or two History classes, an English class, and I believe a Geography and Civics class. As with the elementary schools, no one expected you to teach, just keep order. Be a monitor.
Where you had one group of students with you the entire day in elementary school, the classes rotated in junior high. With each new class, I had to introduce myself, take attendance, figure out what the lesson was for the day, and try to teach. My successors at JHS 52 were tough, but the young women at JHS 60 were tougher. Most of them delighted in giving a substitute a hard time. There are no tricks to winning them over. You play it by ear. Try to get an interesting discussion going. Get as many students to participate. Have a sense of humor. Most of the students have.
In one class at 52, following news stories about the use of marijuana by young people, there were several kids who were exaggeratedly “nodding off.” Other kids pointed to them and shook their heads. I smiled and continued with the lesson. We connected when I told them I graduated from 52 in 1942.
The high point (or low point) was a class at 60. These were tough teen-agers. It was clear from the moment they entered the classroom. The young ladies sauntered in, occasionally shoving one another. They took their seats noisily. I introduced myself and started to write my name on the board. With my back to them, one girl yelled out, “teacher sucks.” I turned around and asked who said that. No hands went up. I returned to writing on the board when another girl called out, “teacher blows.” The class snickered. A wonderful start. I tried to continue as if nothing happened. I never mastered the art of writing on the board while looking at the class, and decided, no more board writing. I took out the lesson plan for the day and went to work.
Half-way through the class, a young lady left her seat and walked to the teacher’s closet which has a mirror on the inside door. She opened the door and started putting on lipstick. I asked her to return to her seat. She continued applying lipstick. As I approached her, she said, “Look here mother-fucker, lay one hand on me, and I’ll have your ass.” Making sure not to touch her, I closed the closet door. She opened it. I closed it, and stood in front of the closed door. I was grateful that she did not lay a hand on me. She returned to her seat. The class clearly enjoyed the exchange. I don’t remember if I was called again to substitute at 60, but I know if I had been I would not have accepted.
In May 1950, I went to work for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.
1-5-16
Original Format
application/msword
Collection
Citation
Jacob Schlitt, “Substitute Teacher,” Autobiographical stories & other writing by Jacob Schlitt, accessed March 22, 2025, https://tsirlson.omeka.net/items/show/420.