Walking into my Spanish class, instead of my teacher at their desk, an unfamiliar face sits in their chair. I am relieved knowing it will be a chill work day — but not looking forward to the behavior of some of my fellow classmates. I sit at my desk and begin to do my work as the noise level of the classroom simultaneously increases exponentially; the usual. It’s almost always impossible to focus on my assignments as I observe some of my classmates throwing crumpled pieces of paper, talking as loud as they want, going on their cellphones and making fake excuses of what the teacher typically permits — all while the substitute teacher is trying to control the commotion.
There are different extents to which I have observed disrespect towards substitute teachers at Walnut. The more discreet way is by switching between online tabs, doing work from other classes, playing games or not paying attention. The other way is more overt by talking at a loud volume, manipulating the substitute teacher into believing false information on how the class is usually run and going against class cellphone rules. Regardless of how obvious one shows their disrespect, it is simply representative of bad character.
Students switching up behavior with a substitute teacher present has been a persistent issue I noticed ever since I was in elementary school, and it is disappointing that it is still prevalent in high school, where I would expect students to be at a higher maturity level. I understand that students are all busy and need time to destress or catch up on a strenuous workload, but I do not think that is an excuse to feel permitted to show careless behavior towards a substitute teacher who is trying their best to do their job and is the adult who should be respected.
When a teacher is absent, the class should not become a playground or a free period. Substitute teachers are there to help and support students, not to serve as “babysitters.” It is important to maintain integrity as students and not proceed with class time with any other intention. We have to consider the substitute teacher — who may be new to the classroom environment — having to manage the behavior of students without prior familiarity or relationships built. When students act without a care, it not only disrupts the learning environment for everyone else; it can lead to more stress upon the substitute teacher and the bad impression might even make them not want to come back. Afterwards, substitute teachers may leave notes reporting on student behavior, and if the teacher induces punishment, the whole class is affected. One’s behavior is ultimately reflective of the class as a whole.
Next time, when there is a substitute teacher, students should reconsider their behavior. Treat the day like any other, follow classroom rules and hold peers accountable. Substitute teachers deserve the same level of respect as any other teacher. As we read in “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, once the conch lost its power and authority was no longer respected, only chaos unraveled.
