In Real Life I'm a Teacher, but I Play as a Substitute

For my first blog, I wanted to write about something that has been on my mind for 6 years now.  There seems to be a huge stigma related to the word/title of "substitute." It seems that once (some) people hear 'that' word they immediately think the following: incompetent, no degree, can't handle a class, etc...
Now, keep in mind I am not trying to make a blanket statement and say that everyone thinks this way.  However, I have been a substitute for 6 years. Some of the treatment and comments that I have received are very surprising.  What 'some' don't realize is that substitutes have a degree and are educated the same as real life teachers.  I don't mean to be coming off as facetious, but just some of the comments I have had, even recently are; "when will you be a real teacher?", "...well she's just a sub..."



Okay - now that the negative is said... the positive part is that I have been just  a sub in an outstanding district! The support that I (and other substitutes) have been given is phenomenal! Our administrators do a fantastic job of speaking highly to and about their teachers/substitutes. I could not have asked to be part of a better district.
On another bright note, being a substitute for 6 years has been the best experience of my life! I have been able to make professional relationships, be in numerous educational settings, and explore other teaching styles. As much as I would love to have a contract, I look back on these 6 years as a very positive learning adventure! I have been Kindergarten twice, 1st Grade twice, 1st, 3rd,4th, & 5th Grade Science, and now 2nd Grade! Those are just my long terms... when I was a day to day sub, I was anywhere between K-8! Some days were harder than others, but that's the excitement and learning aspect. 
So, to sum everything up... although some may think negatively about substitutes or not as highly as a 'real' teacher... I love every benefit I have of Playing as a Substitute, but being a Teacher in Real Life!