Aug 18, 2021 4 min read

Do you have a bachelor’s degree but are not feeling fulfilled in your career of choice? Have you always had a longing to work with children and make a difference in their lives? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then becoming a substitute teacher might be the best career move for you. The nation is currently experiencing a severe shortage of certified K-12 teachers. This shortage has affected Canon-McMillan School District, but hopefully, you can help! The only educational requirement is a bachelor’s degree – in any major – from an accredited, higher education institution.

Deana Eutsey, for example, has a background in marketing but has always wanted to teach.

“Teaching is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Eutsey says. “I was just never able to dedicate myself full time to going back to college to pursue a teaching license.”

She was already involved with her boys’ school as much as possible, volunteering and working on the parent-teacher organization. She then learned that she could sub as a paraprofessional with a four-year degree. When she received the email flyer to become an emergency substitute teacher this past year, she quickly jumped on that opportunity because she finally felt like she could be a teacher. She worked at Cecil Intermediate School for most of this year, where the secretary, Pattie Haney, also encouraged her to pursue the opportunity.

“The staff there made me feel very comfortable and made me feel like I was very good at teaching,” Eutsey says. “That really meant a lot to me. It is like they believed in me and gave me the opportunity I have been waiting years for. I also appreciated the flexibility that Canon-Mac gave me to be able to work as a building sub. The confidence they had in me, and believing in me really meant the world to me, so a big ‘thank you!’ to all of you!”

Eutsey says the event itself was easy to follow.

“The sub academy day was very straightforward,” Eutsey says. “Schoology was fairly user friendly. I liked the videos by the school administrators covering different topics of teaching. It was very thorough and they gave real-life scenarios. I enjoyed the Zoom call at the end of the day, where I could see other applicants and we could all have an open discussion with questions/concerns. Tim (McCullough) and Rachel (Beppler) were great at answering any questions we all had.”

Another substitute who participated in the 2019 sub academy, Rachel Russell, agrees that the program is a great step for anyone considering a career change.

“I liked that a few of the principals showed up to talk about various issues and their buildings in particular,” Russell says. “Overall, I think it successfully covered all of the information an emergency substitute needs to get started.”

Similar to Eutsey, Russell has a background in marketing but always felt like something was missing. After a short time of being an emergency substitute within the district, she knew she had a passion for teaching and became a teacher full-time.

“Before attending the sub academy, I knew I wanted to work with children in some manner,” Russell says. “I am passionate about English and felt strongly that I wanted to teach. The Sub Academy and my experience as a substitute teacher helped to solidify this passion for me. I was able to confidently go into my M.A.T. program knowing that teaching is the right career path for me.”

Russell started CalU’s master’s degree with secondary education certification in the fall of 2019. It worked out great for her because the program is predominantly online, meaning she could continue substitute teaching for the district.

If you can relate to either Eutsey or Russell and feel like something is missing in your current career path, then substitute teaching may be the best opportunity for you!

As an emergency substitute teacher, you can earn $100/day, participate in the Public School Retirement System and engage in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to teach children.

If you have any questions, please email Rachel Beppler at bepplerr@cmsd.k12.pa.us.