Dr. Carolyn Conklin, Danielle Begeron and Jim Peters all have one thing in common: Substitute teaching. All of them share their love for teaching and getting to interact with students on a daily basis. Dr. Carolyn Conklin, more famously known as “Dr. C,” is well known throughout the school and more than qualified in education.
She started off with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, History, Psychology and Physiology. Then she went to Kansas State University to get her master’s in counseling physiology. Soon after that she went out to pursue a P.h.D. for a minor in organizational communication and a major in educational policies and leadership.
Conklin has been substitute teaching at the school for about four to five years now and has certainly made her mark in and out of several classrooms. Most students have experienced her loving personality but they do know when to not cross the line with her.
“I have an invisible line that kids stay away from when I get angry. My eyebrow goes up and kids just know,” Conklin said.
Senior Sara Gillespie said she enjoys having a substitute because the days are easier but found that sometimes it’s hard to get help if a sub doesn’t know much about that subject.
“If you need help on something you’re working on for a certain class they’re not very helpful because they don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gillespie said. “Some of them can be grouchy too.”
Conklin enjoys subbing for all classes and said she’s always delighted when the lesson plans teacher leave are easy to follow.
“If it’s a class I know something about I really enjoy it,” Conklin said. “Lesson plans that are easy to follow make the day so much easier. The staff here has always been very nice to me.”
For Conklin, every day is a new adventure. Her favorite thing about being a sub is the same thing that is present when one teaches.
“It’s the ‘I get it’ light you see in their eyes. That’s what teaching is all about, so students can understand,” Conklin said. “It’s also all about establishing relationships with the students so they trust you. When they trust you as a teacher they’re more likely to listen to you.”
Conklin believes that subbing keeps her up to date on what’s going on in education currently and new methods that are evolving.
Bergeron is currently subbing for Rebecca Martin’s computer classes while Martin is on maternity leave. Bergeron is much newer to the school but like Conklin, she is well known by students.
“I’ve subbed so many times here that kids don’t really get away with much. I’ve gotten about 20 cell phones,” Bergeron said.
Bergeron got her B.A. in education from the University of Kansas and already received her master’s in education from KU as well. Next year, she plans to get her ESL endorsement. This will allow her to teach kids who are learning English. Bergeron has been substituting for a year and a half and benefits from both long-term and short-term subbing.
“Short-term benefits are at the end of the school day you get to go home and not do any work. Long-term benefits are that you have a real paycheck,” Bergeron said.
Even though Bergeron receives experience and benefits from being a sub, she said there are still dislikes about it.
“If I’m subbing for the day some kids don’t care because I’m not their teacher and they can be disrespectful,” Bergeron said. ” Also, sometimes teachers leave bad lesson plans and if you don’t get a class you like when you are long-term subbing, you’re stuck with it.”
Jim Peters isn’t a well known sub at the school but shares the same ideas as Conklin and Bergeron.
“Subbing gives me the opportunity to come to high schools and interact with the students,” Peters said. “I prefer substituting at high schools rather than middle and elementary schools because they’re more intellectual and have more ability.”
