Entertainment
How to Become a Substitute Teacher (And Why I Love It)
Last spring, on a whim, I applied to be a substitute teacher. I thought it would be a good way to get involved at my kids’ elementary school beyond the occasional class party signup. And, despite having no background in education, I wanted to help out with the teacher shortage.
So, I turned in the paperwork — which moves like molasses, fyi — then took a one-day training session. As soon as I jumped in, I loved it. Yet anytime I tell friends I’m a substitute teacher, the most common reaction is, “Oh, wow, I could never do that.” But I am here to say: Yes, you can. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way.
Lean into the flexibility. One of the best parts about substitute teaching is the flexibility to fit your schedule. In Tennessee, I make between $90 to $100 a day. Even if you go just once a month, you’re still helping out.
Showing up for a full day actually feels less exhausting than going in for a special event. Many parents have gone into school for lunch or Valentine’s Day parties, when the acoustics of the cafeteria are at full blast or the sugar rush hits an ultimate high. But most teachers run their classrooms like a tight ship, and the kids for the most part are a trained crew. So, by the time you show up, all you have to do is follow the lesson plan for the day and they’ll act accordingly.
Find your ideal grades. Kindergarten is chaotic yet sweet. First grade is delightful because the kids accidentally call you Mommy. But I found that second grade is my sweet spot. The kids are independent but haven’t started all the weird social stuff; and I can still do the math. And I was nervous about subbing for Special Education because I didn’t know how to navigate helping children with differing abilities. But I immediately bonded with the students, and I loved the one-on-one connection you can form with the kids in smaller classes, as opposed to facing 25 kids at a time.
Set boundaries with your own kids. If you’re going to be subbing at your child’s school, make a game plan with them ahead of time. It’s a love fest whenever I run into my younger children in the halls. But my 4th grader told me I am NOT allowed to say ‘hi’ to him at school; I should not acknowledge his presence or that I gave birth to him.
Get to know the school employees. I figured all the teachers would eat lunch together in the teachers’ lounge, like they do on TV. But everyone’s so spent, they mostly retreat to their own spaces for a few precious minutes of quiet time. However! There are still plenty of places to engage, whether it’s by the copy machine or in the library. The school admin team will be your lifeline; and shooting the breeze with the cafeteria staff has become the highlight of my day.
Don’t let down your guard. The students have a greater understanding of the system than you do. They’ll try anything to throw you off your game. Lunch at 10:30. Double recess breaks. Snacks in the loft. They’re ruthless. Fortunately, every classroom has at least one student who will be there for you. He or she is the one you can lean on to tell you if something is off.
Come up with your own gimmick. Here’s one of those little details that goes a long way. I make it rain with stickers. One fifth-grade teacher I know does personalized doodles on her kids’ tests — talk about a pro move.
Go easy on yourself. There will be days when kids show up and just don’t want to be at school. One may look up at you with her jack-o’-lantern teeth and flawless skin and tell you she hates your glasses — don’t take it personally. And there’ll be times when you’ll have to improvise. When the kids ask me something I don’t know, I think it’s okay to admit you don’t have all the answers.
Toby Rose is a writer and mom of three in Nashville. Her work has appeared on goop, Real Simple, and Parents Magazine. You can follow her @tobyfels.
Note from Cup of Jo: We will be matching readers’ donations to Everytown up to $2,000. Just forward your donation receipts to hello@cupofjo.com. Thank you so much xo
P.S. A formula for easy lunchbox packing, and how to help ease kids’ separation anxiety.
Entertainment
Get Ankers 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock for $60 less at Amazon
SAVE 15%: As of April 22, you can get the Anker Prime 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock for $339.99, down from $399.99, at Amazon. That’s a 15% discount or $60 savings.
$339.99
at Amazon
$399.99
Save $60
Working off a laptop is great until you realize you only have two ports and need to plug something in. If you’re hooked up to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse, you’re pretty much out of luck on the rest. Not only that, but your previously uncluttered desk will most likely look like a Best Buy exploded (a rat’s nest of cords isn’t cute or helpful for anyone getting work done).
If you literally hate mess and cords as much as I do, you need a docking station to hide all that chaos and protect your aesthetic. Right now, Anker’s Prime TB5 Docking Station is on sale for $339.99 at Amazon, down from $399.99. (That’s a $60 price cut.)
Mashable Deals
Are you going to use all 14 ports at the exact same time? Probably not, but you’ll never have to dig through your bag for a specific adapter again. You just plug a single cable into your laptop, and the dock handles the rest. It features a Thunderbolt 5 upstream port, two Thunderbolt 5 downstream ports, two USB-C ports, three USB-A ports, SD and TF card readers, a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, an audio jack, and your choice of HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 2.1. It’s also fast enough to transfer a 150GB file in 25 seconds.
Entertainment
How I scored ad-free Paramount+ Premium for only 99 cents
SAVE $26: As of April 22, returning subscribers can score two months of ad-free Paramount+ Premium for only 99 cents per month with the code N8C27L. Usually $13.99 per month, that’s $26 in savings. Just note that your mileage may vary.
$0.99/month for 2 months (save $13/month) with code N8C27L
If you’re looking to save some money on your streaming lineup, my number one recommendation is to cancel your subscriptions. While it doesn’t work for every streamer, many will offer you a special discount to come back. Not to mention, you’ll be eligible for any new deals that may appear that are marketed to “new and returning customers.” Case in point: as of April 22, returning subscribers can get two months of ad-free Paramount+ Premium for just 99 cents per month.
I’ve tested this out myself, so I can vouch for it. When you navigate to Paramount+ and sign in to your existing account, you’ll be prompted to pick a plan. Select the Paramount+ Premium monthly plan for $13.99 per month. On the “Welcome back!” page, scroll down to the box that says “Have a promo code?” and enter N8C27L. Once you hit “apply” the price should drop to just 99 cents per month.
Credit: Paramount+
That’s all, folks. You can take advantage of two full months of ad-free Paramount+, Showtime, BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, CBS live TV, UFC fights, and more for less than two bucks. That’s $26 total in savings.
Mashable Deals
Paramount+ has a surprisingly hefty library. Subscribers can enjoy Paramount+ Originals like Landman and RuPaul Drag Race All Stars, Showtime series like Dexter Resurrection and Yellowjackets, CBS hits like Survivor and NCIS, and nostalgic shows from Nickelodeon and MTV. Not to mention, there’s a lineup of movies that’ll keep you fully entertained for your two-month promotional period. Just be sure to cancel again before the second month is over if you want to avoid paying full cost. You can always sign up again when another deal arises. I know I will.
Entertainment
How Stargate SG-1 Used A Classic Trope To Emotionally Wreck Its Fans
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Garfield and Friends said it best: “Oh no, we’ve resorted to an evil twin storyline.” Star Trek: The Original Series did it the best with Mirror Universe Spock, and ever since, it’s been a lazy excuse for every series to use when they run out of ideas. The exception is Stargate SG-1’s sixth episode, “Cold Lazarus,” which plays with the trope by making the twin less evil and more confused.
When fans say they skip this episode when rewatching, it’s not because it’s a lazy, poorly written episode. In fact, it’s the opposite. The ending of “Cold Lazarus” is a pivotal character moment for Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and a gut punch to the audience.
Stargate SG-1’s First Evil Twin
“Cold Lazarus” opens with the SG-1 team on a planet that doesn’t look like Vancouver (it was a giant pile of sulfur at the port of Vancouver). The desert landscape is dotted with shattered blue crystals that look like the remnants of a civilization until we see a crystal eye-view of O’Neill, a mysterious light knocks him out, and all of a sudden, a second O’Neill is looking down at the first. Turns out, the crystals are the civilization.
Fake O’Neill is trying to figure out who O’Neill is and what SGC is all about. When he pulls out photos of his family, it takes Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) by surprise. O’Neill’s never mentioned his wife, Sara, or his son, Charlie. Confused, the Fake O’Neill goes to the home, where Sara is disgusted he’d come by and thinks it’s a sick joke that he’s asking about Charlie. If you’re wondering if you missed a key part of O’Neill’s backstory, don’t worry, this is the first time that either Sara or Charlie is mentioned, and tragically, we soon learn why.
No One Ever Dies
Charlie shot himself with O’Neill’s gun. Fake O’Neill starts to piece this together when he goes into Charlie’s old room and breaks down, prompting Sara and him to finally have the conversation about their shared grief. Back in SGC, the crystal’s nature is revealed to be an energy alien calling itself Unity, which accidentally killed a Jaffa, and the Goa’uld shattered them in retribution. That’s when O’Neill stumbles back through the Stargate, and the team realizes the mistake they made.
The Fake O’Neill is soon captured at a local hospital, suffering from Earth’s radiation, where he explains that he sensed O’Neill’s pain after he took his form and wanted to help ease the suffering, as nothing ever truly dies to Unity. To prove its point, Unity transforms into Charlie, giving O’Neill and Sara one last chance to see their child. Fans who haven’t lost a child can understand the emotion, but for fans who have, this scene is emotional torture, in the best way possible.
Jack knows this isn’t Charlie, but he talks to him like he is, and then they walk together through the Stargate back to Unity’s planet. It’s a beautiful moment that explains so much about O’Neill’s throwing himself into work and how even his friendships remain professional. “Cold Lazarus” may have started out with the “evil twin” trope in full effect, but the ending is proof that even early during its run, Stargate SG-1 was going to be the greatest.
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