We don’t talk about substitute teachers frequently, but without their seven-hour employment, Liberty would come grinding to a halt. They answer the call of duty on incredibly short notice, which lets teachers rest easy, knowing that someone will take care of their class while they tend to family duties or their physical health. 

When people think about substitutes, they often picture a stranger sitting at the back of the room, absentmindedly writing emails or doing crosswords while the class works on an assignment, but this is hardly representative of their duties. Not only do they have to tackle the infamous roll call, but they’re additionally tasked with teaching multiple classes of a subject they may not know themselves, updating the teacher on where each class is at in the material, and corralling the students who take advantage of the teacher’s absence in order to goof off. 

All of this lies upon the shoulders of Liberty’s subs, and frankly, more students should thank them for what they do. Even when I’ve had math subs who’d rather do anything but math problems or Spanish subs who barely remember their high school classes, they’ve still made an effort to help me when I have questions and encourage me to stay on track.

From the Mr. Hightowers to the Mrs. Acevedos, the hardworking substitute teachers of Liberty keep this school running, and I’m glad that we can rely on them to be there when we need them.