Rose Ponce is one of many substitute teachers working in classrooms at Portage Public Schools. She is a full-time substitute at Moorsbridge Elementary.
Substitutes come to our District through EduStaff, a third party substitute management company. They play a vital role in the continuous education of our students in every building. We heard from four substitutes to learn more about why they started this career and how they feel working with students every day. We will be sharing a series of Q&A articles to highlight their stories.
If you or someone you know would like to become a substitute at PPS, please visit portageps.org/page/employment-at-pps to learn more and apply.
When did you start in the District and what grade level do you teach?
I started in 2019. I floated between the different schools, but my youngest child went here, so it felt more natural to be here. I started out subbing for just his classroom teachers. I started in my son’s kindergarten year and followed him all the way to fifth grade. Beginning last year, I accepted the full-time kindergarten substitute position because they needed more help. I float between the classrooms, doing everything from helping students one-on-one to covering classrooms if teachers are out sick.
- What is your favorite part about being a substitute?
- My favorite part about being a substitute teacher is the ability to be in all the classrooms to see how everyone runs their classroom. And, watching the kids grow, especially because I’ve been helping in kindergarten, I can see how quickly they learn things. You don’t really think about how much they have to learn, like holding a pencil or holding scissors, but then in the months that follow you watch them grow so much. In the older grades, it’s just watching how they get along, how they interact with one another.
- Why did you decide to go into this field?
- I have a degree in teaching, including a bachelor’s degree in human resources and a master’s in education. I’ve never worked full time as a teacher because my husband’s job kept us moving around, as we were both in the military. But being a substitute was a way to teach that was flexible for my husband’s schedule, my kids, and my own health issues. It feels good. It’s a good flexible position to be in. We’re settling down in our life as a family, where I’ll probably look for a permanent teaching position as my next goal. As a Spanish speaker myself, I would aim for a position in young grades teaching English as a Second Language.
- I have a degree in teaching, including a bachelor’s degree in human resources and a master’s in education. I’ve never worked full time as a teacher because my husband’s job kept us moving around, as we were both in the military. But being a substitute was a way to teach that was flexible for my husband’s schedule, my kids, and my own health issues. It feels good. It’s a good flexible position to be in. We’re settling down in our life as a family, where I’ll probably look for a permanent teaching position as my next goal. As a Spanish speaker myself, I would aim for a position in young grades teaching English as a Second Language.
- Who was your favorite teacher growing up?
- All of my teachers actually. I was blessed to have just wonderful teachers throughout my whole life which probably led me to wanting to be a teacher. I saw patience and kindness, people that wanted to be there and really helped me grow as a child. I always felt I had a connection to my teachers and they always seemed to help me better myself.
