Faculty Focus is a student life series, featuring a faculty member at Coppell High School, rotating by department, each week.
Coppell High School substitute coordinator Julie Wilson discusses her unique journey to becoming a part of the staff and the methods she uses to create a positive experience for both substitutes and students. Wilson shares her favorite memories, goals for improving the substitute process and advice for new staff members joining the CHS community.
What inspired you to be in the education field?
A long time ago, when the school year began in 2018, I was in the process of applying for jobs and Coppell High School came up. I didn’t know anything about Coppell or anyone who worked here, so I just gave it a shot and went in for the interview. Before I could get home that day, I got a call saying I got the job at the receptionist office which is where I started seven years ago, before becoming the substitute coordinator in the 2022-23 school year.
How would you describe your approach to working with each substitute teacher?
I take the substitutes that have subbed for me in the past, and if a teacher tells me, ‘They were a really good substitute, can I have them placed in my room?’ then I try matching the placements to their preferences. A lot of the substitutes are here every day, so they go into the classrooms and they usually know what to start doing and how to go about the teacher’s instructions. If I get a new substitute, what I do after is that I ask the teacher, ‘Was it a good experience? Did your kids do OK with it? Did they leave good notes for you?’ Then, we go from there. If yes, then I keep seeing them and ask them to sub for us. If there’s a problem, then we kind of bring it up the next time. I might say, ‘Hey, this teacher said you did this, can we modify it or can you tell me what happened?’ or ‘Maybe this isn’t a good fit for you. ‘Maybe you’d be better in another area, like science instead of math.’ So, you kind of have to work with them and with the teacher as well to see what’s best for the teacher and what’s best for the students.
What’s the most memorable aspect of working at CHS?
The most memorable moments for me are the ones where I get a note of thanks from the staff; knowing that you are appreciated means a lot. A “thank you” goes a long way. Sometimes when I’m having a bad day when I’ve had a lot of substitutes in the building, and I get a “thank you” from [Coppell High School Principal] Laura Springer, a teacher, a counselor or if a student just comes in and says, ‘Hey, thank you for that substitute, they were great,’ it will always motivate me. Just being appreciated goes a long way in my book. If I’m having a bad day, that really makes the turn of my day, just knowing that it’s going to be okay.
Are there any changes you’re making for this school year?
This year, we changed how the substitute teachers check in; they now have a QR code to scan when checking in rather than just signing in on a piece of paper. This gives me a timestamp of when they arrived and when they left, which is a little bit more accurate. We also have a new policy in place that when they come in, they have to either leave their driver license or their keys to get the room key. Then when they leave, they must put the room key back to get their license, because we had many keys that weren’t being returned last year. This also keeps the substitutes within the building so they don’t leave during their free period because if I suddenly need a substitute during that period, I now know that they’re in the building and can get them.
What advice would you give to new CHS staff members?
The biggest piece of advice I’d give is you just have to be patient. You have to love kids, be able to adapt to being a faculty member within a diverse community and you have to be open-minded. Springer is very approachable and easily accessible when there’s a situation that needs dealing with, and the staff is a phenomenal family to be a part of. Everyone has an open-door policy – it’s a great place to work. All of the staff is here to help you and if you don’t go to them when something’s wrong, then they won’t be able to help you, so just not being afraid or too shy to approach them is important. I love the family I have here and it makes my job that much better and enjoyable as well.
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