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Substitute teacher vs student teacher

The differences between substitute teachers and student teachers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a student teacher has an average salary of $59,035, which is higher than the $32,904 average annual salary of a substitute teacher.

The top three skills for a substitute teacher include kids, math and help support. The most important skills for a student teacher are classroom management, math, and language arts.

Substitute teacher vs student teacher overview

Substitute TeacherStudent Teacher
Yearly salary$32,904$59,035
Hourly rate$15.82$28.38
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs69,29279,071
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4242
Years of experience--

What does a substitute teacher do?

Substitute teachers are responsible for filling in the role of regular teachers who will not be able to come to school. They may be engaged short-term or long-term, depending on the need. Substitute teachers should have a deep understanding of the topics that are related to the subject matter and are appropriate to the learning level of the student. They should be able to advance the lessons while the regular teacher is unavailable. At times, they are required to create their own lesson plans. Substitute teachers should have the skills of regular teachers. They should also be flexible and adaptable.

What does a student teacher do?

A student-teacher is responsible for assisting their supervising instructors in maintaining the class orderliness during lectures and class activities. Student teachers' duties include helping with lesson plans, organizing learning activities, managing student behaviors, observing classroom procedures, preparing visual materials and other educational equipment, providing feedback for students, and keeping students' records for evaluation. A student-teacher must maintain excellent communication and decision-making skills to set goals and make consistent progress to the class while keeping students engaged.

Substitute teacher vs student teacher salary

Substitute teachers and student teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Substitute TeacherStudent Teacher
Average salary$32,904$59,035
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $45,000Between $46,000 And $74,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CABoston, MA
Highest paying stateAlaskaMaryland
Best paying companyEthical Culture Fieldston SchoolGreat Hearts Academies
Best paying industryEducationEducation

Differences between substitute teacher and student teacher education

There are a few differences between a substitute teacher and a student teacher in terms of educational background:

Substitute TeacherStudent Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorElementary EducationElementary Education
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaNorthwestern University

Substitute teacher vs student teacher demographics

Here are the differences between substitute teachers' and student teachers' demographics:

Substitute TeacherStudent Teacher
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 27.2% Female, 72.8%Male, 26.4% Female, 73.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 7.7% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage11%9%

Differences between substitute teacher and student teacher duties and responsibilities

Substitute teacher example responsibilities.

  • Manage the classroom environment and help students to learn in the absence of the regular teacher with grades levels k-5.
  • Manage substitute teaching responsibilities in elementary and secondary school including ESL and bilingual programs.
  • Lead classroom management activities including attendance while coordinating lesson plan delivery for consumer science, physics and mathematics classes.
  • Maintain effective classroom management contracts and apply advanced math teaching strategies in middle and high school align with common core standards.
  • Substitute teach throughout the district grades k-5.
  • Attend necessary CPR and child care trainings.
  • Show more

Student teacher example responsibilities.

  • Manage RTI reading groups using both basal materials and literature-base novel units.
  • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
  • Develop lessons that integrate technology into mathematics and language arts for various grade-levels.
  • Enhance student engagement for learning math and science through maintaining collaborative learning classroom environment.
  • Used responsive classroom strategies for Pre-K and first grade.
  • Attend workshops on how to access and create IEPS and bill for services.
  • Show more

Substitute teacher vs student teacher skills

Common substitute teacher skills
  • Kids, 19%
  • Math, 15%
  • Help Support, 14%
  • Language Arts, 12%
  • ESL, 12%
  • Social Studies, 12%
Common student teacher skills
  • Classroom Management, 20%
  • Math, 13%
  • Language Arts, 8%
  • Social Studies, 6%
  • Kindergarten, 5%
  • IEP, 4%

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