Being in the same classroom day in and day out can be a drag. It’s easy to get bored teaching the same kinds of things over and over in the same classroom every single day!
If you’ve ever felt like you’d have a hard time standing in front of the same classroom every day, guest teaching may be a great option for your education career!
There are lots of ways to be a teacher besides the traditional classroom model. As technology advances and brings the world closer together, the options will only continue to grow!
With all of the different career options out there, you may be confused about what different teaching roles entail and which one is right for you.
I’ve been a teacher and eLearning expert for years, so I’ve learned all the ins and outs of the teaching profession: everything from traditional classroom teaching to educating students a world away!
In this article, I’ll tell you all about the little-known career of guest teaching and how it’s different from being a substitute teacher. I’ll also give you the important information that I learned from my research about what qualifications you will need to get your guest teaching career off the ground!
Let’s start by taking a look at what exactly a guest teacher is!
What is a Guest Teacher?
A guest teacher has many of the same roles and responsibilities in the classroom as an ordinary teacher who sees their students every single day for the whole year.
A guest teacher will be responsible for planning interesting lessons, teaching the content, facilitating discussions and other fun activities, and monitoring student progress throughout their time in the classroom.
The main difference between a traditional teacher and a guest teacher is that a guest teacher will remain with a group of students for a shorter time, whereas a traditional teacher would work with the same students for the entire school term. However, a guest teacher can still work with the same group of students for several weeks or even months!
Guest teachers may also join a classroom to work with the students on a particular subject or concept that the teacher wants to cover but lack expertise in.
I have been asked to guest teach on subjects that fall under my particular areas of expertise numerous times, and it is always a great experience!
Because guest teachers can be hired to teach in numerous different classrooms every school year, a guest teacher is often knowledgeable about and certified to teach a variety of different subjects and topics. Traditional teachers, particularly secondary school teachers, often specialize in one particular subject that they will teach for the entirety of their career.
The video below can help you learn more about what a guest teaching career can offer you. This video gives an overview of one school’s guest teaching program, which hires local education majors and graduates to work in the district as guest teachers.
In this video, you’ll hear all about how guest teachers can meet important needs in schools who lack sufficient substitute teachers and hear from guest teachers who have had great experiences working in this field and gaining important classroom experience.
Traditional teaching is not the only road for you if teaching is your calling! There are lots of alternative paths that can be tailored to your specific interests and circumstances
Check out this article to learn more about some of the other fulfilling options that you can consider throughout your teaching career.
What are the main differences between a guest teacher and a substitute teacher?
Contrary to what many people think, a guest teacher is not the same as a substitute teacher. Let’s take a look at a few important differences between a substitute teacher and a guest teacher.
- Guest teachers are responsible for brainstorming and creating their own lesson plans, while substitute teachers are expected to implement lesson plans pre-prepared by the regular classroom teacher.
- Guest teachers are expected to provide regular, ongoing assessments of the students’ progress; substitute teachers typically administer and collect work for the regular teacher to assess later.
- Substitute teachers rarely work with the same group of students for more than a few consecutive days, whereas a guest teacher will often work with the same class for weeks or even months at a time.
- Guest teachers must have an understanding of the school, district, or state standards and implement them in their lessons; substitute teachers typically rely on the regular teacher to incorporate standards into the lesson plans that they prepare for the substitute to use.
- Substitute teachers often receive their assignments at the last minute, while guest teachers have a more predictable and consistent schedule.
One of the most difficult aspects of substitute teaching is maintaining an authoritative presence in the classroom when you are only there for a short period of time. Being a strong authority figure can be easier for guest teachers because they are able to develop relationships with students over several weeks or even months.
Both guest teaching and substitute teaching are great options for someone who wants to teach but isn’t interested in working in a traditional teaching role. The differences listed above can help you decide which career path makes more sense for you.
What qualifications should a guest teacher have?
Guest teachers are just as qualified to teach as any other teacher! However, the requirements for a guest teacher are slightly different than the prerequisites for other teaching careers.
According to the research that I did on the subject, most schools require guest teachers to possess at least an Associate’s degree. Some districts may require a Bachelor’s degree, but are typically more flexible about the subject of the degree (guest teachers may not be required to have a degree in an education-related field).
That some districts will allow you to guest teach with only an Associate’s degree is good news for a lot of aspiring teachers, as traditional teaching jobs almost always require a Bachelor’s degree. This means that you can work as a guest teacher while completing your schooling, allowing you to gain important classroom experience.
However, you will most likely need a teaching certification in at least one subject area to be a guest teacher, even if you haven’t gotten that Bachelor’s degree yet.
School districts may also ask for references who can attest to your teaching ability. Former employers and college professors are great options for references.
As any experienced teacher can tell you, background checks are a vital part of the screening process for new teachers. Some schools also perform drug screenings. The same is true for a new guest teacher.
To be approved for a guest teaching position, you will most likely need to be fingerprinted and have various background checks and/or drug tests performed to ensure the safety of your potential students. Some school districts may charge a small fee to perform these background checks.
Some school districts may also require a health screening. Typically, this requires the new guest teacher to provide evidence of a recent negative tuberculosis test.
Once approved during the application process, the school district will probably require new guest teachers to complete on-site training. This can involve a variety of components, often including observation and shadowing of experienced teachers.
Useful Resources
- Guest teacher annual salary
- What great substitute teachers do differently
- 3 tips for substitute teachers on how to earn respect
Final thoughts
According to research on job outlook, careers in teaching are expected to be in high demand in the next decade. This is especially true for teachers who are qualified to teach multiple subjects.
If you think that variety is the spice of life, then guest teaching may be the career you’ve been dreaming of!
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FAQs
What are guest teacher responsibilities? ›
Like full-time teachers, their responsibilities include preparing lesson and coursework plans, organizing individual or group activities, grading the students' performances, and assisting them as necessary. They must also coordinate with teachers, working together in developing effective teaching strategies.
What is the most important aspect of being a guest teacher? ›A guest teacher will be responsible for planning interesting lessons, teaching the content, facilitating discussions and other fun activities, and monitoring student progress throughout their time in the classroom.
What is guest educator? ›Guest Teaching. A Guest Teacher, or Substitute Teacher, teaches and supervises students in the event that their regular teacher is unable to lead class. Their duties include managing classroom behavior, quickly interpreting lesson plans, and creating reports to inform the students' permanent teacher of their success.
What is the job description of a long-term Substitute Teacher? ›Job Summary
The long-term substitute is responsible for providing classroom coverage for a teacher who is absent for an extended period of time. The long-term substitute works the regular hours of the absent classroom teacher during his/her absence.
They greet guests on arrival, assign them rooms and suites, issue keys, and collect payment information. Guest Service Agents coordinate housekeeping, porters, transport providers and kitchen staff to meet guest requirements.
What are 5 responsibilities of a teacher? ›- Mentor. During the formative years of students, teachers play the role of a mentor. ...
- Mediator. ...
- Resource House. ...
- Morale Booster and Motivator. ...
- Demonstrator. ...
- Continuous Learner. ...
- A Good Listener. ...
- Participant.
A part time lecturer may complete one subject curriculum but not teaching full time or during regular hours. A guest lecturer is a renowned expert or a luminary who may address one or two classes on his subject of expertise. Usually they are not academics.
What do you consider to be the top 5 qualities that a teacher must have? ›Some qualities of a good teacher include skills in communication, listening, collaboration, adaptability, empathy and patience. Other characteristics of effective teaching include an engaging classroom presence, value in real-world learning, exchange of best practices and a lifelong love of learning.
What is the difference between guest teacher and contract teacher? ›Answer. There are significant differences in the service conditions of contract and guest teachers. ... Guest teachers are paid by the day — around Rs 600-800 — whereas contract teachers have a fixed pay of Rs 28,800 per month. Guest teachers can't be class teachers, but we often are.”
What is a guest position? ›A Guest Relation Officer, also known as a Guest Relation Coordinator or Guest Relation Specialist, is a customer service-oriented employee who essentially greets hotel guests. From escorting guests to rooms to assisting in arranging reservations, Guest Relation Officers ensure a pleasant and satisfying stay at a hotel.
Is Guest Services a skill? ›
The most common hard skill for a guest services is guest service. 41.1% guest services have this skill on their resume. The second most common hard skill for a guest services is reservations appearing on 7.6% of resumes. The third most common is customer service on 5.9% of resumes.
What is guest services experience mean? ›Guest service” is delivering experiences that at least meet, and hopefully exceed expectations. Fundamentally, this requires providing a safe, secure, clean, updated and comfortable accommodation, which of course is the starting point.
How do you describe substitute teaching on a resume? ›- Follow the curriculum or lesson plan provided by the principal or absentee teacher.
- Use classroom management and teaching techniques to encourage participation and facilitate learning.
- Take attendance according to school policies.
What is a Substitute Teacher? Substitute Teachers replace regular teachers for a short period of time (e.g. a week or a month) or for the entire academic year. They make sure that the lesson plan is followed and the classroom is running smoothly in the absence of the regular teacher.
How do you describe a long term substitute teacher on a resume? ›Adept at tracking student progress and providing constructive feedback. Specialize in engaging with students to ensure an optimal learning experience. Developed lesson plans in accordance with plans left by the previous teacher. Remained available for long-term substitution needs in various classrooms.
What are the four essentials of guest service? ›There are four key principles of good customer service: It's personalized, competent, convenient, and proactive. These factors have the biggest influence on the customer experience. Personalized: Good customer service always starts with a human touch.
How do you describe guest service on a resume? ›The following are several examples of customer service duties you can include on your resume: Maintain customer accounts and record account information. Oversee customer financial accounts and process customer adjustments. Make product recommendations or services to customers based on their needs and preferences.
What does guest service mean to you answer? ›The best answer to this question is centered around solving for customer needs — and exceeding their expectations. The hiring team wants to understand the value you place on great customer service. Give specific examples to showcase how your skills and experiences align with the company's customer service philosophy.
What is teacher job description for resume? ›Plan, prepare and deliver lesson plans and instructional materials that facilitate active learning. Develops schemes of work, lesson plans and tests that are in accordance with established procedures. Instruct and monitor students in the use of learning materials and equipment.
What are the 7 responsibilities of a teacher? ›...
7 Roles of A Teacher
- Authoritative/ Controller. ...
- Delegator. ...
- Prompter. ...
- Participant. ...
- Demonstrator. ...
- Lecturer/ tutor. ...
- Resource.
What are teachers responsibilities and duties? ›
They include, but are not limited to, study and research to keep abreast of new knowledge and instructional techniques; assessment of students' work; record-keeping; lesson planning and preparation; conferences with students, parents and administrators; in-service meetings; and supervision of pupils outside the ...
What are the three types of teachers? ›This somewhat informal research indicates that schools are usually filled with three types of educators: Lead Learners, Student Engagers, and Personalized Learners.
What are the two types of teachers? ›- Cool Teachers. These are those teachers who are in a way “go-with-the-flow” people. ...
- Strict Teachers. These teachers have standards inside and outside the classroom. ...
- Friendly Teachers. ...
- Modern Teachers. ...
- Traditional Teachers. ...
- Talkative Teachers. ...
- Weird Teachers.
- Adaptability. Adaptability is a must for teachers, who need to continuously evaluate what's working for their students — and even more importantly, what isn't working. ...
- Empathy. ...
- Patience. ...
- Engagement. ...
- Active Listening. ...
- Lifelong Learning. ...
- Free of Bias. ...
- Respectful Attitude.
Your excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Your strong work ethic and dedication to students. Your innovative and enthusiastic approach to teaching. Your passion for helping students learn and grow.
Why do you want to be a teacher interview answer? ›"I want to become a teacher so that I can make a real difference in children's lives. I take the task of developing young people into kind, thoughtful and contributing adults very seriously. I have always been so grateful to my teachers and the educational system for making me the person that I am today.
Is guest faculty counted as experience? ›In many universities, self-financed departments are run by guest faculty who do not have regular faculty, and guest faculty is handling the department yet their work experience is not counted, whereas the selection process is done like regular faculty.
What is the difference between guest faculty and visiting faculty? ›Re: Difference between Guest Faculty and Visiting Faculty? Guest Faculty means The person who visit one or atmost two time in institution for said subject and vice versa the Visiting faculty is who visit the institution for particular semester or year regularly.. Regards, Mr.
What do you call the teacher who hosts a student teacher? ›Cooperating Teachers who are classroom teachers host the student teacher in their classroom and provide consistent mentorship, typically for a full semester. Cooperating Teachers who are out-of-classroom teachers (such as SETSS providers) allow the student teacher to shadow them throughout the school day.
What are the three types of guest? ›- Tourists. Tourists are from out of town and want to experience a new place to the fullest, but what do leisure and tourist travelers want in a hotel? ...
- Business Travelers. ...
- Event Travelers.
What is Guest example? ›
Example Sentences
Noun Our guests should be arriving soon. Only invited guests are allowed inside the banquet hall. He played at the country club as a guest of one of the members. Our guests receive the finest quality service.
Restaurant Service: GUEST
A quick system to ensure your guests have a great experience is based on a popular acronym in this business: GUEST — Greet, Understand, Educate, Satisfy and Thank.
- Stay calm. ...
- Shift your mindset. ...
- Acknowledge their distress. ...
- Introduce yourself. ...
- Learn about the person you are talking to. ...
- Listen. ...
- Repeat their concerns back to the customer. ...
- Sympathize, empathize and apologize.
Listening, understanding your customer's needs, thanking the customer and promoting a positive, helpful and friendly environment will ensure they leave with a great impression. A happy customer will return often and is likely to spend more.
What are the 3 components of guest experience? ›The key to finding opportunities to enhance the guest experience is to focus in on the things that guests secretly crave – the three C's: Communication, Convenience and Choice. Satisfy the guests needs for all three of these and you are on your way to greater differentiation and incremental revenues.
What is an example of guest service? ›Your duties in a guest services position may include greeting and assisting guests, accommodating requests, answering calls, issuing keys, processing payments, providing recommendations, and more.
What makes a good guest experience? ›To make a great customer experience, make a customer journey map, create buyer personas, establish a positive connection with customers, ask for and act on feedback, create helpful content, and build a community.
What are the responsibilities of a guest service assistant? ›They are responsible for assisting with all guest service-related activities and tasks, including working closely with housekeeping, food and beverage, security and booking and reservations, handling guest inquiries and complaints, and assisting with the coordination of guest itineraries.
How do you introduce yourself as a substitute teacher? ›Introduce yourself to the students.
Write your name on the board. When you greet students, introduce yourself and gesture to your name on the board so students know where to look if they forget. It can also be helpful to share a little bit about yourself to make a connection with the students.
Sample Answer: I am looking for a long-term position as a substitute teacher. I have been working as a substitute for the past three years and have enjoyed the experience. I am looking for a school that will give me the opportunity to work with students and teachers on a regular basis.
What are your strengths substitute teacher? ›
- Passion. Most substitute teachers are looking for more than just a paycheck. ...
- Sense of humor. ...
- Interpersonal skills. ...
- Adaptability. ...
- Stamina. ...
- Accountability. ...
- Confidence.
Common synonyms for substitute teacher include relief teacher or casual relief teacher (used in Australia and New Zealand) and "emergency teacher" (used in some parts of the United States). Other terms, such as "guest teacher", are also used by some schools or districts.
What is the job description of a long term substitute teacher? ›Job Summary
The long-term substitute is responsible for providing classroom coverage for a teacher who is absent for an extended period of time. The long-term substitute works the regular hours of the absent classroom teacher during his/her absence.
Short-term goal: A short-term objective might be providing daily opportunities for students to collaborate with one another, such as what to name a new classroom pet or making other group decisions. Another goal might be to set clear expectations for your preschool students.
What is the main responsibilities of the guest relations assistant? ›Welcoming guests in a friendly and professional way. Addressing and escalating customer complaints. Providing information about facilities, programs and other services.
What are the skills should a guest relation have? ›Since Guest Relation Officers spend a great deal of time interacting with guests, it is important that they have strong communication, interpersonal and listening skills. They should also be aggressive problem-solvers and have the ability to manage crises successfully.
What skills do you need to be a guest service agent? ›- Communication. ...
- Empathy. ...
- Friendliness. ...
- Local knowledge. ...
- Patience.
- Proven work experience as a Guest Relations Manager, Hotel Manager or similar role.
- Understanding of all hotel management best practices and relevant laws.
- Hands-on experience with Hotel Management software (PMS)
- Proficiency in English; knowledge of other languages is a plus.