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Alyssa Gilmore was born to be a teacher. Well, maybe she wasn’t born to be a teacher,  but it didn’t take her long to realize that’s what she wanted to do with her life.

“My bedroom was set up as a classroom starting in kindergarten,” she said. “One side was a whiteboard, and one side was a chalkboard and my grandma gave me this old student desk. I had chalkboard paint on my wall, and I’d use that as a chalkboard. Teachers would give their extra worksheets, and I’d go home and play with them. I’ve always loved it.”

Gilmore got her first chance to be in a real classroom last spring when she began substitute teaching in the �������ϲ�. It’s been the perfect fit for Gilmore.

Follow Your Passion

She’s an education major at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her mom is a teacher at Ashworth Elementary and her sister is a teacher at Duff Elementary, which is where Gilmore has done most of her subbing.

“I thought being a substitute would be a great experience in the classroom,” said Gilmore, who graduated from Martin High School. “It would allow me to see what teachers do, what life is like and also give me really good experience with all different grade levels to figure out where I feel comfortable. I thought it would really be a great idea.”

Gilmore, whose goal is to be a teacher in the �������ϲ�, has gotten everything she wanted out the experience.

“Going into it, I was a little bit, not necessarily hesitant but I was worried,” she said. “Do I have the abilities? Am I going to get nervous? I think I’ve gained a lot of confidence from getting to substitute inside the classroom because it’s really allowed me to see what life is going to be like when I become a teacher.”

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She will make the transition to student teaching this spring and graduate from UTA in May. She said she’s going to be better prepared for her teaching career because of what she’s learned subbing in the �������ϲ�.

“I haven’t experienced subbing anywhere else,” she said. “I felt most comfortable in Arlington and that’s where I wanted to start because my experience here growing up and when it comes to teaching I would love to teach in �������ϲ�.”

Does Gilmore’s path sound like one you want to take? The �������ϲ� is looking for substitute teachers. You can find out more information about �������ϲ� jobs here. You can also apply to sub and find out why it pays to sub in the �������ϲ�.