Consistency is Key in Substitute Training

Consistency is key, or so the saying goes, but what is at the heart of this quip? Is consistency really the key, and if so, how does consistency contribute to substitute training?

Research shows, in multiple disciplines and industries, consistency is, in fact, the key to success. Whether the goal is personal or professional growth, consistency plays an important role in goal achievement and mastering success. How, then, does consistency impact substitute training? By building trust, offering quality control of training materials and information, increasing compliance, decreasing liability, and generating a return on investment through increased productivity.

Consistency builds trust.

(Dunn, 2000)

Consistency in parenting has a statistically significant positive impact on the cognitive growth of children. (Landry, et. al., 2001). Consistency in classroom management is more likely to foster respect and a positive learning environment. (Moles, 1990) It should, therefore, be no surprise that consistency in substitute training has a direct and positive impact on students and the school district. Consistent training allows the substitutes to trust the school administration, and vice versa. A trusting relationship means substitutes are more confident and comfortable in the classroom, school administrators have a more positive perception of the substitute teacher’s role in the educational system, and both err on the side of professionalism in their respective capacities.

Consistency offers quality control.

Although in-person training may have some advantages, it is also subject to human error, particularly when multiple or entirely different trainers are responsible for educating the substitute teachers. In this way, Virtual Sub Training is superior as it provides the same direction and content to all substitute teachers. By having a repository of virtual training modules, quality control is inherent in the training program. The likelihood of overlooking or omitting an important point of training is drastically reduced. This leaves the school district with peace of mind that all substitute teachers receive the exact same training and enter the classroom on the same level.

 

Consistency means increased compliance and decreased liability.

Convenient, uniform training ensures all substitute teachers are familiar with and understand school policies, procedures, and regulations, leaving little room for confusion or doubt while in the classroom. Plus, Virtual Sub Training provides school districts with pertinent information on which substitutes have completed training and how well they fared. Well-trained and knowledgeable substitute teachers decrease liability for school districts. Ultimately, consistent training saves the school district money by ensuring compliance, increasing safety and awareness among substitute teachers, and decreasing liability.

 

Consistency increases productivity.

Equipping substitute teachers with the requisite training needed for classroom instruction, school districts can increase the substitute teacher’s productivity. Well-trained substitutes are able to begin teaching almost immediately and as a result, the productivity of the classroom increases. This amounts to a return on investment for school district’s which have invested in the training of its substitutes.

 

How can you ensure your substitute teachers are receiving consistent training? With App-Garden’s Virtual Sub Training. App-Garden works with you, side-by-side, to build a customized training plan with consistent content, immediately available for your substitute teachers via a dedicated portal. Substitutes can access the portal any time, anywhere, and complete the necessary training on their time. Each substitute receives the exact same training, keeping your district compliant and protecting your students. In return, you have transparent knowledge of who has completed training and how well they scored in the course of the modules. The best part? There is no waiting to schedule an in-person training class. You can start now, with a quick demo of App-Garden’s Virtual Sub Training.

 

 

 

Sources:

Dunn, Paul. (2000). The Importance of Consistency in Establishing Cognitive-Based Trust: A Laboratory Experiment.

Landry, S.H., et. al. (2001) Does early responsive parenting have a special importance for children’s development or is consistency across early childhood necessary? Developmental Psychology, 37(3), 387-403.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.37.3.387

Moles, Oliver. (1990). Student Discipline Strategies: Research and Practice, SUNY Press.