I started subbing last winter when my kids school said they would have to go remote due to lack of staffing. I sub in the middle school because apparently MS is the hardest age group for procuring subs. I had 1st block 7th grade “English” from January until the end of school and various other spots to fill the day from January until the end of March as I own a landscape construction company. I stayed on for the first block until the end of the year as I wanted to make sure the kids had some sort of normalcy for that class.

Your last paragraph hit my experience. There is a complete lack of accountability and zero recourse for bad behavior. Personally, I think that punishment should be reintroduced to the education system. The school I subbed at (and currently sub at) does not believe in before/after school detentions or any other real punishment towards the kids.

I am fortunate when it comes to subbing. I have coached or coach a wide variety of the kids 3rd grade through 9th grade and they kids are kind and respectful to me. I have deescalated situations across the board in middle school for actual teachers and I still find it pretty fucked up with what they deal with on the regular. I figure some of the respect they give me is because of the many hours I spend/have spent with them after school. I wonder if some of it is because they know I have their parents phone number in my pocket.