This past December, more than 20 Rutgers Graduate School of Education (GSE) staff and faculty members gathered at the New Brunswick campus and walked to Elijah’s Promise, a community soup kitchen, to volunteer. They cooked, shredded turkey, prepared chili and worked side by side for hours. By the end of the day, the GSE team prepared more than 12,000 servings for their community.

A substitute teacher’s role shifts, with a need to adapt to new classes, new school buildings and new districts. It’s a profession where every day brings something different, which comes with its benefits and challenges. The work is never boring, however, learning new names every day has the potential to overwhelm those new to the position.

To help stomp out potential stress, we’ve outlined common challenges for substitute teachers and the best ways to navigate them.
A new classroom setting every day

Smartphones have gone from a privilege to a necessity for youth. On average, children receive their first phone at 11, with almost all children having one by 15. Meanwhile, children eight and younger spend an average of two-and-a-half hours with screen media daily, with many (40%) two year olds having a tablet of their own.

Five years have passed since the New Jersey Students Learning Standards adopted these climate change requirements, and data show that this education is necessary for all students. A 2025 report from Aspen Institute and EdWeek Research Center found that only 12% of teens feel they know “a lot” about the causes of climate change, and 10% feel they know “a lot” about climate change solutions.

Yet, nearly all teens are worried.

The AI battle in schools has been well documented. The New York Times referred to AI as “a new headache for honest students” and 68% of middle and high school teachers report using AI detection tools. Additionally, student discipline for AI use has increased. During the 2022-2023 school year, 48% of teachers confronted a student about their AI use, and the following school year saw a 15-point increase.

What if a battle isn’t necessary?

It’s no secret that women have dominated the teaching force for decades, even centuries. And with women outpacing men in bachelor’s degrees, the gender gap in teaching only widens. How did teaching become so feminized in the first place and what can be done to close the gender gap and enhance student learning?

Rutgers Alternate Route exists to open doors to anyone who wants to transition into teaching. Many candidates are military veterans who completed the program and are excelling as New Jersey educators. Some, like Rutgers Alternate Route teacher Samantha Morrone, discovered their passion for teaching during service.

While each candidate’s experience is different, they encounter some parallels—especially for those transitioning from the military to a classroom. Rutgers Alternate Route teachers Olivia McDonald, Ashley Carter and Robert Parker went through the program and are now getting hands-on experience in the classroom. They offered some advice to other current or former service members looking to become teachers.

Hispanic heritage is foundational to our country. For instance, Spanish was the first European language widely spoken in the country—decades before English became widespread.

For more than 50 years, Americans have acknowledged this foundation through National Hispanic Heritage Month, a 30-day celebration of contributions made by achievers of Caribbean, Central American, Mexican, South American, and Spanish heritage.

We all have identities that affect how we interact with the world. A classroom is no different, with every student using their unique backgrounds and experiences to connect with the material. By understanding intersectionality and how individuals experience the world through their identities, teachers are better tuned into how to reach their students.

Thanksgiving is one of many historical observances that benefit from culturally responsive teaching. Many people were taught that the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, were taken in by a Native American tribe and celebrated a large feast to represent unity.

What we were taught, however, perpetuates many myths and leaves out important—and devastating—facts.

In this blog, we will address the historical inaccuracies shared during this time of year, as well as provide resources to teach Thanksgiving in a culturally responsive way.