substitute teacher

American  

[suhb-sti-toot teech-er] / ˈsʌb stɪˌtut ˈtitʃ ər /

noun

plural

substitute teachers

1. a person who temporarily teaches a class when the person who usually fills this role is unavailable.

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Example Sentences

Camarillo, a substitute teacher, is also scared for her students.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

Kimberly Ann Polk was previously a substitute teacher in Montgomery County, Md., until the district enforced its policy to require addressing students with the pronouns of their asserted gender identities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

“In recent years, affected by multiple factors such as an economic downturn, Mianchi County has encountered unprecedented difficulties,” the county government wrote in response to one message from a substitute teacher in September.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Najimy, who plays Peggy Hill as a kind but frequently overconfident retired substitute teacher, remembers very clearly her audition for “King of the Hill” 27 years ago.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2025

She’s in and out handling principal stuff: a parent protesting her daughter’s F; a pranked substitute teacher crying; a broken window.

From "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander