By Roman Ashcraft
The quick ability for substitute teachers to adapt to new teaching styles is hard, but not for this one. Substitute teacher Mr. Michael Shaffer had to adapt to math and science in no time.
Before the school year started Mr. Shaffer had to come into class and teach students in Algebra 1 and Geometry for the first quarter since the math teacher, Mrs. Jillian Evans, had her baby and was on maternity leave.
Then right after subbing several weeks for Mrs. Evans, he had to sub for several more weeks for the biology teacher, Mrs. Haley Hissong, who had her baby and also went on maternity leave.
Mr. Shaffer grew up in Marion, Ind. He owned a computer business for a while but then decided he wanted to sell it.
Besides substitute teaching, in his free time Mr. Shaffer likes to read and loves playing chess. He practices chess every single day and plays whenever he gets the chance.
“If you play me in chess I am a very aggressive player,” Mr. Shaffer said. “I like to attack a lot.”.
Mr. Shaffer is not into traveling; he believes that instead of traveling far you can just travel in books.
Mr. Shaffer used to be a math professor at IVY Tech in Marion and taught for over 40 years. His title at IVY Tech was adjunct professor. Then once he retired a friend of his recommended subbing and after he subbed once, he loved it.
Mr. Shaffer has been subbing for five years now and he does not plan to stop.
Freshman Luke Atkinson said that he enjoys Mr. Shaffer’s class.
“He stands out because when I walk into class he is in a happy mood all the time,” Atkinson said.
Mr. Shaffer says it has not been that hard teaching two different classes in one semester.
He says that he does not like making someone repeat a class.
“The hardest thing about subbing is failing somebody because I know they can do it,” Mr. Shaffer says.
For the first quarter of the year when he was teaching math in Mrs. Evans’ class, he made his own daily lesson plans. But when he taught biology for Mrs. Hissong, he wasn’t as familiar with the material. Therefore, Mrs. Hissong made the lesson plans throughout her maternity leave. Mr. Shaffer then would have to execute her plans.
