canyonwalker | (Reply)

From:

Delayed response here. As I reread your comment today it reminded me why I consider making sub plans a waste of time and don't do it anymore. I mean, subs aren't a thing in my line of work like they are in teaching. But one time-- and this was, like, fifteen years ago now-- my boss asked me to make sure I had a colleague trained to handle an important duty of mine while I was out for a week.

I carefully selected from among my colleagues a person who I believed had the skill and temperament-- plus the willingness-- to do the task. Then I spent an hour-plus preparing materials and training that person. Then I confidently left on vacation... only to find when I got back that my sub totally rubber-stamped everything while I was out. All the effort, all the care I put into setting up someone to cover for me-- it had zero value. I might as well have let my empty chair do the job. Since then I've refused to waste time on elaborate sub plans.