Substitutes play a role in both the lives of the students and teachers. Some substitutes have different ways of boosting morale in the classroom.

Take Marc Charrise, for example, who integrates his love for magic into working with students by bringing in different magic tricks and teaching them to students. We may know him as “Mr. Charrise,” but outside of school, he is the “Professor of Prestidigitation”. Charrise grew up in Las Vegas, so magic has played a major role in who he is all his life. He found being able to share his passion with a younger crowd especially rewarding. He said, “I used to worry that the magic wouldn’t have any fondness towards the students, but they turned out to like it!”

Long-time substitute Julia Walters is no stranger to the job. She started as a preschool teacher, later substituting; first as an aide, then as a teacher. Walters’ children are Dover alums and she said, “I thought my kids were happy in high school, but now they’ll tell me how tough it was.” Walters can tell when someone is having a bad day, and for Walters, bringing candy for her students is how she lightens their day.

In the absence of responsibilities that a full-time teacher would have, substitute teachers are just as important for the happiness, they bring into the classroom, as well as the magical lessons and sweet favors.