Although students might only know substitute teachers as people who take attendance, tell them the assignment is on Canvas, and try to keep the class from getting too loud, outside of school, many M-A substitutes have lives that look nothing like their classroom role.
Frankie Enzler, who is currently substituting for English and journalism teacher John McBlair, spends their time learning languages and biking around Menlo Park. Fluent in English, they’re now learning Japanese and Spanish. Enzler has been subbing for about 4 years, and has worked at Madera Unified School District, Kelly Services in Burlingame, and preschools.
Coming from a family of educators, Enzler is working on completing their teaching credential this year. “My mom was a teacher, all of my aunts are teachers, my grandfather was a teacher.”
“One nice thing about subbing is that it does give you a lot of flexibility. If you’re in between jobs or exploring a different career, substituting can be a great way to make some income while you’re doing that,” Enzler added.
Enzler plans to continue the pathway to becoming a high school English teacher after getting their teaching credential at San Jose State University.
Jose Medina is currently subbing economics and speech and debate classes. He has been working as a sub at M-A for four months. Medina spends his afternoons running, kickboxing, and studying languages. Though he was born and raised in San Jose, after family members brought up the idea of visiting Germany, Medina became thoroughly interested in German culture.
“Honestly, I just kind of got fascinated when my uncle said it would be cool to go to Germany,” Medina said. That curiosity evolved into yearly visits to Germany, taking a German language class, and a passion for travel, leading Medina to spend a year teaching in Spain.
Besides traveling and training, Medina also enjoys relaxing at home, walking his dog, and watching shows on Hulu.
Erika Shepard’s substitute teacher, Renuka Nandyala, focuses most of her life on family, health, and perfecting a tasty biryani recipe passed down from her sister-in-law. Since moving from Virginia last summer, Nandyala has balanced substitute teaching with caring for her family and raising two daughters who attend M-A. Once the school day ends, much of her time is spent cooking home-cooked meals.
“I focus on taking care of myself,” Nandyala said. Nandyala also enjoys going to the gym and hiking with family. Her most recent trips include Mission Peak, Stanford trails, and Point Lobos.
