To help with the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saint Louis U. High has welcomed five new substitute teachers this fall to help with various tasks around the school. These subs come from a variety of backgrounds and will serve different purposes based on their skill sets. 
    
“These are people who are planning to do interesting things, have been to interesting places, and are coming to SLUH along their journey,” said Assistant Principal for Mission Jim Linhares. “They’re great people.” 
    
Because some teachers have been teaching remotely this fall, and for varying lengths of time, the administration saw a need for extra help, since there would need to be an adult in the room to facilitate the Zoom call and tend to other issues for the in-person students.

“When we looked at how much of a hardship that would be on the current teachers that we have to cover all of that in-house,(we realized) we had to do something,” said Linhares, 

The subs are a good resource both for those teaching remotely and to help lesson the burden on other teachers in the building who would have had to help in those classrooms otherwise.

The decision to hire substitute teachers was finalized when SLUH acquired funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided schools with funding to help them navigate pandemic-related issues like these. 

Following are profiles of each sub and how they are helping this school year. 

Tommy Hoffman, ’19

Tommy Hoffman is currently a student at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis (UMSL) where he is majoring in history and political science. He has returned to SLUH to help cover classes, including English teacher Bill George’s sophomore classes. 
    
Hoffman is primarily there to open Zoom rooms if the teachers are on Zoom and pass out worksheets. He is a second pair of hands for the teacher in the classroom. Wherever he is needed, he is filling in. 

Hoffman has gained a greater appreciation for all of the teachers because of how much work goes into one single lesson plan. 

“I feel like I’m learning so much from this experience,” said Hoffman.

While Hoffman has yet to discern his future occupational plans after college, he forecasts that his experience in the workplace of SLUH will factor into that decision. 

He decided to apply to a substitute teacher role at SLUH on a whim, not thinking he was going to get it because SLUH teachers are more qualified than him. Luckily, he applied at a time when SLUH was in need of help due to the pandemic, so he got the job. 

Linhares picked Hoffman based on Principal Ian Gibbons’ praise of him. Although Hoffman lacks teaching experience, the administration trusted his character and was willing to give him a chance. 

Hoffman looks forward to working with students and teachers throughout the year. 

David Linhares, ’08

The son of Jim Linhares, David Linhares was hired for his experience in teaching and deep roots at SLUH. He has been involved in teaching, most recently in California. Linhares had to return to St. Louis in the wake of the pandemic and is studying for his master’s degree in Education and Innovation at Webster University. 

“I found out that SLUH needed help with subs and I jumped at the chance,” said Linhares. 

He had previously looked into a job opportunity as a long-term sub for Spanish teacher Myriam Aliste, so he was thrilled that he was eventually able to work at SLUH. 

Linhares is fluent in Spanish, and Portuguese, and attributes his interest in world languages in part to his time at SLUH. 

“I really enjoyed learning Spanish at SLUH and was deeply impacted by my experience in Honduras for my Senior Project,” Linhares said. 

Linhares majored in Spanish at Truman State and studied abroad in Valparaiso, Chile between his junior and senior years of college. Linhares is putting his language skills to use by subbing in three sections of Spanish I while Spanish teacher Javier Moreno is on paternity leave. 

Overall, Linhares is overjoyed to be back on campus. 

“Despite all of the changes to the building, faculty, and technology, it feels like home,” said Linhares. 

Travis Meyer, ’10

Travis Meyer has been the head coach of  JV volleyball coach for six years. He describes himself as a “pillar” in the virtual learning process, as his main duties are to be present in classrooms with virtual teachers. 

“(I’m) helping fight the spread of Covid one Zoom link click or disinfectant spray at a time!” said Meyer. 

Meyer recently graduated from Saint Louis University with his master’s degree in social work; he graduated from SLUH in 2010. He was hired, like David Linhares, for his ties to SLUH and his training in education. 

“Being a substitute teacher allows me to help out a school that has given so much to me,” said Meyer. 

Meyer’s passion is to help struggling students through a career as a social worker. While he hopes to eventually work with a nonprofit in Saint Louis, Meyer is optimistic about the experience he will gain in this position at SLUH. 

Ron Ramspott

Students most likely know Ron Ramspott as the guy who checks your temperature when you enter school in the morning. In addition to his post at check-in, Ramspott is also the head coach of varsity baseball and is helping online teachers as an in-person sub. 

Ramspott is a recently-retired public school educator, and is no stranger to the SLUH community. 

“SLUH was so generous to my son Marcus (’14) and having recently retired from public education I had some time to give,” said Ramspott. 

Like the other subs, Ramspott is excited to be able to help the SLUH community in this critical time of the pandemic. 

“My biggest hope is just to be another caring and friendly staff person who helps support the mission of SLUH - AMDG!” said Ramspott. 

Spencer Chipley, ’15

Spencer Chipley was hired as a sub this year for his ties to SLUH as an alum and his college experience. Chipley is currently studying for his Secondary Ed degree in Chemistry at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. 

Chipley has also returned to SLUH to serve the community that was so formative for him when he was here in 2015. He will be helping primarily in classrooms with remote teachers. In the past weeks, he has worked in French teacher Kevan Morshed’s classroom.

Together, these subs are playing an important role in the functioning of SLUH during this unprecedented school year.