The Heart That Never Takes a Day Off

Honoring Wylie ISD’s Substitute Educators on Substitute Educators Day

A Quiet Courage Each Morning

On any given morning across Wylie ISD, long before the first bell rings, a quiet kind of courage steps into our classrooms.

They wander in from the morning chill with coffee in hand and tote bags that always seem prepared for anything — books, snacks, and surprises — welcomed by students who shout their names before the door can swing shut.

These are our substitute educators — a 200-member force who show up with love, patience, and an unwavering belief in the kids in front of them. About half of them are regularly serving, filling classrooms from Pre-K to high school, ensuring learning never pauses even when a teacher must be away.

But walk through the halls of Wylie ISD on the right morning, and you’ll quickly learn that substitutes aren’t just stepping in — they’re stepping up. They are storytellers, mentors, disciplinarians, comfort-givers, and sometimes, grandparent figures. They are continuity in the middle of change. They are the steady heartbeat behind the scenes.

And today, on Substitute Educators Day, their stories deserve to be told.

“They love me. And I love them.”

Carolyn Johnston – Early Childhood

If you’ve ever walked through Wylie Early Childhood Center and heard children squeal “Grandma!” — they weren’t confused. They were probably talking to Carolyn Johnston.

“I'm not around my grandkids. They’re in California and Tennessee,” she says with a smile. “So these kids are my grandkids.”

A substitute since 1973 — yes, 1973 — Carolyn has served generations of students. She loves Early Childhood because it’s where the foundations of learning begin: sharing, kindness, behavior, belonging.

“A lot of little ones don’t know how to share yet. So I teach them,” she says. “Act the way you’re supposed to act. Don’t join the crowd just because someone else is shouting.”

Her approach is simple and profound. She doesn’t see her work as filling in. She sees it as shaping lives.

“It’s rewarding,” she says. “They don’t run over me. Grandma gets hard when she needs to. But they know I love them.”

“I get to help them think.”

Daniel Brewer – Wylie High School

In a high-school classroom full of budding entrepreneurs, Daniel Brewer is in his element. His students hand him homemade business cards; he counters with lessons on critical thinking and what it means to fail well.

“It’s okay to be wrong,” he tells them. “It’s not okay to not learn from it.”

Daniel didn’t come to subbing through retirement — he’s just 30. He came because his kids are in Wylie ISD, because he enjoys teaching, and because he sees the spark in students who want to build something.

“Some of these kids have real businesses. I get invested. I want to see them succeed.”

He loves the variety — the fast switch between class periods, the different energies, the days when eighth period is on fire with questions. He also knows people have outdated ideas about what a substitute looks like.

“Subs come from all walks of life,” he says. “And what we do is real teaching.”

“This fills my bucket.”

Meredith Lee – West Elementary

For Meredith Lee, who spent years teaching on a Marine Corps base before her family moved to Texas, substitute teaching has become more than a job — it’s her anchor.

“My husband retired from the Marine Corps, and our kids are grown. I found my home here,” she says. “When the kids run up yelling ‘Miss Lee! Miss Lee! Are you PE today?’ That fills my heart.”

Meredith teaches with warmth, humor, and a distinct East-Coast-meets-Texas twang that her students lovingly tease her about — especially when she says “orange.”

But beneath the fun lies something deeper.

“I’ve learned I have so much love to give,” she says. “When a kid is having a hard day, and they come to me for a hug — that’s everything.”

Meredith also feels a special connection with Wylie’s military-connected families. Having raised her own children during deployments and long separations, she understands the emotions some students carry.

She recalled a moment during the Thanksgiving feast when a student quietly said a parent wouldn’t be able to attend — a scene she remembered from her own children’s younger years.

“My kids were that,” she said. “So when a child shares something like that, I get it.”

She wants families to know the truth behind subbing: “We’re here because we want to be. It takes courage to step into a room full of kids you don’t know yet. But we give our best, every single time.”

“I want every child to know they are loved.”

Carrie May – East Elementary

After decades in pharmacy, Carrie May wanted a job that matched her nephews’ school hours. She also worried she’d be too nervous to walk into an elementary school classroom.

But four years later, she has become a beloved part of East Elementary’s support system.

“I just make sure the kids know they’re loved and important — that no one gets left behind,” she says softly.

Carrie often subs as an aide in small-group instruction, where she finds her rhythm and her calling. She sees students grow from unsure little learners to confident young people who run to hug her even outside of school.

“There’s a lot of trust involved,” she says. “Parents are putting their little people in our care. I don’t take that lightly.”

“They Run to Hug Me”

Lin Grothe – Early Childhood

When Lin Grothe retired after 30 years working for an eye doctor, she didn’t expect substitute teaching to be her next chapter. But a friend encouraged her to try — and she never looked back.

“I just loved it,” Lin says. “These kids are so impressionable. They love to hug you.”

She substitutes across grade levels but prefers the younger grades — in part because they don’t mind practically tackling her in public. “One student saw me at Braum’s and ran right over me,” she laughs.

Lin often takes long-term assignments, stepping into months-long positions where she learns curriculum, studies material at home, and becomes part of the classroom’s daily heartbeat.

“You’re always learning,” she says. “And you really do have to care about kids to do this.”

“Retired, But Not Done Caring”

Lisa Peterson – Early Childhood

A veteran teacher who retired — Lisa Peterson now subs a few days a week and uses her “sub money” to travel.

“I retired so I could travel,” she laughs. “But I love coming back. It keeps me connected.”

Lisa brings decades of experience in special education, diagnostics, and general education. That means she’s calm in chaos, quick with solutions, and unafraid to call for help when a situation needs more support.

“I know how to keep kids safe. I know how to teach. And no — we are NOT babysitters,” she says firmly. “We follow the lessons. We teach what the teacher left. We keep the classroom moving.”

And the kids? They adore her.

“If you’ve been in the building five times, they know you,” she says. “They wave at me down the hallway. You feel like family.”

“I missed the real world — and the kids.”

Mrs. Sparks – West Junior High

After 34 years in Abilene ISD, Mrs. Sparks initially enjoyed retirement. Then she realized something — she missed people.

“It was time to get up and socialize again,” she says. “And I truly enjoy the connection with kids and staff.”

She loves Junior High — the jokes, the honesty, and the surprising maturity students show.

And she loves showing them possibilities beyond the classroom. When two boys talked excitedly about welding careers, she pulled out photos of the high school’s award-winning welding trailer.

“I told them, ‘You can do this. You work hard, and this is waiting for you.’”

Her message to the community?

“We’re capable. Many of us are certified. We don’t just put on movies. We teach.”

“I’m here to serve.”

Mrs. Varnell – Wylie High School

A mother of nine, Mrs. Varnell came to subbing for a simple reason: she finally had time.

“Once my youngest was in school, I wanted to get out of the house,” she says. “I’d been a stay-at-home mom for over 20 years.”

She has subbed across every level — elementary, intermediate, junior high, and high school — but the last year has brought her home to Wylie High School, where she loves the connections she forms with teenagers.

Her ties to Wylie run deep.
Even though most of her children are grown, she still has a senior, a sophomore, and an eighth grader in the district, all proud Bulldogs. “It fits really well with our family,” she says. “When they’re at school, I’m at school. When they’re home, I’m home.”

She makes it a point to greet every student as they enter the room.

“You can tell so much just when a student walks in the classroom,” she says. “I want to be someone who notices.”

During a long-term assignment last year, she learned every name, every nickname, and got to know each student personally. That, she says, is what matters.

“I’m not here just to earn income,” she says. “I’m here to serve.”

“It lets me stay on the same schedule as my kids — and still do what I love.”

Chelsea Farr – Early Childhood

A longtime teacher going back to school to become an educational diagnostician, Chelsea Farr needed flexibility — and she found it in subbing.

“I can still be part of the school I love, but with time to study,” she says.

She uses the Red Rover app to schedule subbing jobs in advance (a planner’s dream), and she prefers elementary grades where her passion for children’s literature shines.

“I’m a book person,” she smiles. “I love reading aloud, bringing stories to life, getting kids excited about reading.”

Chelsea wishes the community knew how essential substitutes truly are.

“Schools can’t run without subs. When I was a full-time teacher, I was so grateful every time someone could step in for me,” she says. “We’re part of the team.”

“Still Teaching in His Own Way”

Mr. Anderson – East Elementary

If you ever wonder how East Elementary seems to run so smoothly on days when a teacher is out, there’s a good chance Mr. Anderson is somewhere on campus — unless, of course, the weather is really nice.

A retired band director with 37 years of teaching under his belt, Mr. Anderson didn’t start subbing because he missed the classroom. He started because a friend asked, and as he jokes, “I wasn’t golfing back then.” Now, he just works his sub jobs around his golf game — a balance he’s perfected.

These days he sticks close to home at East Elementary.

“It’s easiest for me,” he says. “Five minutes from my house.”

And teachers love having him. “A lot of them ask for me,” he admits, in the understated way of someone who has been doing this long enough to be very good at it.

He brings a lifetime of classroom instincts: the calm presence, the quick redirects, the sense of humor that comes from decades of “when the cat’s away, the mice will play” moments. He’s taught thousands of students, survived countless antics, and still manages to show up ready to help wherever he’s needed.

His roots in Wylie run deep. His own children graduated as Bulldogs, and he still enjoys being part of the community that shaped them.

And while he’s retired now — happily, firmly retired — he’s still teaching in his own season of life.

Just don’t expect to see him on a beautiful sunny day.
On those, he’s “fully booked.”
For golf.

A Community Within the Community

Across interviews, one theme rises stronger than any other: Wylie substitutes feel at home here.

They talk about how students run up to them at football games, how families recognize them at H-E-B, how coworkers greet them with warmth, how principals support them at every turn.

They talk about flexibility — the ability to travel, study, raise children, or enjoy retirement while still contributing to their community.

They talk about being trusted with children, the most precious part of any family.

And they talk about joy — the joy of being called by name, of unexpected hugs, of watching a student grasp a new concept, of feeling loved and valued by both staff and students.

Substitutes step into classrooms with plans they didn’t write, students they may not know, and expectations they’re determined to meet. They bring continuity, structure, compassion, and heart.

Most importantly, they bring themselves — fully, generously, and with purpose.

Why It’s Great to Be a Wylie Bulldog

Because in this community, learning doesn’t stop just because someone is out.
Because every child deserves to feel known and cared for — every day.
Because people like Mrs. Johnston, Mr. Brewer, Mrs. Lee, Mrs. May, Mrs. Grothe, Mrs. Peterson, Mrs. Sparks, Mrs. Farr, Mrs. Varnell, and Mr. Anderson show up with love in their pockets and dedication in their hands.

Because here, substitutes aren’t substitutes.
They’re part of the Wylie story — steady, essential, and deeply appreciated.

Today, and every day, we are grateful for them.

Happy Substitute Educators Day to the incredible humans who keep our classrooms learning and our students loved.