Sure, we all vented about subbing problems and felt immediate relief when the final bell rang each day.

But when the sub system called Warner a week after her last class, she had to force herself not to answer the phone and accept the job.

" 'You're not a real sub,' I told myself. But after three days, I felt like I was," Warner said. "I was just starting to understand the students. I knew how to teach integers. And I felt like I really connected with some of the students. It's not a bad job, it's just hard. But that's what makes it so rewarding."

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com; terickson@desnews.com; sspeckman@desnews.com; lwarner@desnews.com