Since the beginning of modern education, substitutes have become somewhat of a cliché. You’re in the hall, hear your class making tons of noise, and walk in to find a substitute playing Sudoku. However, there is a side to one substitute that most students aren’t willing to become aware of.

Lymn Love is a Georgia native, born and raised in Dublin. There, he went to Oconee High School and then on to Fort Valley State College where he majored in social studies. After he graduated from college, he started teaching at Abbeville Elementary in 1976. This would mark the first of 32 teaching years teaching in Wilcox County, Dublin, Macon and in Atlanta Public Schools. Within APS he taught at Harper, Northside, Washington, Crim and Carver high schools.

Throughout his career, he took on the good and the challenging associated with his chosen profession. His teaching career came to an earlier-than-anticipated end because of a heartbreaking statement made from one of his bold students.

“In 2006, I was trying to teach a class when a female student stood up and told me ‘Ain’t nobody listening to you, you old b*stard.’” This prompted Love to end his teaching career and start his retirement. But the new idle path wasn’t altogether to his liking.

“I retired to sit at home and watch TV. This got boring real quickly,” he said.

Subsequently, Love set out to begin another career: substitute teaching. “I love teaching. It’s like athletes who retire and still keep on playing. It’s just in me to do this.” Since this decision occurred in 2007, Love has substituted at North Atlanta, South Atlanta, Maynard Jackson, Therell and Washington high schools.

However, Love constantly reminisces about the hard points in his teaching life. “Some kids just think there’s more freedom when there’s a sub, and think they can do whatever they want to do. Sometimes it’s stressful and sometimes it’s not,” he said.

Of course, there are pros and cons to substitute teaching. Health and retirement benefits are among the few that come along with this daunting task. Love has his share of cons as well. “When class starts, students say ‘we already did this assignment’ or ‘the teacher is not going to grade it.’ When there’s nothing there for the kids to do, things can get pretty challenging,” Love said. “I’ve been cursed out so many times, but sometimes I just have to go with it.”

Love plans to officially retire as a substitute at the end of the 2015-2016 school year. He plans to spend time with his family, which consists of a wife, two children and one grandchild. “Spending time with my family is the number one thing I like to do,” he said. “Other than that, my favorite hobbies include fishing in Fayette County and gardening vegetables in my backyard.”

At first, Love can be perceived as somewhat of a harsh and disciplined man. But behind this tall and stern personality is a gentle man who has many years’ worth of many academic and extracurricular experiences.