In both temp work and substitute teaching these jobs don’t really come with much power or social recognition because it’s so short term. Many years ago I did temp work and I noticed that, yet I found it interesting in that it gave me a chance to move around and observe different work environments.

It sounds like you are expecting more status then you experience and that doesn’t really happen with temp jobs. It’s similar as being cast as an extra in a play or movie where you just fill a space an no one sees you as anything more than that. For example these two young guys who interact with each other that use undesirable language. These guys are not even acknowledging your presence. I can see how that can be triggering, yet that’s how people can be.

Temp work is mostly just a pay check and being just a filler, an extra that is not really considered part of. There is no true power of presence or identity. That’s what temp work is, a paycheck.