Tips to Prepare for a Substitute Teacher

We’ve all been there. Our kid wakes up at three in the morning with a fever and we're up all night. The writing is on the wall—a substitute teacher must be called. However, the question remains: is the class prepared for the sudden change in plans? This is a reality that all teachers deal with at some point, and you can count on the fact that when life’s little emergencies arrive, things go much better if your classroom and students are prepared. Likewise, there are life events that require a planned, long-term absence and preparing curriculum and the classroom prior to taking this leave is crucial for the success of both your students and the substitute. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for substitute teachers. Also, please share your tips with the Lesson Planet Community.

Preparing for Short-Term Absences

Planning for short term leaves ahead of time can help everyone—teacher, substitute, and students—understand what is expected in the inevitable circumstance of a last-minute absence. For many kids, change in routine can disrupt their focus for an entire day, which affects their behavior and learning; not to mention the fact that an unstable child places the substitute teacher in a stressful position. Try establishing these three parameters in your classroom. If you do, you will likely find that should the unexpected occur, there will be less stress for all parties involved:

• Classroom Routines: The beginning of the school year is already chock-full of learning new classroom procedures, rules, and routines. In the midst of all this settling in, it’s important that pupils learn their individual, and independent, jobs when entering, exiting, and transitioning from the classroom. Clearly communicate from the first day that these are unchanging routines, which will take place every day, regardless of instructor.

• Substitute Binder (or Folder): Providing a binder or folder of information for the substitute helps alleviate the stress and transition into your unique classroom environment. Be sure that the folder is easy to locate, and that several colleagues are aware of its location. Substitute binders should include all information relating to a typical school day at any point in the school year. Here are some items to include: 

• School schedule
• Campus map
• Class rosters
• Classroom map
• An outline of a typical day
• Colleague contact information
• Emergency drill information
• Discipline referral forms
• Substitute report form (so you will know what happened while you were gone)

• Emergency Lesson Plans: Emergencies are part of life. Generally, we don't know when they are going to occur. Prior to the start of school, plan out one-three days of emergency teaching material. When making these plans, assume that the substitute is not abreast of your class's curriculum, and you won't be able to fill him/her in. Offer generic plans, which would be beneficial whenever they are taught. Provide complete lesson plans, resource directories, and lesson materials (with page numbers). If copies are needed, make enough for the whole class and keep them in a folder. Or, flag appropriate pages with sticky notes detailing how many copies etc. Peruse Lesson Planet resources and find a few that would work for your class in case of an unplanned absence. Here are three that would work for my class on any given day:  

• Reading Poetry in the Middle Grades
• Forming an Opinion with Organizational Elements
• The Final Analysis: Cause and Effect, Fact and Opinion

Preparing for a Long-Term Absence

A longer leave will require a bit more planning. In this case, the substitute will not only need to be sure that the days are spent wisely, he/she will need to teach standards and benchmarks. The Substitute Binder will still provide this sub with vital information, but obviously, both the substitute and your students will need advance instruction and preparation from you. With an extended leave, your preparation is key for providing a positive experience for everyone. One way to accomplish this is to plan a transition day. A transition day is when both the incoming substitute and the classroom teacher spend a day together teaching the class. The substitute can observe procedures and routines, and everyone can become acquainted with one another. If time allows, also spend a day where the substitute teaches, and you are simply available for questions and/or support. Remember, when you are taking an extended leave, it is courteous to remove personal items (your favorite coffee mug, your kids’ photos, etc.), as well as making sure that necessary items can be easily found by your replacement (e.g., pens, sticky notes, paper clips, staples). Believe it or not, something as simple as removing your personal items will subtly convey the message that transition is coming.

Additional Resources:

Sub Folder, Substitute Teacher Information, Relief Teacher Feedback Form, Sub Report

Discussion Question:

What works for you as you prepare for a sub?