Any teacher can attest to the fact that sometimes taking time off – whether planned or not – can be more difficult than simply postponing that important appointment until Spring Break or coming in for the day while suffering through that cold or sinus infection. But even the most dedicated of teachers will have to take a day off now and then. That means that more often than not, a complete stranger will enter your classroom and attempt to teach your students for a day, perhaps more.
Having been both the teacher who had to turn over her classroom as well as the substitute who enters sight unseen for the first time, I have realized that a few simple steps and some advanced planning on the teacher’s end will not only assist the substitute who has your classes for the day, it will also insure that you are not returning to find that bedlam reigned in your absence.
1. Create a substitute teacher binder and/or resource file.
Some schools require that teachers keep an “emergency” substitute teacher folder on file in their classroom. This binder should include emergency lesson plans, extra activities, behavior logs, and discipline resources (such as the classroom rules, school-wide disciplinary code, detention forms, etc.). Whether this is compulsory in your school or not, taking the time to compile this resource will guarantee that if you have to call out unexpectedly and can not get a lesson plan to the school, the guest teacher will have something to do with your class besides playing referee.
It will also give the substitute clarification as to what is expected and allowed concerning the classroom and school code of conduct. Not that those little darlings would try to trick the substitute or any such thing.
(Excuse me…why are you laughing?)
Some substitutes are flexible self-starters and can come up with ideas and plans on their own by skimming through the instructional manuals and talking with other teachers. But you can not assume that this will happen. It is best to presume that the sub for that day will need detailed and structured plans. Have a back-up on – or in – your desk at all times.
While having a plan and detailing it so that anyone can execute it is paramount, allowing for flexibility is also important, which brings us to the next tip:
2. When composing lesson plans, communicate what you want done as clearly and precisely as possible, but also allow for flexibility.
There are as many personality types and teaching styles out there as there are students and learning strategies. Most substitute teachers will do their best to follow your lesson plans to the letter, but the atmosphere in your classroom will not be the same with a guest teacher as it is when you are present. Sometimes – nay, oftentimes – the plans will not be completed. Realizing this ahead of time is half the battle.
When writing out the day’s plans, be very specific concerning what must be done and how much time it should take. If you have left an activity or assignment that is optional, document that. Always leave more than enough to do, but identify what is non-compulsory.
Imagine walking into a classroom for the first time and finding a five-page lesson plan for a first grade class. Your immediate thought will likely be, “I have to get them to finish all of this?!” Unclear instructions breed unmet expectations. This is a setup not only for frustration in the classroom for your guest teacher, but also for the students (ever been in the classroom with a stressed-out teacher?) and for you upon your return.
On the flip side, not leaving enough to do can be just as daunting for the substitute. Not every guest teacher is able to come up with supplemental activities with but a moment’s notice. Your students will sense in a flash that their teacher-for-the-day has no idea what to do with them. A good rule of thumb is to plan exactly what you want completed, then add several more optional activities just in case.
I can not stress it enough – be specific. But in the process, be open to the possibility that the guest teacher might incorporate their own creative ideas and teaching strategies. Leave plenty to do, but also leave room for some leeway because of that unexpected fire drill or that assembly that took up the entire math period that day.
3. Remember, the substitute teacher may never have stepped foot in your classroom before.
I can not tell you how many times I have walked into a classroom and not only did I have no idea if there was assigned seating or not, there was not an attendance sheet in sight nor a class schedule.
This is especially difficult when a teacher has more than one class, such as elective classes (PE, music, etc.), not to mention upper grades where teachers are “subject” teachers rather than “grade specific” teachers (generally middle through high school). The substitute teacher could see upwards of 100 to 150 different students in one day.
This is where that resource binder or folder comes in handy. Print out attendance sheets for each and every class, as well as any seating charts and schedule of classes (with starting and ending times), and keep them with the emergency plans just in case you did not have the opportunity to attach them to the plans you left for the day. If seating is not assigned, make a note of that in the binder or in your lesson plan as to alleviate any confusion and/or combat the “our teacher let’s us…” comments that will come in your absence (because even though your students are super-sweet, they will push the envelope when a sub is in the classroom).
4. Make certain that all materials are accessible and ready for the day.
Whenever possible, have all copies made in advance and all materials, manuals, and supplies easily accessible. If you can not leave everything on your desk, make a note in your lesson plan (or in your sub binder) as to where and how the guest teacher can acquire the necessary papers and equipment.
Just this week I was called in for an assignment for a new teacher. He told me in advance that the students would be taking a test. Easy stuff for a sub (and, by the way, probably one of the best things to leave for upper grades in your absence). When I arrived, I found one copy of said test with a pink sticky note saying: “Make 30 copies for 6th and 7th grade class.” Luckily, I had arrived early that day, and I knew where the copier was!
Remember, sometimes the substitute teacher was not assigned until the last minute. They arrive in a rush to your classroom only to find they have to make 800 copies of that Science handout, and the students are already at their seats. Okay, perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration, but I think you understand my point. The less the guest teacher has to do in the way of preparation, the easier it will be for them to lead – and actually teach – your class that day.
5. Be Supportive.
It means a tremendous amount to a substitute teacher if, when a sticky disciplinary situation occurs, you are supportive of how the sub handled it (provided that they followed standard rules and procedures). Once my daughter had a quiz taken from her and marked with a 0% because the sub thought she was cheating. When I asked the teacher about it, she told me that while she did not think that our daughter had cheated, she had to take the substitute’s word for it.
As a substitute myself, I appreciated and understand her stand on that. Teachers and substitutes need to present a united front or else unfortunately many of the students – especially in the upper grades – will take advantage of their divided loyalties.
6.Some final points to ponder.
You might also consider integrating the following ideas. While not compulsory by any means, these will give a substitute teacher even more resources for success in your classroom.
Computer access. If you have a computer in your classroom, be sure to log out of your account at the end of each day. Many schools provide a generic log-in for substitutes and other paraprofessionals to use while they are working on-site. Computer access in the classroom can be an invaluable tool for the sub, including access to search engines, game and lesson plan sites, and email (to other teachers or staff).
Do not, however, under any circumstances, give out your user-name and password so a substitute (or student, for that matter) can access your computer. This is for your own protection. Most, if not all, schools are on a network where all activity is logged. If you allow someone access to your account and they go to a questionable site or download inappropriate content, you may not be able to prove that it was not you.
Contact information. This is solely at your discretion as to how much personal contact you are comfortable with. If nothing else, leave information concerning what teachers and/or staff the guest teacher should go to with questions and concerns.
A “How the Day Went” sheet. As a substitute teacher, I keep stationary on hand in my own binder to leave notes for the teachers. I have been in classes, however, where the teacher left a progress sheet of sorts for me to fill out, including behavior logs. I found this to be a great resource and an easy way to log my thoughts throughout the day.
I believe – and know from experience – that taking the time to implement these guidelines into your sub planning will alleviate a lot of miscommunication and frustration – for yourself, the substitute teacher, and for your students too. Advance planning will go a long way to ensure that your students are not only cared for, but that they will learn something in your absence.
So, enjoy that day off – or get that much needed rest and recuperation – with the assurance that you have taken important steps toward preventing chaos and confusion in your classroom while you are away.
