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Have you found yourself scrambling at the last minute when planning for a substitute teacher? I know I have! These 5 tips for planning for a substitute teacher will help ease the burden and get you out the door quicker!
Being a teacher is hard. I know all the teachers out there are nodding their heads in agreement with me! Once you add to that the stress of planning for a substitute teacher the job gets exorbitantly harder. I think teaching is the only job in the world in which it’s MORE work to take a day off than it is to come in sick.
Unfortunately, there are times when taking off as a teacher will be inevitable. Whether you’re just too sick to come in, there’s a family emergency, or you’re called to chaperone a school trip but your classes continue, planning for a substitute teacher just can’t be avoided. Fortunately, in the last few years, I’ve found a number of ways to make it easier — for myself and for my sub!
Planning for a Substitute Teacher
ONE // Established Routines & Procedures
My number one fear when I have a sub is mass chaos. Can you relate?! I can “trust” my students when I’m out for a day, or even a few days, and it’s all due to our established routines and procedures. I’m the type of person who thrives on routine and order and most of my students are the same way. They know what to expect from day to day when they come into my classroom and I ensure they follow the same procedures when a substitute is present.
TWO // Emergency Sub Plans
Has there ever been a day you’ve woken up, realized you were ridiculously sick, and had to call a sub at the last minute? I have. And it’s the worst. Again, established routines and procedures will go a long way in these instances, but so would emergency sub plans!
Take some time at the beginning of the school year to create plans for an entire day. That could mean all subjects if you are self contained, or enough copies of the same lesson if you teach multiple sections of the same subject. With a simple text to a teammate letting them know where you’ve stashed these fail proof plans, this option will save you in a pinch!
Related: Healthy Choices in the Classroom with Fit4Schools
THREE // Create a Binder System or “Sub Tub”
Organization is the bomb.com, am I right? I always pride myself in being extremely organized and detailed for my subs, but a college recently put me to shame! She was getting married and set out to plan eight days of lessons for four subjects. Talk about needing to be organized! She expertly arranged each day’s lessons into a binder with dividers for class and subject. There was no mistaking which activities were for which class or when they should be completed.
If binders and hole punching isn’t your thing, a similar system can be created using a hanging file storage box. When it comes to ensuring your sub understands how to run your classroom, impeccable organization will go a long way.
FOUR // Utilize Technology for Independent Work
I’m blessed to work in a 1:1 school with great technology. This opens so many doors and makes a lot of things easier when writing sub plans (i.e., less copy machine battles!). With all of the programs available to students and teachers, it makes assigning independent work a breeze. Another thing I love when using technology in the classroom is that you can intervene from anywhere. When I was out last November for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon, I assigned a number of assignments on my students’ devices. I got a few emails from students having issues and was able to troubleshoot from my phone while riding the Disney bus between parks. Love it!
Related: 3 Things Teachers Can’t Live Without During the School Year
FIVE // Study.com Lessons
Speaking of technology, I recently became aware of Study.com which will basically write yoursub plans for you. (I was sold right then and there.) Study.com allows you to utilize video lessons for any subject and grade level, as well as assign quizzes and access worksheets. Not only would this be perfect when planning for a substitute teacher, but it would also be great for that teacher who runs a flipped classroom! Another feature worth noting — assignments are graded for you. Because WHO wants to grade after being gone on a long weekend or being stuck at home with the flu? Not me!
Study.com integrates with Google Classroom (Love this!) making it easy to get started and add your classes. One of my favorite features is the capability to create custom courses. I feel like this is valuable for elementary teachers, whether self contained or departmentalized. Personally, I teach Humanities, which encompasses four subjects (reading, writing, grammar, and history). Being able to gather lessons from different disciplines and store them in one course makes access quick and easy!
Study.com also offers features for teachers! We all know that the more certifications you have under your belt the more marketable you become, so take that content exam you’ve been thinking about! Whether it’s the TExEs, Praxis, or FTCE you’re prepping for, Study.com offers practice exams to get you prepared for the big day.
Check out the Teacher Plans & Pricing and get started today! As a bonus, Study.com is offering 20 percent off your first three months through August 1, 2018 with code TeacherFit18!
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