One of the hardest jobs in the school is one who has to be ready when the phone rings: the substitute teacher. While it can be difficult to plan for a substitute, it is even hard to walk into a classroom that is not yours and ensure students are still learning! So, these are ten tips for substitute teachers; the unsung heroes who help teachers and students alike.
1: Be the Early Bird!
Often times substitute teachers have little notice that they are going to be in the classroom that day. However, there is typically enough time to be able to get there a little bit early. Being early is a great tip for substitute teachers because it’s all about getting them relaxed, appearing professional, having time to understand the plan for the day, and take care of your basic needs like going to the bathroom.
2: Great Substitute Teachers Stick to the Plan
Teachers spend hours creating the perfect plan for their substitute teacher. Therefore, it’s important that you stick to the plan! Now, teachers don’t expect you to be an expert in the field. However, it’s important you do your best. While teachers don’t want the substitute teacher to teach how to do something incorrectly, we also don’t want you to just skip the lesson. Therefore, if you don’t know how to do the math plan assigned, create your own math lesson so students are still getting in the practice.
3: Look the Part
Of all the tips for substitute teachers, this one is one of the most important because it’s what your first impression will be All too often substitute teachers come into the classroom looking not like a teacher. It’s important to understand the dress code at the school you’re subbing for. When you come into the classroom looking like the teacher, it’s easier for you to be taken seriously.
4: Act the Part
When you walk into a school, there is already going to be a culture in place. Some cultures in schools can be toxic especially when you walk into the teacher’s lounge. Don’t be a part of the toxic world of complaining! Make sure you act professionally throughout the day. If you happen to also be a parent, make sure you’re wearing the right hat while you are the teacher.
5: Pack Your Own Tips for Substitute Teachers Supplies!
Sometimes teachers don’t have enough time or don’t have the ability to lay everything out the substitute teacher might need. If it’s a spur-of-the-moment absence, you might be missing pencils, pens, or even fun things like stickers. Having a little bag of supplies that you can lend to students or use for incentives can be a life saver! Once when I was subbing in a class, the teacher had locked up all the supplies and I wasn’t able to get to anything! We made do with crayons that day; however, I learned to always pack some of my own supplies.
In addition to packing pencils, pens, markers, post-its, Band-Aids, and paperclips, you might want to have a simple lesson plan just in case as well. You can always grab a book and use a Picture Book Pal which will keep students engaged throughout the lesson. I have Picture Book Pals for several months including April!
6: Finish the Job
When you are the teacher for the day, you have to remember to grade or mark what you assigned. Because you were the teacher that day, you know how you explained it and what expectations you had for the students. The teacher who is normally in the class might not grade for the right ideas which can lead to confusion for students down the road. This is why it’s so important for you to finish the job and grade what you assign.
7: Tips for Substitute Teachers, Tip-off the Teacher!
Just like the teacher hopefully left you a note as to what to do, it is important for you to leave a note for the teacher as well. In the note, you can talk about what you did for the day as well as anything out of the ordinary that happened. While we usually think of a “sub note” as being negative, it’s important to put some positives on there as well so the teacher can praise the students when he/she returns.
8: Helpful Tips for Substitute Teachers
This tip for substitute teachers really focuses on swallowing your pride. Let’s be honest with ourselves, asking for help can be so hard! However, if you need help because you want to do it right, then you need to reach out for help. When you ask for help instead of just going with it, you show that you care and are more likely to get called back to the school.
9: Stay Strong
Everyone wants to be the substitute teacher that students love, but this is not always going to be doable. One of the biggest tips for substitute teachers is all about standing your ground! If a student is not acting appropriately, make sure you correct the behavior. Classroom management is important to have as a substitute teacher as well. When you walk into the classroom and allow things to happen that shouldn’t, you’re sending the students a message. You are doing the same when you aren’t a pushover and you stand your ground. Which message do you want to send?
10: Play the Clean Up Game!
Before you leave the classroom you are subbing in, it’s important to take the time to clean up any mess you and your students might have made. It’s already quite stressful being gone from school. To come back to a mess the next day just dampens the day from the get-go. Plus, this tip for substitute teachers goes hand-in-hand with being professional. If you’re being professional, you’re going to make sure the room is as ready as it can be for the teacher the next day.
Being a substitute teacher isn’t easy. However, if you follow these tips for substitute teachers, your day will go so much smoother every single time!
I’ve included a fantastic resource for substitute teachers below. If you would like a free copy of these notes for the classroom teacher (while you were away), then fill in the form and I’ll send them to your inbox.
