How to plan for a substitute teacher in a way that ensures good behavior is a question I’ve gotten a lot over the years.
I’ve answered it dozens of times during coaching sessions and PD trainings.
However, I’ve been reluctant to make it into an article because my advice on the subject isn’t terribly interesting. Nor is it unique.
But in the spirit of tackling any and all classroom management topics, what follows are three steps to ensure good behavior when you’re out of your classroom.
1. Pick the right sub.
You must have at least one solid substitute teacher on speed dial and preferably a couple of backups you trust will follow your plan and schedule precisely. This is key.
It may take awhile to find the right person. Ask around if you need to.
However, absolutely never simply put in for a sub and leave it at that. There are just too many who will ignore your plans, do their own thing, and then complain about misbehavior.
2. Plan normal academics.
Never lighten the load because you have a sub. This sends the message to your students that the day doesn’t matter, which causes silliness, misbehavior, and a whole day of lost learning.
Your students need to be focused, working, and given the same heavy responsibilities as any other day.
At the same time, however, the lessons you provide your sub must be simple to deliver. Yes, it takes some thought to have ready-made plans in case of emergency that fulfill both requirements. But the payoff is worth it.
3. Make sure nothing changes.
You must choose a sub who understands the critical importance of following your classroom management plan, daily schedule, and routines to the letter. Otherwise, they’re going to fly by the seat of their pants and sabotage your good work.
Furthermore, your students need to know that when you’re gone, nothing changes.
You’ll teach this expectation, model reminders of how it should look, and check to make sure they understand. You may also want to meet with a few of your leaders to solicit their help in assisting the sub and keeping everyone on track.
No Babysitting
If you follow the SCM approach, then having a substitute teacher is easy because they can follow your plan as clearly and unemotionally as you.
And for your students it’s just another day.
If, however, you’re currently struggling with misbehavior, and therefore don’t yet have respect, trusting rapport, and influence, then your sub is going to struggle as well.
Your own effective classroom management is a requirement for a smooth day. The good news is that the most sought-after subs will love coming to your classroom because they get to actually teach instead of babysit.
This is the secret.
Be good at classroom management, choose the right sub, and then enable them to maintain the same academic and behavior expectations as you.
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Michael always has great advice but unfortunately, I don’t think this is the reality for most people. Our district contracts out to a third-party agency now. We can’t choose our subs. And many of these people do pass background checks but are frighteningly unqualified to work with children. Even our in-house building subs are terrible. I have carefully laid out labeled, color coded copies and sent instructions 3 ways and they can’t even pass the papers out (or tell kids to open a computer). It is dire and makes me feel guilty when I am genuinely sick knowing it is a lost day for kids.
Hi,
I agree with you. In this part of the world South Africa, we don’t have on-call subs or a pool sub teachers. An absent teacher is simply a free period and the sub teacher is usually another teacher in the school.
You cannot plan for unforeseen days when you are ill, however you can plan for days when you are knowingly going to be away. In the best case scenario another teacher who teaches your subject will be the sub.
Having said that, I know that the sub teacher is just doing what needs to be done, barely at that too, just to pass the time. But, even if the work you planned is not administered in the way you would have liked, it is important that some work be left for the class on the days of absence, if possible. There is always the one student who will actually do the work.
Sounds brilliant, but rarely in all the supply classes I have covered for secondary, do I teach. I have covered elementary classes a couple times on an emergency basis, and have taught then.
Supplying in high school is just babysitting, even if it your teachable, and have been told due to insurance and liability; maybe it is more because not everyone teaches the same.
As soon as students walk into the classroom and see a supply teacher, they stop, and you can literally see the gears in their head turning and the willingness to learn and grow gets switched off. For some students, any, or what respect they do have for their regular teacher, goes out the window.
For a few years, I thought I was an awful teacher because I couldn’t get the supply class to do what was planned by their teacher and considered quitting. Then I was told by a kind soul, regular teachers know their students will skip (the joy of mobile devices today!), and those who do show up won’t probably work, all teachers really want is their students to remain in their seats and stay safe.
Yes, I introduce myself to the supply class, remind them to be quiet while I call out attendance, read the instructions several times to the class, walk around to see if I can remind/encourage students to work/stay on task or help.
I will take notes for the teacher of how the class unfolded and who walked out or who asked to go to the washroom and forgot to return.
Maybe I am a poor teacher because I don’t have that “je ne said quois” and have every single student working as if I was their regular teacher. At least with every supply class I have covered, students have remained safe and no one has been injured.
Thank you for your willingness to come in. It keeps the class from being split and being a burden on other teachers. Or some teachers are told to give up their planning to fill-in for a class period, which then affects the learning in those classes. What you do matters, and it is highly appreciated. We know it is not easy.
Your suggestions, as usual, are top notch advice. However, many of us in education, myself included, work in districts which have a policy to “call in” on a sick day and the office help makes calls to substitutes for scheduling purposes. It is out of my hands who is requested and placed in my classroom. Some days end up being better than others.
Thanks for posting this. I’m a 38 year veteran teacher who subs now. On the sub’s side of this, I avoid going into a classroom where the teacher doesn’t adhere to these 3 things. Even with my experience, I know it’s going to be difficult to manage behavior, let alone teach the material so that the day isn’t wasted for everyone.
I enjoy getting to teach something and not just babysit. However, teachers need to leave plans that can be understood with a minimum amount of time to prepare.
Thanks for posting your role as a substitute teacher. The importance of leaving plans that are easily implemented is the key. My district has permanent substitute positions; basically, someone, like me, who is the on-call sub within the school assigned. In other words, I stay at the same school, get to know all the classes and all of the routines for all of the teachers. I can see the easily implemented plans and the difficult to understand ones. As you said, the key is to have a teacher’s plans be understood in under 5 minutes. As for me, I’ve found kids realize they’ll be accountable because I’ll always be at school to follow up on any behavioral issues the next day.
Also teacher turned sub. I agree with Michael about leaving serious work to do with the students. I find it terribly unproductive to leave “chromebooks … Google Classroom” as the lesson plan especially in high school for a 90-minute class. This is what I get 95% of the time when subbing in high school classrooms. One or two students usually complete the assignment and more than half the class just goof off and plays on their phones because they are (understandably) bored. If you are unable to leave the details of the assignment , linksso that the sub can support this is really not setting up the day for success. Rarely do schools or teachers leave instructions for misbehavior and I refuse to get into a power struggle with a 16 year old. I no longer sub in high school as I find it a terrible waste of my time and skills. Also, PLEASE LEAVE SEATING CHARTS and your classroom management plan. I don’t see why you couldn’t ask a colleague just for the day to receive any students from the sub who are exceptionally disrespectful or disruptive. It happens a lot and it’s a real drag on everyone especially students who are trying to get an education that day and an educator who is trying their best.
As a sub myself, I appreciate this. Also there are certain teachers I prefer to sub for and others, not so much. The ones I prefer to sub for always have an assignment for the kids to do, and a list of helpful students I can count on! Also, the assignment will have stakes. They have to do it or they get zero for the day. This being said, I’ve been subbing for about 5 years now. I’m recognizable and have developed a rapport with most students. I also have my own systems in place (high school) to ensure the period runs smoothly. So if the teacher has a loose system, I tighten it up at least for that period, and let the kids know, for today, it’s my way. A good sub will study the school policy religiously, and develop their own system in line with that. The kids may not like it, but I do not sit on my phone like most subs in my building. I sub for high school and until I know the kids I’m on high alert. Especially with freshman! And in the rare case that kids have nothing to do, I have card games in my bag and a list of general age appropriate activities to pull from. These came in handy when I subbed for the AP Physics class in late May. They were burned out and welcomed the chance to play Uno lol.
As a substitute teacher, I love it when the regular teacher includes the names of two or three students who can be trusted to give me a “straight” answer when questions about the daily routine arise.
As a substitute, I sometimes never know what I am walking into. But as a former 3rd grade teacher, I know what I expected in both academic rigor and behavior.
One of the first things I do is find out who the GO TO STUDENTS are. These are my resources. I move to build allies. I also make it clear that I will follow what the classroom teacher leaves as instructions for the day (even reading word for word what the classroom teacher left). I adjust as needed. When I face misbehavior, I endeavor to deal with it as soon as possible and leave little doubt as to what I expect. I endeavor to have them answer the questions -(WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU? HOW CAN YOU FIX THE CURRENT SITUATION). I generally focus on those doing what is expected, address those off task, and administer the consequences I believe the classroom teacher would apply.
Hmmmm … as a sub I find the way this was written pretty discouraging. I’m sure subs vary in responsibility, but all the subs I know always show up and aim to do their best with what is provided. Realistically, it can be very hard for a sub in ONE DAY to absorb and implement complicated classroom management strategies and teach complex lesson plans. Simplifying/streamlining plans can benefit subs and increase overall success for the day a teacher is gone.
My best days have been when teachers leave me all the most relevant info I know (but not TOO much because I am only there for one day and don’t want to get bogged down) and leave VERY clearly written, easy to follow, concise lesson plans. Also, when they make sure I have access to all the tools I need (including permission access to any files). Sometimes teachers do all this, and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they’ve gotten sick at the last minute, and I walk into a disaster. It’s my job to be able to be creative and make sure everyone stays happy and healthy.
Sometimes things still just go wonky when there’s a sub. Kids are kids.
Hmm… this is ideal advice. We do not have any regular subs in our district. Certainly not enough to CHOOSE from. We have the lottery picks of a man who does magic tricks and a young girl whose handwriting is illegible. I usually just put in my absence and pray that my aide covers the day without any outside “help.” : /
Great advice. And, as a sub in the public schools for eight years, I can add the following (devil is in the) details:
1) keep sub plans clear and brief;
2) if seating charts are to be used, make sure they are current, accurate, and complete;
3) state the classroom policy for cell phones, video games, food, beverages; if it actually IS ok for students to use those items, don’t say that it ISN’T ok on the sub plan;
4) state if any work is to be collected by the sub; due dates;
5) leave instructions for attendance; state if attendance is to be taken; provide attendance rosters;
6) provide instructions for any lunch duty, bus duty, hall duty;
7) if any tech is to be used, leave current and correctly spelled passwords; location of remotes and devices; spare batteries for remotes;
8) leave your contact info and phone extensions of other teachers, office personnel, school nurse, IT personnel, custodians;
9) fire drill instructions, with current and complete student rosters;
10) board markers that are not dry; filled spray bottle and clean cloth.
11) hall pass policy;
12) chairs-up policy, if any;
13) very helpful to provide pencils, paper clips, eraser, sticky note pad, stapler, ruler, scotch tape, rubber bands, scissors, calculator.
14) lunch schedule;
15) class periods schedule.
I do my very best to never miss a day because a sub day is usually a lost day. My students are always assigned academics (what we have been focusing on) and have consequences if they don’t use their time wisely. We have no control over our subs and most are just a warm body. Our district struggles with subs because the pay is low and students are so disrespectful. Because of that, I try to never miss a day unless I am on my deathbed.
I agree with these tips completely. I am a kindergarten teacher and I have always sought out my own subs, which can be time consuming, but worth it to me. I try to use the same subs as consistently as possible to maintain routine and my expectations and make it easier on the sub to remember my students and my management methods.
I also let the students know ahead of time that I will be absent, if possible, and the reason and when I will return, as some kids get stressed out wondering what happened to me. I share the importance of having a guest teacher to me and to their learning and how they deserve our respect. I also let them know that I will be checking in with the sub to find out who was respectful and responsible and let them know the negative consequences that will happen if their name is shared for poor behavior or the positives that will happen if I receive a compliment about any of them. They are still accountable even when I’m gone and I follow through in those promises.
Clearly this is not possible in every class and every district, but I know MANY teachers who say that finding a sub is ‘not their job’ and then complain about the outcome. To me it’s worth the extra effort in maintaining peace and semi-continuity in my classroom.
Thank you for all of your valuable tips!
Most times the teacher doesn’t have the option to find their own subs. Especially if it is outsourced to another agency to fill the spots. When I first subbed many years ago, I did have teachers who requested me quite frequently, and I got to know the kids. I remember students saying, “you’re just like a REAL teacher!” I AM a real teacher, I’d say. I was the sub one teacher called when she was sick and unable to do a field trip, too. But once the district went with an agency, they didn’t have that option. Now they can’t even find subs with degrees!
Hi,
I found your response very informative. This is how responsible teachers plan ahead for their absence. Semi-continuity in your absence gives the students a sense of security and fosters independent learning. The learning experience is not entirely driven by you alone, the students learn to work independently when you are not in their presence.
Inviting a guest teacher/your sub, into the class in a regular lesson will help students to see the guest/sub as an extension of you. This is really great strategy.
Again the important thing I am taking away from you is that that the teacher should not be entirely responsible for the learning process. In your absence student should have the skills to work independently and take control of their own learning.
I LOVE subbing! I introduce myself first thing in the morning, and I always make a little joke about my name.
Me: “Hi! I’m Mrs. Marchi (pronounced “markey”) NOT, ‘Barkey’ like a dog.”
For some reason, kids always laugh!
Next, I take attendance. I pronounce each student’s name and ask if I am saying his/her name correctly. I’ll repeat the student’s name and look them straight in the eye for a few seconds—giving an “eye kiss.” This usually causes the child to smile and I’ve made a nice connection for the day.
Imagine the teacher whose name is Sally Green. She could start the day with “Hi! I’m Green Sally, oops, I mean Sally Green!”
My 7th grade teacher’s name was Mr. Owings. He said we could call him Mr. Wingso on the last day of school. He was so fun!!
In my district, they are starting to take away the ability of subs to choose the jobs they want. They want subs to take the first available. So, if a teacher asks a certain sub to cover their class, the system will prevent the sub from skipping over other previously posted jobs.
Most of your posts make sense, but “they” are blocking us at every turn.
I am becoming concerned about younger subs. They are using their phones and earbuds all day. They record TT and YT videos in the classroom with the kids. Now, that they are taking away our ability to choose a specific sub, we have no idea who will show up for our classes.
In a perfect world, these tips are excellent. In my school system, we have a sub shortage. Requesting a sub rarely works out. Often no sub is available, so students are dispersed amongst other classrooms. I leave detailed, explicit sub plans which rarely get followed. I often question if the sub even reads the plans. When students are dispersed to other classrooms, I email my sub plan to the staff and post it in Google Classroom, but again, little to no follow through. I get it. Those teachers are trying to teach their own class, and as long as my students are quiet and appear to be on task, rarely are they monitored for doing my assignment. On the flip side, no other teachers email their sub plans when we absorb students, so I have to trust the students are doing their task in Google Classroom. Or I have to come up with something b/c nothing was posted or provided. Our strongest subs usu get placed in the classes with poor behavior. I run a tight ship, so if I get a sub, it’s a weaker one b/c my students generally are more well behaved. It is discouraging to spend the time to leave solid sub plans when there’s little to no follow through. It’s more trouble to do the solid sub plans than to go in sick, but situations arise where you must miss. I’ve learned all I can do it my part in leaving detailed plans and having students used to solid routines, procedures, and expectations. Ultimately, the sub and the students have to step up and do their part with the follow through, and then I sort out what was/was not done when I return.
I used to be a substitute for many years, and loved when a teacher left plans that gave the procedures and order of the class. One teacher actually stacked his teacher books with the correct page open, making it very easy to follow his plans.
However now that I am teaching, I find that no matter how organized and easy I try to make it for the substitute to follow, most of the time they don’t even bother opening the Sub plans, never mind following them. I shared my classroom with another teacher last year. He was out for the day, and his sub literally told the class of 5th graders to take out their phones, watch Tic-tok videos and leave him alone. The sub didn’t even notice that I was in the back of the room working at my desk. He sat down facing away from the students, opened up his social media and ignored the class. Needless to say, I filed a complaint against the sub, after I got the students working on their assignment (which was written on the whiteboard!) And the saddest part is that sub wasn’t the worst one we had last year!
Yes, all of this. keep in mind that we don’t all have a choice in who the sub is. Also, those who need subs at the beginning of the year have not had enough time with their class to ensure all that you mentioned. Unfortunately (out of my control) I have specialist appts. that have been pushed back into September. It takes months to schedule these so, I can’t skip them. I have a supportive admin, so that is helpful. The good news is, I try to schedule them for later in the day so my sub is responsible for as little as possible that day. Normally it is someone who already works at the school and can just provide coverage since I will be there the majority of the day.