Substitute teaching is not for the faint of heart. You're entering another teacher's classroom with students used to another teacher's style. What you need is a plan of attack that will capture your students' attention, keep them occupied through the day, and maybe even reward them for a job well done.
Read through our substitute teaching tips so you can tackle a day's worth of substituting without losing any sleep, hair, or your sanity.
Step 1. Get There Early
We can't stress this one enough – get there early. Showing up early allows you to really get into the lesson plan – hopefully in a snazzy substitute teacher folder like this – which is going to be your Plan A for the day. Teachers know their classrooms and will usually leave you with a detailed list of information about the ins and outs of the lesson plan, student personalities, and any other pertinent information that can be the difference between actually getting some work done and leaving a substitute teacher sized hole in the door.
Step 2. Talk With the Other Teachers
Another perk of showing up early? Chatting with the other teachers to get valuable intel that will go way beyond a note in a lesson plan. Your fellow teachers are there every day in the trenches and will tell you if there are any different activities that day, any quirks about the classroom, or even which student to look out for! Think of this one as a pro tip for substitute teaching – some students are your enemies and some students are your allies. Ask some of the other teachers which kids will be trustworthy and could say, run a note to the principle, in addition to the student who that note might be about.
Step 3. Occupy / Incentivize / Reward
You've got the lesson plan left by the teacher, you've read all the substitute teaching books like Steve Springer and Kimberly Persiani's The Organized Teachers Guide to Substitute Teaching, and you're ready to take on the world – now you just have to do it. The first step is getting students occupied from the get-go. Don't let that kid who says the teacher normally gives them a few minutes to settle in (note him/her too) get you going early. Use a “Bell Assignment” that focuses attention before they have a chance to wander. The teacher will probably have something similar to this or just poach from elsewhere in the lesson plan if possible.
Next up – now that you have a laser focused class of excellent learners – incentivize their behavior with a reward. There is no better behavioral management tool than rewarding good behavior – even Pavlov knew it. So dangle 15 minutes of card games, hang-man, or some other engaging activity in front of your students and race to the end of the day. Some examples are point systems, so that if the class attains (or is docked) a certain number of points, they get a certain amount of reward. If those points are not met – there is no reward.
Finally – reward the students who do reach the goals you've set or who have been exemplary for the day. You're going to see these students again and even though they're 30 to 1 for you, you're 1 to 30 to them – they'll remember and if you treat them with respect, you'll receive it in-kind.
So, you've made it to the end of the day, and you've followed all of our helpful tips for substitute teachers. Pretty good overall! If you're looking for more books and materials please check out these other substitute teaching supplies from Quill and best of luck out there!
Krista Wolfe
Quill.com Contributing Writer
Krista Wolfe is a marketing project manager for Quill.com where she writes to help small businesses, teachers and healthcare professionals make more informed decisions on office essentials. She also writes on our new community blog, Café Quill, about a wide range of business matters such as leadership, productivity and work-life balancing. Krista lives in Chicago, and you can find her on Google+ or LinkedIN.