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Every day you take off as a teacher can be exhausting. You have to plan out every minute so the days go off without a hitch. You may never know when you or a family member may be asked to quarantine. You need to anticipate unexpected days off with plans for substitute teachers as well as sub plans for virtual learning.
Yes! You may need to do minor tweaks to your sub binder throughout the year, but you should create one as soon as possible so you won’t have to plan when you or a family member are sick. We will outline everything you should compile to prepare for the unexpected. We’ll outline exactly what should be in your sub binder, and then we’ll break down how to create a remote learning sub-plan.
The hardest part of creating the perfect subfolder is starting. When you’re not getting a sub, creating a sub binder is always last on your to-do list. It’s so easy to put off for another day. It can feel daunting to put together when you suddenly need to be out of school. Don’t get stuck in this position. There are numerous substitute teacher forms online that can get you started, but you should really leave more than that for a successful day away from your classroom.
This is the best place to be detailed-oriented in your sub folder. Look over your roster and make sure everything is accurate. Many students go by different names. List those on the roster. If some names are hard to pronounce, describe how to pronounce these names. It can be embarrassing for students to go through a roll call with a new person. Another option is to leave seating charts. Your sub won’t have to call attendance, and they have the added benefit of finding students more easily.
It’s easy to list out your schedule, but it can be helpful to explain the routine of the school day. Include details of what your substitute can do during lunch, free periods, and study halls. These unstructured moments can be stressful for a sub because it can be hard to know teachers’ and students’ expectations.
You have two options here for leaving lesson plans in your substitute folder. First, you can leave lesson plans that coincide with the exact point you’re at in your class. Usually, this makes your lesson plans very productive, but you have to put work in right before being out. But if you planned your absence, then this is very doable. Another way to handle lesson plans for subs is to leave an assignment or lesson that functions as a review. This method is great because it could work for any day you are out.
Read on below to see how your lesson plans in your sub folder can be the same each time you’re out. We’ll explain how to use tech to give your sub lesson plans more flexibility.
Give directions on using all of the necessary technology in the classroom. This may include projectors, laptops, smartboards, or even just a tv. Provide any essential sub log-in information.
Leave a copy of your classroom rules and the school policies. It is helpful for subs to have it as a reference if a question arises.
This can be anything that can help the substitute. A good tip would be to leave a list of students and teachers that a sub can ask questions. The typical way you get your students’ attention is helpful as well.
Always have extra activities, just in case. Your students should be busy when you have a substitute teacher.
Remember to keep your substitute teacher binder stocked with all necessary emergency procedures. Also, include any relevant health info for students.
If a student has accommodations relevant to a sub, include this as well.
Leave a way for your substitute to leave a note or communicate with you. They need to have a way to say what happened in their day if they need to explain anything. Hopefully, it will just be a note expressing how much your students rocked!
Nowadays, students are accustomed to online learning. So even if you are part of a traditional in-person learning school, you can create lessons that exist entirely online. You can create an asynchronous lesson plan and then put it on your LMS system (Google Classroom, Canvas, and Schoology all work!). Students can work at their own pace and simply pick up a laptop as they walk into class. You can simply write directions for your sub to pass out Chromebooks and instruct your students to go on to your school’s LMS system. The best part about this is you don’t have to come by the school in a hurry to update these directions, and you can post to Google Classroom from anywhere.
Read on to see how you can return to school without a single paper to grade after having a sub.
When you use TeacherMade, you can create interactive worksheets that are self-graded. These are perfect for leaving on sub days (and every day!). Just upload your PDFs to TeacherMade, and we will convert your worksheets to interactivities.
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