How to Prepare for a Substitute Without Losing a Day of Learning
One of the hardest parts of being a teacher is sometimes the time when you aren't even at school.
Whether you're out for a planned appointment, a professional development day, or an unexpected sick day, being absent doesn't mean your teacher brain gets to take the day off. In fact, sometimes I think preparing for a substitute can be more stressful than actually being at school!
You know your students. You know your routines. You know which students need a little extra redirection and which ones can be trusted to get started independently.
A substitute doesn't have that same knowledge.
So, how do you make the most of the day you're away?
I put the responsibility for learning on my students, not on the substitute.
And I've found that the key is preparing my students before I ever need a substitute.
Teach Your Substitute Expectations Before You Need a Substitute
I don't wait until the morning I'm absent to explain what I expect from my students when I'm gone.
We talk about it ahead of time.
My students know that being absent doesn't mean we get a free day. They know that I still expect them to learn, participate, and complete their work.
I don't expect perfection. Middle and high school students are still learning how to manage themselves and take responsibility for their learning.
But I also don't accept:
"We didn't do anything while Mrs. Yaklin was gone."
If I'm going to give students more independence, I have to teach them what that independence looks like.
Give Students a Clear, Step-by-Step Plan
One of the biggest things I do when I'm absent is make the assignment incredibly clear.
I don't want my substitute having to explain a complicated lesson.
Instead, students have a step-by-step checklist telling them exactly what they need to do.
For example:
While Mrs. Yaklin is away:
Watch the video lesson on writing linear equations in Canvas Module 1.1.
Take notes and copy all examples into your notebook.
Complete Practice #1–7 in your notebook.
Check your work using the answer key.
Complete any corrections before moving on.
That's it.
Students know where to go, what to do, and what "finished" looks like.
The more specific I can be, the less the substitute has to manage the actual learning.
Leave Students the Resources They Need
Another thing I like to do is leave helpful information visible in the classroom.
I'll often leave notes on the whiteboards or wipebooks with formulas, examples, vocabulary, or previously learned material that students may need.
This is especially helpful in math because students don't always realize what information they need until they're already stuck.
If we're working on linear equations, for example, I might leave examples of slope-intercept form or a reminder about how to find slope.
The goal is to give students enough support that they can keep moving even when I'm not physically there to answer questions.
Middle and High School Students Can Take Responsibility for Their Learning
I think sometimes we underestimate what our students are capable of doing independently.
By middle and high school, students can absolutely take responsibility for their own learning.
That doesn't mean they will automatically know how to do it.
We have to teach them.
We have to teach them how to read directions, find resources, troubleshoot when they're stuck, use their notes, ask for help appropriately, and keep working when the teacher isn't standing at the front of the room.
A substitute day is actually a great opportunity to practice those skills.
My goal isn't for students to be completely independent overnight. My goal is to gradually give them more responsibility and help them build the confidence to handle it.
Then Prepare Your Substitute
The second part of a successful substitute day is making sure the substitute has the information they need.
But I don't expect the substitute to be the teacher.
They're there to be my eyes and ears in the classroom, keep students safe, help maintain the routines, and make sure chaos doesn't ensue.
I want my substitute to have the information that will help them do that job successfully.
Some of the things I include are:
Seating charts
Class schedules
Classroom routines
Helpful students
Students who may need extra reminders
Important student information
Technology instructions
What to do during a fire drill or other emergency
What to do if a student needs to leave the classroom
What to do if there is a problem
Notes about the day's assignment
The more information I can provide ahead of time, the more comfortable the substitute will feel.
And honestly, that makes me feel better, too.
Keep a Sub Binder Ready
I also like to keep my substitute binder ready all the time.
Because you never know when you're going to need it.
An emergency absence is stressful enough without trying to create a substitute binder from scratch at 6:00 in the morning.
Having a binder that's already prepared means I can make a few quick updates, leave my day's instructions, and know that the important information is already there.
I also make sure my students know what to expect when I'm not there.
That way, the substitute isn't walking into a completely unfamiliar situation while my students are trying to figure out what the rules are.
We've already established those expectations.
A Successful Substitute Day Starts Before the Substitute Arrives
The biggest lesson I've learned is that preparing for a substitute isn't really just about preparing the substitute.
It's about preparing your students.
When students know the expectations, understand their assignment, and have the resources they need, they can accomplish a lot without their regular teacher in the room.
And when the substitute has clear information about the classroom, their job becomes much more manageable.
Does it always go perfectly?
Of course not.
They're middle and high school students!
But when I take the time to prepare them ahead of time, I feel much more confident leaving my classroom knowing that learning can continue even when I'm not there.
And that makes being absent just a little less stressful.
Need a Sub Binder?
This is exactly why I created my Editable Middle School Sub Binder Template.
I wanted something I could keep ready to go and quickly customize when I needed to be out of the classroom. It includes the information and templates you need to help a substitute understand your classroom, your routines, and your expectations.
I even included a substitute letter because I think it's important to let the person taking care of your students know how much you appreciate them being there.
The goal isn't to create more work for yourself.
It's to do the work once so that the next time you're absent, you don't have to start from scratch.
When you teach your expectations ahead of time and have a system ready to go, having a substitute becomes much less stressful.
I'd love to hear from you! What do you do to make planning for a substitute easier?