The Effective Substitute Teacher

As soon as the March Gazette column was posted, the letters of anguish from substitute teachers began to arrive. "What am I to do as a substitute teacher when, as often happens, I find that the regular teacher has not left any instructions? The teachers like Melissa Pantoja with her 'Daily Class Routine for the Substitute' http://teachers.net/gazette/MAR03/wong.html are rare. When I walk into a classroom where the children are responsible and well behaved, I look up, smile and say, 'Thank you.'

"Most of the time, I walk into a classroom and within a few seconds I know that I am in for a trying day. I look up, grimace, and say, 'Why are you punishing me today?'"

On any given day, approximately 274,000 substitute teachers serve in this country's classrooms. By the time a student graduates from high school, that person will have spent the equivalent of a full year being taught by a substitute. The potential of a substitute is often wasted because many districts do not have any form of a training program for these teachers, just as they have no training program for their new teachers.

But, the reality is that you are a substitute TEACHER, something you have chosen to do. So,

• First of all, arrive on time, which probably means at least one-half hour before the first class is scheduled to begin. You should check in with the principal or secretary and sign in on the sign-in sheet that is available at many schools.

• Second, always dress professionally. A Phoenix teacher says, "I dress to the 'T' as a substitute teacher. The kids hold the door for me. One on each side! That's pretty scary and wonderful that they are influenced so easily by appearance. My daughter's been on her job for only two weeks and she says they hold the door for her, also."

• Third, follow the teacher's lesson plan as given to you. Most all teachers are responsible and want their students to learn. You are expected to carry on with the academic program.

• Fourth, always have a backup plan. This is your way to engage students in meaningful learning activities just in case no lesson plans have been left for you.

As stated in The First Days of School, the most important day for a teacher is the first day of school. How a teacher begins will determine that teacher's success for the rest of the school year. Good teachers, like Melissa Pantoja, have scripted their first day of school and come prepared to start correctly
http://teachers.net/gazette/JUN00/covera.html,
http://teachers.net/gazette/JUN02/wong.html,
http://www.teachers.net/gazette/MAR03/wong4.html.

All effective classrooms have a basic set of procedures that organize and manage a classroom. To refresh your memory on this subject, please refer to Unit C, especially Chapter 20, in The First Days of School; tapes 3 and 4 in the video series, The Effective Teacher; the new CD set, How to Improve Student Achievement; or any of our past columns in www.teachers.net.

If you ascertain that the regular teacher has not left you with any semblance of procedures, then as an effective substitute you should be ready to install a basic set as soon as you take over a class. The two most important procedures are:

1. how the students are to come to attention and
2. what they are to do when they enter the classroom ("bellwork").

How these two procedures are taught is explained in the above resources.

Classroom management overarches everything. You should not begin teaching until the classroom has been organized, no more than you would begin a surgical procedure in an operating room until the preparations have been organized.

Prepare a SubPack

A printable version of the SubPack is available here.

A SubPack is like an emergency preparedness kit for the classroom. It should contain a variety of useful and necessary classroom supplies and materials. Check the pack at the end of every day, refill it with what is necessary, and have it by the door or in the car ready for the next day.

The contents of a SubPack can be organized into three categories:

• Personal and Professional Items
• Activity Materials
• Everyday Stuff

Personal and Professional Items

Clipboard
Pen, pencil, and colored (non-red) marking pen
Substitute teacher report (to leave for the permanent teacher)
District information (maps, addresses, phone numbers, policies, starting times, etc.)
A coffee mug or water bottle
A whistle (useful for P.E. and playground duty)
A small package of tissues
Snacks (granola bar, pretzels, bottled water, etc.)
An individualized Hall Pass
A small bag or coin purse for keys, driver's license, money (enough for lunch), and other essential items.
Band-Aids^®
Headache medicine (for you only)
Small sewing kit with safety pins

Tangrams
Bookmarks
Picture books and brainteasers
A number cube or dice for games
Estimation jar
Timer
Copies of a 5 minute filler (or early finisher) activity
One class set of a short activity

Crayons
Rubber bands
Colored markers, pencils, and/or crayons
Labeled ball-point pens (red, blue, black)
Pencils and small pencil sharpener
Transparent and masking tape
White board markers and dry eraser
Chalk
Scissors
Glue sticks
Paper clips, staples, and a small stapler
Post-it^® note pads (various sizes and colors)
Ruler
File folders
Calculator
Lined and blank paper
Name tag materials (address labels or masking tape will work)

A checklist is provided so that you can plan, keep track of, and reflect upon your day.

A printable version of the Professional Substitute Teacher Checklist is available here.

The SubPak and the Professional Substitute Teacher Checklist have been modified from the Substitute Teacher Handbook, which is available from

Substitute Teaching Institute
Utah State University
6516 Old Main Hall
Logan UT 84322
435-797-3182
http://subed.usu.edu

The Substitute Teacher Handbook, for grades K-12, is a compressive book for all substitute teachers. It includes

• how-to information for classroom management and teaching strategies,
• analysis of legal issues affecting substitutes, and
• over 100 pages of activities and lessons that can be used in a variety of classes and grades.

Additional Resources for Substitute Teachers
These resources are just a mouse click away:

Substitute Teachers' discussion chatboard at
http://teachers.net/mentors/substitute_teaching

Substitute Teachers' e-mail discussion group at
http://teachers.net/mailrings

Monthly peer moderated chat meetings for Substitute Teachers on the first and third Mondays of each month, 9:00-10:00 p.m. Eastern Time in the Meeting Room at
http://teachers.net/meetings

Archived chat transcripts at
http://teachers.net/archive/substitutearchive.html

It's inevitable that teachers will be away for the classroom. It's the wish of most classroom teachers that learning will continue to take place and that procedures will continue to operate. This can happen when the permanent teacher and the substitute teacher are both effective teachers.

You may have the label of a substitute teacher, but you have the opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child when you become the TEACHER in that classroom. Seize the day, be prepared for it, and milk each moment for the possibility of helping your students continue to grow and to learn.

For a printable version of this article click here.