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This topic came up with a coworker, and perhaps someone
here can use my comments.

When you plan a lesson or unit, always keep in mind that at
least 1 and very possibly many of your students will be
absent for 1 or more days. This means that if you "teach
from the book" and don't have a handout, you'll
be "teaching from a book" when every absent student
reappears. If you only write stuff on the board and don't
make a copy, you'll be rewriting (or in my case
reconstructing) for the students again. And, in my worst
cases, I've told my students something, failed to write it
down, and then completely forgotten it. This is incredibly
easy to do when I have several sections of the same class
and on different days.
If you can plan for absences during the planning process,
you'll be in better shape! For instance:
Take the time - write the notes or make the powerpoint. If
you are absent, the sub can deliver the notes or the
powerpoint. If the student is absent, you can replay the
powerpoint or even email to the parent. And, if you have a
student unable to write or needing a notetaker - you are
covered - print a copy for that student and move on.
If you make a test, create the answer key during the test.
Insert a page at the end of the test, and then copy the
test; this time without the answers. You can print just
the 2nd page, or print the whole thing. If you are
resorting questions or answers, do that in the same
document. One way to hide the versions? Create a 7 or 8
digit nonsense number/letter combination and then
consistently choose a specific space for the version. For
instance, 355678 and 355778 - the 4th numbers 6 and 7
designate the versions. Make these in regular size type as
part of the instructions, and the students won't easily
identify which test version.
For writing assignments, go ahead and write out the
directions - all of them. Then, make the grading rubric
and add it to the directions. This especially important
for the take home, multi-period assignments. It truly
helps those students getting tutorial help.
Finally, make your return papers policy and stick to it. My
coworker ran into this situation - she gave the test,
graded it that night and distributed the graded papers the
next meeting. At that point, 5 students said, "Can we take
our test now?" If the teacher had said, "I've graded the
papers; 5 people haven't taken the test. They have until X
to make up the test; otherwise they will get zeros, and
I'll return your tests." Another option? Teacher keeps
all tests until the end of the grading term, and then has 1
make up day. Tests are returned at after the makeup day,
in time for review and study.  

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