Getting Ready To Have A Substitute Teacher

Hi!  I'm Brian over at http://hopkinshoppinblog.blogspot.com/ I'm doing a guest post for Jennifer on being prepared for a substitute teacher.  I have 8 years teaching experience in the primary grades and currently sub as I look for a new teaching position.  Here are some tips to make your substitute have an easier day!

1. Have detailed lesson plans.  We really don't care if you have loads of information, the more the better!
2. Please leave a class list!  Include the line order if you have your students line up a certain way.
3. If all student's names are not on their desk please have a seating chart.  This helps so we can call your students by name!  It also helps so we can leave you a list of those that were helpful and those that were not!
4. If you have a sub for 2 or 3 days, name tags for them to wear are excellent!  We can really get to know the students by name.
5. Please leave clinic slips.  I seem to have to hunt all over for those!
6. Please leave extra pencils, scissors, glue, etc.
7. If there is a writing assignment let the sub know exactly what kind of paper or journal you want the writing to be done on.  The children are often unsure and we sometimes have to hunt down paper!
7. If you do calendar time please be very specific.  Do not say the children know what to do.  They will argue over what to do!  Each teacher does it different.
8. If you want me to use your discipline plan please leave specific information.
9. Let the sub know if you could use help with grading papers and leave an answer key!
10.Leave us phone number extensions to the office, clinic, custodians, etc.
11.It is also very nice if you leave a school map in case the sub has not been to your school.  I've gotten lost trying to pick the students up from activity!
12. Leave us a list of your helpful students and the challenging ones.

Feel free to leave comments on other things you feel teachers should do for a sub!

Brian