Whether taking a well-deserved break or stepping out of the class for professional development, prepping for a substitute teacher can feel like a juggling act. I remember the first time I took a personal day, I scrambled to piece together engaging lesson plans and activities as well as instructions for classroom routines and procedures, all while making copies and labeling them for my sub. It felt overwhelming getting everything ready before my day off.
That’s why we’ve gathered fun and easy-to-use substitute teacher ideas and activities, including a free Substitute Teacher Activities pack, to make your sub planning simple and stress-free.
Tips for preparing for a substitute teacher
Preparing a thoughtful plan can support your substitute teacher throughout the school day and keep students on track while you’re away. Consider the following tips when prepping for a substitute.
Put together a substitute binder
A substitute binder is a binder that houses important classroom and school information for a substitute teacher. It can serve as a classroom handbook and cover classroom essentials, like:
- Daily schedule and routines
- Class roster
- Seating chart
- Classroom rules and expectations
- Attendance procedures
- Computer logins
- Contact information for the front office
- Dismissal procedures
- Drill procedures
You can organize the binder at the start of the school year so it can be ready to use for a planned or unplanned day out of the classroom. The binder can later be updated to reflect any classroom or school changes.
Create sub plans and backup plans
A solid sub plan not only helps students stay engaged but also gives your substitute the tools to manage your classroom with confidence. Consider creating detailed sub plans that outline the daily schedule as well as provide clear instructions of what activities to do and the allotted time for each activity. If your sub can teach the topic, then your sub plans can be a continuation of what you’re already covering in class. For example, you can ask the substitute teacher to cover the next unit in your math curriculum. Sub plans can also include related activities to topics recently studied. For example, if your class recently learned about literary elements like plot and conflict in your English language arts block, you can ask the substitute to read a story and have students identify those elements. Additionally, sub plans can incorporate seasonal themes to keep lessons timely and relevant. If you happen to take a day off during the autumn months, you can include a fall writing prompt in your sub plans. Our monthly calendar themes for school provides a curated selection of seasonal resources to support your sub planning.
Something else to consider is that there may be unexpected spare time in the school day. Maybe students finished a planned activity quicker than anticipated, or it started raining and recess needed to be held indoors. Providing backup plans can help substitutes leverage these gaps in time. Backup plans can include fun learning activities, like word searches or crossword puzzles, which are featured in our Substitute Teacher Activities pack. Created by contributors to HMH’s Teacher’s Corner, an online trove of bite-sized PD resources from teachers and learning experts, this pack features over 30 activities for the K–6 classroom, including critical thinking puzzles, writing prompts, and math practice pages.
Organize materials
Be sure to prepare materials for any planned activities ahead of time. Before your day off, you can make copies of any assignments or handouts. You can then label the materials and place them in a highly visible area, like your desk. This way the materials are easily accessible to your substitute and ready to use.
Select student helpers
Substitute teachers may need help with things around the classroom. Consider identifying helpful students in your sub plans. These students can answer any questions the substitute teacher may have about classroom routines or procedures. You can assign this task as a classroom job and notify selected students of their responsibilities ahead of time.
Substitute teacher activities
Fun and purposeful activities help keep students on task whenever you’re out of the classroom. The following substitute teacher activities can promote student engagement and align with learning standards—even in your absence.
Read alouds
Pick out a book that relates to a recent topic covered. For example, if you are teaching a unit on classic fairy tales and fables, you can plan for your substitute teacher to read Goldilocks and the Three Bears aloud. After the sub reads the selected book, students can use a story map graphic organizer to record key story elements, like the setting, characters, and events. You can prepare an answer key to the graphic organizer for your substitute.
Creative writing prompts
Get students’ imagination flowing with creative writing prompts. Assign a prompt and set a time for students to write. Students can later share their responses. You can use our collection of writing prompts. If students have access to devices while you’re away, Writable offers interactive, adaptive writing practice for Grades 3–12. You can choose from over 1,000 prompts and assignments and create new prompts with Writable’s AI-generating assignments feature.
Puzzles
Encourage students to think critically with puzzles. There are many resources to find puzzles appropriate for your students. You can look for different puzzle types like a color by code activity where students decipher a code (for example, a code that’s broken by solving a series of math problems) and use a key to color a picture. This gives students an opportunity to engage in skills practice while having fun. These types of puzzles are part of our Substitute Teacher Activities pack.
With these substitute tips and resources, you can ensure things runs smoothly whenever you’re out of the classroom.
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Find more lesson plans and classroom resources on Shaped.
Download our FREE Substitute Teacher Activities pack
