Substitute teachers, what do you usually do when the teacher leaves no lesson plan?

Question

I'm going to begin substitute teaching soon, and am wondering what I should do with the students if the teacher doesn't leave any plans. I'm specifically interested in how to deal with this situation when subbing in high school, but would love to hear any suggestions. The district I'm going to work for doesn't give any specific training, so I'm just trying to figure out what to do. Thanks!

Answer 1

FIRST check with the office.  A teacher who is unexpectedly sick will often email or fax plans to the school, rather than have it waiting on their desk.  Check the teacher's mailbox.  Also, check with the neighboring teachers.  The office should be able to give you information such as their schedule, even if there is no plan.  There may even be an "emergency sub. plan" for an unexpected absence, with a generic lesson.

If no plan appears, have the students tell you what they do.  They may have a usual routine they can continue on their own.  If not, you can have them tell you all about what they have been learning, which is a useful review.  If they have a test coming up, they may appreciate extra time to study.  If they have a textbook, there may be some reading or review that seems appropriate.  It's helpful to have some puzzles or other filler activities with you just in case you run out of things to do and students are getting bored.

I substituted for 2.5 years and rarely, if ever, had that problem.  Sometimes it looked like there would be no plan, but another teacher had it (the absent teacher had emailed it to their friend), or the office got it before my day began, so don't worry about it too much!

Answer 2

In a high school class, I don't see why they couldn't just have a study hall for the class period.

Answer 3

The school should have what are called emergency lesson plans.  Theoretically all teachers are supposed to have these prepared beforehand.  However, realistically that isn't always the case.  Some substitute teachers would bring in their own lesson plans that they developed.  However, if you do this be prepared for students that will wonder if they will be getting a grade on it (thinking if not, why should they do it), students who won't do it, etc.  You will have to have lesson plans for all subjects, and they likely won't match what the students have been studying.  But if you can make the plans interesting enough, by all means go for it.  

When I was a sub I preferred to match what the students were studying.  First off, check not only on the teacher's desk but on the board for any indication of what the students might be doing.  Often the teacher had planned to be there that day and so didn't leave any plans, but they might have left the agenda for that day on the board for students to read.  Sometimes you may come into a classroom and be looking so much for something written for you on a piece of paper you fail to see all you need is on the board on the wall.  

Second, if there is no plan at all look for where the students turn in work.  Look at what they did and the dates and go from there (i.e., the next section or chapter in the textbook).  

If there is no plan and no student work then privately ask one or two students as they are walking in.  You will be able to spot ones that will help out often just by appearance.  

Make sure you look at your roll sheets to identify the classes you will be having that day.  Then later you can approach neighboring teachers for help with those classes when you have time.  

I know this sounds a bit "fly by the seat of your pants", but you can become adept at it and getting a lesson going from nothing within 5 minutes.  

I do wish to address to you another important way of keeping your class under control.  Even if your district offered training they would not tell you certain things, especially about the tricks students attempt to play on subs.  You may very well have students in your class impersonating absent students so they can be with their friends.  You will also have students out of seat who claim they are in their right seats.  Here's how you handle both of these.  

Forget the teacher's seating maps, even if the teacher tells you to go by them.  The students will say they are outdated.  Half the time they will be lying, and half the time the teacher will have been lazy.  Instead, on blank sheets of paper create your own maps.  Quickly fill them in as you take roll.  Then compare your map to the class.  Is a student sitting on a blank spot on your map?  There's your impersonating student.  They may say they have been added but will not produce evidence.  Call the school office and they will usually get up and leave.  If you find a student is impersonating an absent student, hold the roster in front of you and ask their middle name.  It doesn't matter if it isn't there.  The student doesn't know that, and they don't know their friend's middle name either.  Bluff them and they will collapse.  

You may tell the class that you are creating your own seating maps and that you will be leaving them for the regular teacher so they will know where everyone sat when they return.  Often you will suddenly see half the class change their seats.  On the other hand, for a little fun AND classroom control don't tell them.  Let them sit where they are, get them on task, and later call them out randomly by name, one by one, and ask how they are doing.  Memorize some names beforehand from your map and walk around without it doing this to really put the fear of God into them as they wonder how you know them all.  

Oh, and if a student leaves your class early without permission, don't worry about it.  Call and report it to the school.  If you have access to home phone numbers and don't mind using your cell, get in touch with the family and have them call the student's cell to get them back to class.  I never had the opportunity to use this trick but I imagine it would have scared the wits out of any student.  Imagine them being in the bathroom when the phone rings and their mom or dad yells "Get back to class!!!"

Answer 4

Both answers above are excellent.  I can only add that you can get free, ready-made lesson plans on almost any grade level/subject at this site:

http://www.learnnc.org/lessons/

Answer 5

I always used to bring my own stuff just in case.  Have copies already made.  Most teachers will leave plans but sometimes you do get stuck.  Always have a bag of tricks ready!

Answer 6

I always have ice breakers or games prepared regardless if there aren't sub plans.  Bring prizes because goodness knows those kids will try to test you so bribing (sorry to say) does work. Candy works miracles for all ages.

Also ask your neighboring teachers or even ask the secretary. I know some schools mandate an emergency sub plan kept in the office.

Bring a movie (lame I know) but you have something - try to make it educationally based.

Host a debate.  Take a hot topic and split the kids up in 2 groups to argue it out.  Gets kids invested and active.

Write a list of goals you want to do with your  life - fun and kids love to think about these lofty ideas especially in high school.

Answer 7

If the teacher leaves no directions or plans at all then it is her way of saying you can do whatever you want. What I would do is find out if there will be lesson plans ahead of time so if there is no plan then you make your own. Here is an example of a lesson plan my friend had to make up once because the teacher left nothing.

20min 1. Morning work was 10 problems on the board. They were all math problems and the students were to use pencil on lined paper number it 1 though 10 and neatly write out the problems and answers and turn it in when they were done.

1 hour . Story Time. Choose 1 or 2 stories to read to the kids and prepare a questionare ahead of time so after you read they can answer the questions about the book silently and independtly Be sure you make it clear that it is silent and independent work!!!!

1 hour 3. Art Project that had to do with the book. The book was called ston soup. They all made there own soup bowls out of clay and painted them. This you may talk and work with a friend.

30min 4. Snack Time Make sure you tell them to use inside voices or else this will be uses as 30min of eating in silence.

1 hr 5. Nature Walk. At the school they have a little pond so she took them down to the pond and they brought nature back to the class and disgussed what they got.

1 hour 30 minutes 6. Lunch

1 hour 7. Silent Reading turn out the lights, separate the children and punish any students who prefer talking to reading and dont listen to you and choose to talk instead of read.

Rest of the day FREE TIME! She made different stations:

Station 1. Arts and Crafts

Station 2. Free Draw

Station 3. Story Time

Station 4. Writers Workshop

The students chose from those and then went home.

This demonsrates a very organized stuructured plan that will give the students a break from the usual.

******For a 3rd grade class*********

Do you have any question? I would be happy to help more if you want.