Writing the note to the teacher

1 Why the note matters

The teacher comes back to a room they haven't seen for a day, and the first thing they want to know is how it went. Your note answers that. It tells them where to pick up the lessons, which students need a word, and whether anything needs following up with a family or the office.

The note is also how teachers and schools remember you. A clear, calm note from a sub who obviously paid attention makes teachers ask for you again. A vague note, or one full of complaints, makes them nervous about the next absence.

You don't need to be a good writer. You need to be organized and factual, and you need to write it before you leave the building, while the day is fresh. Ten minutes at the end of the day is enough.

• Short: one page, or a few lines under each heading.
• Factual: what happened, when, and what you did.
• Fair: the good parts of the day as well as the hard ones.
• Signed: your name and how to reach you.

2 What happened, not who is what

This is the one rule that matters most. Write about events, not about the kind of child you think someone is. "Rude," "lazy," "a handful" and "difficult" describe a student, and they say more about your day than about the child. They also aren't useful: the teacher can't act on an adjective.

Instead, say what happened. When, during what activity, what the student did or said, and what you did about it. The teacher knows their class; given the facts, they will understand it far better than any label could tell them.

Instead of a label, write the event

• Not "was disrespectful," but "said he wouldn't do the math sheet and put his head down at 10:15. I said he could start with the first row. He did three problems before lunch."
• Not "the class was crazy," but "the room got loud during the group work after lunch. I used the quiet signal twice and we switched to reading for the last fifteen minutes."
• Not "she was so sweet," but "she showed me where the lunch count goes and helped two students find their books."

Facts protect you as well as the student. If something you wrote is ever read by the office or a family, a plain description of what happened and what you did is fair to everyone.

3 The six headings, in order

Use the same headings every time, in the same order. The teacher learns where to look, and you never forget a part. These are the headings the sub note tool uses.

What we did

What was finished, what was started, and what you didn't get to. Say where the work is. This is the part the teacher needs first, so they can plan tomorrow.

Who helped

First names of students who helped the day go well: who showed you the routines, who passed out papers, who helped a classmate. Teachers like to thank them, and students like being named.

Anything that happened

Events the teacher should know about, each with the time, what happened and what you did. Keep it short and neutral. If nothing happened, say so.

Attendance and the office

Who was absent, who left early and with whom, when attendance went in, and anything the office told you.

Messages

Phone calls, notes from families or staff, and anything that was left on the desk during the day.

From your substitute

Your name, and how the teacher can reach you if they want to ask about the day. A short thanks for the plans is kind and costs nothing.

4 Sentences to start from

At the end of a long day, a blank page is hard. These sentences give you a start. Fill in the blanks and adjust them to fit.

The work

• We finished the ___ and the papers are in the tray on your desk.
• We started the ___ but did not finish it. We stopped at ___.
• We didn't get to ___. It is on the desk, ready for tomorrow.
• Several students found ___ hard. We went over it together, but it may need another look.

The day

• The class followed the schedule, and lunch and specials ran on time.
• The schedule changed because of ___, so we ___.
• The projector didn't work, so we ___ instead.

Anything that happened

• At ___, two students disagreed during ___. I moved one seat and they finished the work.
• A student felt unwell at ___. I sent them to the nurse with a pass.
• I asked the office for help at ___ because ___. They sent ___.

Closing

• Thank you for the clear plans. I'd be glad to come back.
• If you have any questions about the day, you can reach me at ___.

5 What to leave out

A note is often read by more than one person, and it may sit on a desk where others can see it. Keep it to what the teacher needs to know about the day.

• Labels for children. Describe what happened instead.
• Guesses about why. Not "I think things are hard at home," but what you saw and heard.
• Opinions about the teacher's plans or the school. If a plan didn't work, say what you did instead, without judgment.
• Private details. Anything a student told you in confidence that worries you goes to the office today, not in a note on the desk.
• Complaints about the class as a whole. Say what was hard and what helped.

If anything serious happened, like an injury, a safety concern, or something a student said that worried you, don't rely on the note. Tell the office before you leave, follow the school's own plan, and then add a line to the note saying that you did.

6 A sample note

Here is what a full note can look like for an ordinary day. It takes five to ten minutes to write and covers everything a teacher needs.

What to sayWhat we did: We finished the reading passage and the questions (in the tray, labeled). In math we did the review sheet; most finished, and the rest are in the "not finished" pile. We didn't get to the science video because the projector wouldn't start, so we read the next chapter of the class book instead.

What to sayWho helped: Two students at the front table showed me the lunch count and passed out papers all day.

What to sayAnything that happened: At 1:20 two students disagreed during group work. I moved one to another table and both finished the task. A student felt unwell at 2:05; I sent them to the nurse with a pass, and they came back at 2:20.

What to sayAttendance and the office: Three absent (marked on the chart). Attendance went in at 8:10. One early pickup at 2:30, approved by the office.

What to sayMessages: None. From your substitute: Thank you for the clear plans. I'd be glad to come back.

Notice what's missing: no labels, no guesses, no complaints. It's easy to read in a minute, and the teacher knows exactly where to pick up.

7 Leaving the note

Put the note on top of the work piles in the center of the teacher's desk, where it can't be missed. If the school has an online form or the teacher asked for an email, send it that way too, and leave a printed copy.

The sub note tool lets you fill in the headings on your phone, pick from the starting sentences, and print the note or copy it as plain text for an email. You can also print a blank version and fill it in by hand.

Keep a copy or a few lines for yourself if your district allows it, without student names. A short log of each assignment, with the school and what went well, helps you remember the school next time and shows how you've grown as a substitute.

Then thank the office on your way out. A clear note and a friendly goodbye are the last impressions you leave, and they are often what brings the next call.

• The note is on the desk, on top of the work.
• Every heading has something under it, even "nothing to add."
• Times are written for anything that happened.
• No labels for children.
• Your name and how to reach you are at the bottom.

8 Writing the note after a hard day

Some days are hard, and it is tempting to write the note while you still feel it. Take a minute first. Sit down, read your scrap notes, and then write. A note written calmly is far more useful to the teacher than one written in frustration.

Start with what went right, even if it was small: the class lined up well for lunch, two students helped all day, the reading was finished. Then describe the hard parts the same way you'd describe anything else: the time, the event and what you did. Keep it to the events that matter; you don't need to list every interruption.

If the whole day was difficult, say so plainly and briefly, then say what helped. "The class found it hard to settle after lunch. Moving to the read-aloud early helped." That gives the teacher something to use, and it shows you handled it.

Don't apologize for the day, and don't blame the plans or the class. Teachers know that sub days are harder than ordinary days, and they would rather have an honest, calm account than a cheerful one that leaves things out.