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The long-term sub kit

For a sub covering one class for weeks or months, a leave or a vacancy: a handover checklist to tick off, the first two weeks day by day, a grading tracker that knows students by number only, and a parent email with blanks. Print any of it, or save it as a PDF.

Subs Make today's plan Minutes left Welcome board Plans by grade Subject packs First day What to say Note to the teacher My log Free course Pay and miles For the teacher who's out

The handover checklist

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Before day oneAsk for ten minutes with the classroom teacher, a call or written notes before they leave.Ask which systems you'll get and when: attendance, the gradebook, school email, the copier code, the curriculum site.Ask who plans the lessons: you, the teacher, or a grade-level team.Get the pacing guide or the unit plans for the next month, with any tests or projects due.Read the emergency plan and the drill routes from your room. Keep a copy in your binder.Collect keys, the badge and the room's sub folder from the office.

The first weekKeep the class's routines exactly as they were: the morning, the quiet signal, the bathroom pass, the seats.Learn every name by Friday, from the seating chart and name tents.Start one binder: plans, class lists, contacts, the emergency plan and a two-line daily log.Introduce yourself to the hallway team, the office staff and the custodian.Ask which meetings a long-term sub is expected to attend.

The second weekAsk how parent contact works here before you write to anyone: who sends it, which system, whether it is approved first.Ask what you are expected to grade, where scores go, and whether the teacher reviews them. Keep your own record too.Ask who you go to about accommodations and support plans, and where those details are kept. Don't copy them into your own notes.Have the next full week planned before Friday afternoon.Ask the principal or a mentor for ten minutes at the end of week two. Bring the binder.

Handing the room backWrite a one-page summary: what was taught, what's next, anything still to finish.Hand over every score, in the gradebook and on paper, by assignment.Return keys, the badge and any borrowed materials. Leave the room as you found it.

The first two weeks, day by day

Week 1, Monday: Calm and the same. Your name, how long you're staying, and that the routines stay the same. Run the morning exactly as the class knows it. Name tents on every desk; greet at the door.
Week 1, Tuesday: Routines, out loud. Ask two helpers to tell you when something is done differently. Teach your quiet signal, or use theirs. Start the two-line daily log.
Week 1, Wednesday: Where the class is. Check the pacing guide against the last work in the folders. A short review to see what they remember. Ask about gradebook and email access if it hasn't come.
Week 1, Thursday: Meet the team. Find the grade-level team or the teacher next door; ask who answers curriculum questions. Ask which meetings you should attend. Plan Friday and Monday.
Week 1, Friday: Names and a record. Every name, without the chart. Tidy the binder: plans, contacts, log. A short note to the office or the teacher on how week one went, if the school wants one.
Week 2, Monday: Your own plan. Teach from your week's plan, still inside the class routines. Collect the first piece of graded work. Record scores by student number in the tracker.
Week 2, Tuesday: Families. Ask how parent contact works here, then send the introduction the school's way. Note any reply in your log, without details about students.
Week 2, Wednesday: Support plans. Ask who you go to about accommodations and how you'll learn what each student needs. Follow the school's rule on where those details live.
Week 2, Thursday: A week ahead. Have next week planned and the copies made. Check grading against what the school expects.
Week 2, Friday: Check in. Ten minutes with the principal or a mentor: what's going well, what you're unsure of. Bring the binder and the tracker.

The grading tracker, by student number

Students are numbers here, never names: use the numbers from the class list the school gave you. A score can be 9, 8.5, 18/20, 92%, B+, abs, ex, late or inc.

Students in the class

Assignment Out of

No assignments yet. Add the first one you collect.

The parent email, with blanks

Ask the school how parent contact works before you send anything. Copy this into the school's own email or messaging system and fill in each [blank] there. Nothing you fill in is kept here.

Subject: Hello from [your name], [grade or class]'s teacher while [teacher's name] is out

Dear families,

My name is [your name], and I'm teaching [grade or class] at [school] while [teacher's name] is away, from [start date] until about [end date].

I'll keep the class's routines the same, and the work your child does with me counts just as it does now. This week we're working on [topic or unit].

The best way to reach me is [school email or the school's messaging system]. I'll reply within [one school day].

I'm glad to be working with your child and the class.

[your name]
[school] · [room number]

Long-term sub: the first two weeks

Week 1, Monday: Calm and the same

Your name, how long you're staying, and that the routines stay the same.
Run the morning exactly as the class knows it.
Name tents on every desk; greet at the door.

Week 1, Tuesday: Routines, out loud

Ask two helpers to tell you when something is done differently.
Teach your quiet signal, or use theirs.
Start the two-line daily log.

Week 1, Wednesday: Where the class is

Check the pacing guide against the last work in the folders.
A short review to see what they remember.
Ask about gradebook and email access if it hasn't come.

Week 1, Thursday: Meet the team

Find the grade-level team or the teacher next door; ask who answers curriculum questions.
Ask which meetings you should attend.
Plan Friday and Monday.

Week 1, Friday: Names and a record

Every name, without the chart.
Tidy the binder: plans, contacts, log.
A short note to the office or the teacher on how week one went, if the school wants one.

Week 2, Monday: Your own plan

Teach from your week's plan, still inside the class routines.
Collect the first piece of graded work.
Record scores by student number in the tracker.

Week 2, Tuesday: Families

Ask how parent contact works here, then send the introduction the school's way.
Note any reply in your log, without details about students.

Week 2, Wednesday: Support plans

Ask who you go to about accommodations and how you'll learn what each student needs.
Follow the school's rule on where those details live.

Week 2, Thursday: A week ahead

Have next week planned and the copies made.
Check grading against what the school expects.

Week 2, Friday: Check in

Ten minutes with the principal or a mentor: what's going well, what you're unsure of.
Bring the binder and the tracker.

The handover checklist

Before day one

☐ Ask for ten minutes with the classroom teacher, a call or written notes before they leave.

☐ Ask which systems you'll get and when: attendance, the gradebook, school email, the copier code, the curriculum site.

☐ Ask who plans the lessons: you, the teacher, or a grade-level team.

☐ Get the pacing guide or the unit plans for the next month, with any tests or projects due.

☐ Read the emergency plan and the drill routes from your room. Keep a copy in your binder.

☐ Collect keys, the badge and the room's sub folder from the office.

The first week

☐ Keep the class's routines exactly as they were: the morning, the quiet signal, the bathroom pass, the seats.

☐ Learn every name by Friday, from the seating chart and name tents.

☐ Start one binder: plans, class lists, contacts, the emergency plan and a two-line daily log.

☐ Introduce yourself to the hallway team, the office staff and the custodian.

☐ Ask which meetings a long-term sub is expected to attend.

The second week

☐ Ask how parent contact works here before you write to anyone: who sends it, which system, whether it is approved first.

☐ Ask what you are expected to grade, where scores go, and whether the teacher reviews them. Keep your own record too.

☐ Ask who you go to about accommodations and support plans, and where those details are kept. Don't copy them into your own notes.

☐ Have the next full week planned before Friday afternoon.

☐ Ask the principal or a mentor for ten minutes at the end of week two. Bring the binder.

Handing the room back

☐ Write a one-page summary: what was taught, what's next, anything still to finish.

☐ Hand over every score, in the gradebook and on paper, by assignment.

☐ Return keys, the badge and any borrowed materials. Leave the room as you found it.

teach.peabody.kids/sub/long-termv0.1.0

How to use it

Work through the checklist before day one and in the first two weeks.
Add each assignment as you collect it, and type scores against student numbers from the class list.
Copy the parent email into the school's own system once the school says how contact works.

Sub binder maker
Long-term subbing guide
Behavior scripts
My sub log
Sub plan generator: a whole day, printed
No-prep activities for subs, by minutes left
First day as a substitute: the checklist
The substitute's note to the teacher
Kindergarten sub plans: a whole day
3rd grade sub plans: a whole day

Questions

What does a long-term sub need to ask the school?

Who plans the lessons, which systems you'll get (attendance, the gradebook, email), what you're expected to grade, how parent contact works, which meetings you attend, and who to go to about support plans. Every school does these differently, so ask.

Why does the tracker use numbers and not names?

So nothing about a student sits in your browser. Use the numbers on the class list the school gave you, and put the scores into the school's own gradebook when you have access.

Where are my ticks and scores kept?

In this browser only. They are never sent to us or put in a link. Save the tracker as a CSV to keep a copy, or print it.

Can I use this as a maternity leave sub binder?

Yes, alongside the sub binder maker for the plans the teacher leaves. This kit is the sub's side: what to ask, the first two weeks, scores and families.

What you tick and type stays in this browser. It is never sent to us or put in a link. No student names. No sign-in, no ads.

The long-term sub kit

The handover checklist

The first two weeks, day by day

The grading tracker, by student number

The parent email, with blanks

How to use it

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