The Kern County Superintendent of Schools puts this first in its 25 tips: get there early to read the plans, find materials, check the fire and earthquake steps and meet a few teachers. A 2000 ASCD article by a working sub says to come at least 30 minutes before students to check in, get the key and learn the drill route.
Costs nothing; it is a habit, not a product.
Watch for Start times and sign-in steps differ by school, so ask the office or your agency when subs should report.
What we read: the source for this entry.
The Rutgers Alternate Route blog tells subs to assume the regular teacher left nothing, so they are never caught without a plan, and to carry their own activities and games. Kern County's tips say to keep a story or game ready for early finishes and a few lessons that work at many grade levels.
Costs nothing; it is a habit, not a product.
Watch for A backup is for gaps; the guides still want the teacher's own plan used first wherever there is one.
What we read: the source for this entry.
In We Are Teachers' 55 tips for subs, a teacher reminds subs that plans are left for a reason, and others ask for a detailed note on what was and was not covered. Kern County's tips say to follow the regular teacher's lesson plans and behavior system as closely as you can.
Costs nothing; it is a habit, not a product.
Watch for If a lesson truly fails, Kern County says to move to something you can teach or review, and then say so in your note.
What we read: the source for this entry.
Kern County's tips say to study the seating chart and pick out a few names before class so you can build rapport right away. The Rutgers blog suggests keeping the class list close, asking students to remind you, and when you get a name wrong, saying sorry, fixing it and moving on.
Costs nothing; it is a habit, not a product.
Watch for It takes more than a day to know a class, so aim for a handful of names, not all of them.
What we read: the source for this entry.
A teacher in We Are Teachers' 55 tips asks subs not to change seats, because the seating chart was made with care. The ESU 6 substitute toolbox also says not to rearrange seats or the room, except for short-term groups the lesson needs, and to make a chart if none was left.
Costs nothing; it is a habit, not a product.
Watch for If there is no chart at all, you will need to make one quickly, which takes a few minutes at the start.
What we read: the source for this entry.
The ASCD article warns that students notice when a sub is unsure, and it suggests saying calmly that your way may differ a little today. The ESU 6 toolbox says not to back down when students claim they never do it that way, and not to argue: this is today's procedure. A We Are Teachers contributor adds: don't be a pushover early on.
Costs nothing; it is a habit, not a product.
Watch for Some changes really are the teacher's routine, so check the plans or ask a trusted student before you hold firm.
What we read: the source for this entry.
Kern County's tips say to deal with the one student, not the whole group, when a problem comes up, to skip commands and threats, and to ask for cooperation since you are on the same team. They also suggest speaking softly and waiting until everyone listens before giving directions.
Costs nothing; it is a habit, not a product.
Watch for Some situations need an adult's help fast; Kern County says to ask for help, so learn who to call before class.
What we read: the source for this entry.
Kern County's tips say never to leave the class unattended, and the ESU 6 toolbox repeats it twice. ESU 6 also says to let only one student out to the restroom at a time and not to let students leave without a real reason.
Costs nothing; it is a habit, not a product.
Watch for If you have to step out, the guides don't say how to arrange it, so ask the office or the teacher next door what the school does.
What we read: the source for this entry.
Kern County's tips say not to dismiss students early and to send them out in an orderly way, one group at a time. The ESU 6 toolbox adds not to release a class early to lunch or the next period unless you are told to.
Costs nothing; it is a habit, not a product.
Watch for Dismissal steps differ for buses, car riders and walkers, so ask the office how students go home.
What we read: the source for this entry.
Kern County's tips end with tidying the room with the students and leaving a note with how the day went, who was absent and who helped or did not. The ASCD article suggests grading what you can, doing the jobs the helpers missed, keeping the note positive, then locking up and returning the key.
Costs nothing; it is a habit, not a product.
Watch for Whether to grade papers depends on the teacher; the ASCD writer marks the number of mistakes when unsure how to grade.
What we read: the source for this entry.