Being a substitute teacher is not easy. Difficult students can be a common challenge for substitute teachers. Try these tips to enhance your substitute teaching experience.
Aggressive Incidents/Bullying
Make it clear to students that both aggressive behavior and bullying are unacceptable and will not be taken lightly. Also, tell your students that they can come to you if anything out of the way happens. As soon as a problem occurs, take action to stop it. This will give you both the respect of the students and also control of the classroom. Trying to connect with an aggressive student or bully is a great way to gain the trust of a student who might not be too fond of teachers.
Bathroom Trips
Before you let any child or group of children (depending on age level) go to the bathroom, make sure to review bathroom policies with students. If you are dealing with elementary-aged students, going over bathroom procedures such as flushing, etc. is always a good idea. Have students sign out or use a hall pass when going to the restroom so that you have either a written or mental record of where a student has gone and what time they left. Also, monitoring the bathroom and periodically checking in is not a bad idea.
Cheating
Begin the class by talking about cheating policies and discussing with the students why studying or working hard to make a good grade feels much better than making a good grade by cheating. Discuss the consequences that cheating can have on a test or assignment. For example, “How do you know if who you’re cheating off of is right.” and “More often your gut is right in testing situations, are you sure you want to chance cheating?” are great questions to get your students thinking about whether or not they really want to try cheating. To ensure students are held more accountable, you can:
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Rearranging the seating arrangement,
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Asking students to block their work with a blank folder
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Pacing around the room
Participation
Create a classroom environment where the students are encouraged to ask questions and make sure you always take their questions seriously. Use phrases such as “That’s a great point!” or “I’ve never thought of it that way!” to keep students engaged! Monitor the class for participation so that you can let the teacher know who was participating and who was not.
Homework
Collect any homework that was due and make a list of who did and who did not turn in their assignments. Also, make a note of any in-class and/or homework assignments you pass out to the class so that the teacher has a record. Also, if you have free time at the end of class, letting them start on their homework early is a great way to keep the class focused and engaged.
Characteristics of an Effective Substitute Teacher
When a full-time teacher is unable to be in their own classroom, an effective substitute must step in, often with minimal knowledge of what to expect. When substitute teachers are prepared with a passion for sharing knowledge as well as many other essential characteristics, they are destined for success! Here are our top characteristics for a great substitute teacher:
Passion for Working with Students
Substitute teachers who have a passion for working with students often inspire them. Their love for what they do gets students more involved in what they’re learning and excited about finding their own passion for a career. Showing students they can find a career they love sets a good example and provides them with a more positive environment. In turn, this may develop a spark of interest and engagement for learning the topics you are teaching.
A Love for Learning
Displaying an excitement for studies doesn’t just stop with the substitute. This excitement tends to help students become more driven towards learning. When substitute teachers show excitement about learning, it can inspire students to get curious too. Their energy can help students feel more interested in school and even encourage them to explore topics on their own. A substitute’s enthusiasm can make learning feel fun and help students connect more with what they’re being taught.
Organized
While being organized is a great soft skill to have in all professions, familiarizing yourself with the lesson plan ahead of time is especially important in substitute teaching. Having a substitute teacher in the classroom is not only a challenge for the substitute but is also a challenge for the students. When a substitute teacher is prepared, it helps make the transition smooth and keeps students from getting distracted.
Genuine Care for Students
Establishing a caring relationship with students prepares a supportive and optimistic environment. Substitutes should recognize that students often learn from the teacher’s actions. Teachers should exemplify positive behavior for students to emulate. Listening, being kind, or simply smiling are all small ways to model genuine behavior. Getting to know a student’s needs, interests, and talents helps them feel like they’re part of a learning partnership. Incorporating this care into the lesson plans helps to capture the students’ attention as well.
Effective Classroom Manager
There are many roles a substitute teacher must step into, but the role of classroom manager is one of the most important and difficult. Without effective classroom management, sufficient teaching and learning cannot take place. A substitute teacher must be prepared and have a good sense of time management in order to make the most of every class. This means having a lesson plan in place and having all materials on hand to reduce “downtime.” An effective classroom manager will also be able to clearly outline their academic and behavioral expectations so that students are properly prepared to succeed. This can be difficult to do as an interim teacher, but it is essential in substitute teaching.
While each of these characteristics is necessary for effective substitute teaching, they are not always second nature. Just as each teacher and teaching style is unique, so is each school and classroom. To prepare accordingly, it is important to provide substitutes with all the tools for success.
Emergency Procedures for Substitute Teachers
Emergency Procedures for Substitute Teachers and How to Best Prepare Them
Teachers often worry about missing school because they’re not sure a substitute can handle everything—especially in an emergency. Many even come to school sick instead of staying home, just to avoid the stress of not knowing if their class will be in good hands. This is something that shouldn’t be a problem if the right measures are taken when training and implementing substitute teachers.
Most school districts provide their substitute teachers with orientation training. However, with large substitute teacher training meetings, important information about safety drills, lockdowns, and other emergency procedures may be presented inconsistently or even skipped. An article by the NEA states that “Letting subs know how to handle these [emergency] issues is very important…” because the safety of the students is overall the top priority for school systems. Without these policies and procedures being understood and practiced by substitutes as well as teachers, there could be serious issues.
Here are a few steps to take to ensure that your substitute teachers are prepared to handle emergency situations:
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A seating chart so the substitute knows each student’s name and where they sit.
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A map of the school to identify exits, restrooms, and key locations.
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Names of helpful staff members who can assist if questions or emergencies arise.
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Clear instructions for duties like lunch, recess, or car line, if applicable.
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A log sheet so the substitute can track which students leave the classroom, where they go, and when—important for safety and emergencies.
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Student health concerns or behavior notes to help manage the classroom effectively.
TransAct's Virtual Substitute Teacher training program is a great way to ensure your teachers have gone through the proper orientation for your district. We can even customize these courses to fit your district because we know that no two school districts are alike.
