It’s easier just to be there than have a substitute, right? But what about when you NEED a sub? Below I’m sharing how a little preparation and an organized Sub Binder can make absences easier for you, your students, and your substitute!
So…You Need a Sub. Now What?
As teachers, we know there are about a million little details that go into keeping a classroom running smoothly day to day. When you need a sub, suddenly all of those things you do without even thinking have to be explained to someone else.
Whether your absence is planned or comes up unexpectedly, having those details prepared ahead of time can make the day much less stressful for you AND your substitute.
That’s where a Sub Binder comes in! Keeping all of those important classroom details organized in one place gives your substitute an easy place to reference what they need throughout the day. It also gives you peace of mind that your substitute has all the important information they need for a successful day.
All the Important Details, All in One Place
Think about all the little details you know about your classroom without even having to think twice! Your daily schedule, student needs, classroom routines, dismissal procedures…the list goes on. But when a substitute teacher steps into your classroom, they need a quick and easy way to learn those same details.
Some of the most important things I recommend including in your Sub Binder are:
- Student information
- Class and specials schedules
- Seating charts
- Classroom procedures
- Emergency information
- Lesson plans
Having all of this information organized in one place makes it easy for your substitute to find exactly what they need throughout the day. Use labeled dividers in your binder so the substitute can locate what they are looking for easily. No flipping through a 10-page packet trying to find one little detail!
A Little Prep Now = Less Stress Later
The best time to prepare your Sub Binder? BEFORE you actually need it! I highly recommend prepping your Sub Binder at the start of every school year so its ready when you need it.
The good news? There are a LOT of elements inside the binder that you can prep in advance. Classroom Schedules, Logins, Procedures, Helpful Staff Members, Emergency Procedures, Dismissal Information, etc. can all be prepped while enjoying a warm cup of tea on your sofa.
I even suggest drafting your Lesson Plans to include your normal rhythms in the school day. Use bullet points to make your plans easier to scan and read quickly (and they are also easier to type out, in my opinion!) Here is an example:
Morning Meeting:
- Put the Clean Up Timer Slide on the board: students should be at their seats when the timer ends
- Play the Pledges and Announcements Video (Rory will help you pull this up)
- Have all students come to the carpet when you say the Magic Word (students go to carpet spots)
- Show the Greeting of the Day Slide: students will do the greeting with peers on your signal
- Discuss the Morning Meeting question of the day on the slide
Most of the points above will stay the same every day in my classroom. I will tweak specifics like the actual greeting (say students will do a high five that day) but the routines stay in place.
For a planned absence, you can add these little details and any notes your substitute will need for that specific day. For an unexpected absence, all your important classroom information is already organized and ready to go.
Don’t Forget to do this…
One VERY important tip: make sure a teammate knows where you keep your Sub Binder! If you wake up sick or unexpectedly can’t make it to school, they can grab it for your substitute, giving you one less thing to worry about from home.
Take a bigger peek inside the Sub Binder via the post below:
Sub Slides: The Ultimate Level Up
Some teachers may say I’m a little “extra” for suggesting this next tip…but I’m telling you it works WONDERS! If you want your classroom to run *nearly* as well as if you were still there: you need to try adding Sub Slides.
What are they?! Essentially, they are slides that cover every beat of the school day.
Why is this helpful? The substitute doesn’t need to constantly look down to read the directions for every activity; instead, your plans say, “Read the slide to the class.” Game changer.
Now you can prep paper plans in a breeze because you’re saving specifics for the slide! This helps the pacing of the day so much and gives both your students and the sub all the directions they need on the slide.
Class Slides are something I use every single day for every single lesson. My students were used to the rhythm and routine the slides brought to the room. Having them for the sub was a natural extension for me. Typically, the slides I use are visually focused because I’m there to explain the directions. For the sub, I’d include a bullet list of explicit instructions. If you’ve never used slides before, this is something I would skip.
One more way to level up your Sub Slides: video directions. 🤯Did I just blow your mind?! Stay with me.
Instead of making that bullet list with instructions, make a quick video explaining what to do! I recommend using Loom or Screencastify to create videos. Then, the sub can just play the video and everyone can hear all the directions at the same time. For me, this is often easier than trying to type everything out. Do whatever would be quickest for you!
What Happens When the Plan Doesn’t Go as Planned?
Because school days ALWAYS go exactly as planned…right?!
Even with the best plans in place, the day can still have a mind of its own! Maybe an activity takes less time than expected, the schedule suddenly changes, or students finish their work early.
That’s why having a few extras ready for those “now what?” moments can be SO helpful. The Sub Binder includes Extra Time Activities such as “Color by Code,” “Where Is My Teacher?”, and “It’s Not the Same Without You” for your substitute to have on hand when they need them.
And when the day is over, the “About the Day” note gives your sub a place to fill you in on how everything went while you were gone. I also have the Sub Award a “Sub’s Star Student” tag to a student who was especially helpful or cooperative that day. I give the student who earns the tag a small reward (like a Jolly Rancher) when I return.
How Can You Keep Your Sub from Saying, “Where is…?”
“Where is the attendance sheet?” “Where is the seating chart?” “Where do I find dismissal information?”
The goal isn’t to give your substitute MORE information to sort through. It’s to make the information they need easy to find! Keeping everything organized in one place helps your sub quickly find what they need throughout the day without digging through a stack of papers.
From “Now What?” to “I’m Ready!”
You can’t always plan when you’ll need a sub, but you CAN prepare for what they’ll need! Get your Sub Binder ready before you need it, then simply update it throughout the school year as your students, schedule, or routines change.
My Sub Binder includes 100+ editable templates in Canva and PowerPoint, plus 20+ Sub Slides to help you get everything organized and ready to go. Choose from two different styles and customize the templates to fit your own classroom!
You know your classroom better than anyone. This just makes sure your sub does too…at least for the day! So before that next absence sneaks up on you, go ahead and get your Sub Binder ready. Future you will thank you!
Click the image below to get the Sub Binder in my shop!
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