Sub Days
Every teacher knows that sub days are no fun. It is so much easier to show up to work on your deathbed than it is to create sub plans. This is especially true for more difficult classes like ASL. What sub can really come to your class and teach signing lesson plans? If you do have a skilled sub, count your blessings.
Before becoming a fully credentialed teacher, I can say that I was only a substitute teacher for one day. It was awful. It was a 5th-grade classroom where 2 teachers had already quit and the current teacher was out on stress leave. I am surprised I actually became a teacher after that experience. Let’s just say I feel for subs.
Know when subs come into our classroom they are probably feeling anxious not knowing what they are walking into when they enter the classroom door. We all know our students are so much better behaved for us than they are for the poor substitute teacher.
Get subday lesson plans here!
In order to make your sub feel comfortable and want to come back to your classroom again, set them up for a day of success. Here are a few tips to help make your subs day a little bit easier.
Plan Ahead
I know this is not always possible. But if you know you are going to be out for a doctors appointment, a sick kid, or just that OMG I need a day off, make sure you leave plans that will keep students engaged for the ENTIRE class period. I actually leave more than they can finish and assign the rest for homework. I like to make sure they have NO down time.
The plans you leave should be able to be used by any person not knowing sign language, but will also keep students learning or practicing the language in your absence. Culture packets, YouTube videos, fingerspelling practice, WebQuests, student-generated videos, and writing prompts focused on culture are all great ideas for sub days.
Always be Prepared
See some anytime sub plan ideas at the end of this post.
Set some time aside to come up with some “anytime” sub plans. These plans should be generic enough to cover any level of language class or have an emergency lesson for each level you teach. Since we never know what is going to happen to our health or the health of a loved one, designing lessons that can last 3 days to one week is best practice. I know it seems like a lot of work but when you are feeling really yucky you will thank yourself for the effort you put into sub-plan designs. Can’t see yourself creating a week’s worth of lessons? Having only one day ready is better than nothing. Always be prepared for a sub day.
Ideas for longer lessons can be preparing for a class debate on a topic you are studying, creating a historical timeline, or a jigsaw reading and presentation.
Sub Binder
If you don’t already have one, set up a sub binder. This will save you tons of time when you have to throw lesson plans together or need to be out on an unscheduled sick day. A sub binder is a detailed collection of information your sub will need. The good thing about a sub binder is once you have completed the information, you will have it set for the rest of the year. The only thing that needs to be changed is your lesson.
Even though this is called a sub binder, you can put the information on a clipboard or just paper clip it together. If you are someone who needs to turn in sub plans, having this information ready for your subfolder makes you look really good to your administration. Bonus!
What you should consider putting in your sub binder:
- A title page
- A welcome letter
- Class information
- Bell Schedules (all since you don’t know what day you will be out)
- Seating charts
- Rosters
- Contact numbers/Emergency contacts
- Evacuation maps and plans
- Classroom expectations
- How to use technology
- Lesson plans
Organizing
I like using a five-day desk organizer like this one to keep my various class lessons organized by period. Elementary teachers call this idea a sub tub. You might have seen images of this idea on Pinterest. If you know you are going to be out, fill your sub tub with the day’s work class period by class period.
Fill your sub tub (or clipboard or binder) with your lessons, worksheets and all the different important documents listed above. Make sure you tell your sub where things are located if they aren’t in your sub tub.
Additional Documents
To ensure that your sub has enough work to keep students busy during each class period. Always add extra work like games, activities, culture readings and questions, and worksheets students can work on if they complete everything early. Task cards are always a good idea to leave for extra work. You may want to keep an empty folder for students to turn work into so it is organized for you when you return. I like to keep a different color file folder for each class period.
Get Notes
I always like to get detailed reports from the sub so I leave a document for the sub to fill out asking about good and bad students and the overall behavior of each class. However you go about this, always ask your sub to leave you notes about the day. It is easy for them to just leave a grade for the class. Ask them to tell you if your class was an A or and F.
Get it Together
If you don’t have time to create all these documents, no worries. Creative ASL Teaching has you covered. You can find all the documents mentioned above and more right here! However you go about it, get your sub plans and documents completed today!
Looking for easy to use, premade sub ideas. Here are some of my favorite ideas.
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