Sub Day Survival: How to Keep Classroom Management Intact When You're Out
Most teachers dread being out, not because of the day itself but because of what they come back to. A rough sub day can undo weeks of routines.
It doesn't have to.
Your routines are the sub plan
If your class runs on clear routines, a substitute can step into them. Write the routines into the plan: where the bell ringer is, what the attention signal is, how materials get passed out, how the class is dismissed. The more the day looks like a normal day, the better it goes.
Keep the work simple and self-running
Sub days aren't the time to introduce a new concept or launch a complex group project. Plan work students can complete independently: a reading with questions, a review activity, a short writing task. Make sure it takes the whole period.
Give the sub what they need
- An up-to-date seating chart with names
- A short list of reliable students who can answer questions
- Notes on students with plans or accommodations
- Your procedures for bathroom passes and emergencies
- Where to leave notes on how the day went
Set expectations before you leave
If you know you'll be out, tell students the day before. Explain what they'll be doing and that you'll hear how it went. Students behave better for subs when they know the regular teacher is going to follow up.
Follow up the day you get back
Then actually follow up. Read the sub's notes and act on them. Recognize the students and classes who were named as helpful. Address problems calmly and directly. When students see that sub days count, the next one goes smoother.
For more on this from the other side of the desk, read substitute teacher classroom management: running a room that isn't yours. And if your routines need tightening first, start with classroom routines and procedures for grades 6–12.