We all have to miss work. Sometimes it’s for a very serious reason, and other times it’s because we did something silly like lock our keys in the car. Throughout my journey as a teacher, I’ve seen and heard of a lot of crazy reasons for people not coming in to work. There are even some people who don’t show up and don’t leave any work for students, and I’m not talking about the last minute, unexpected absence either. Bottom line- while we may not know when we (or a colleague) will be out, we DO know that an unexpected absence will affect us at some point during the year.
I’m writing this post for people who need emergency sub plans for themselves, for a friend, or even for that colleague that never leaves any plans when they are out. (and if it’s that last type of sub plan, well, those teachers also seem to miss a lot more than the average bear as well.)
Preparing for a sub: Dealing with common problems
One of the biggest issues I’ve had when coming back from missing a day in the classroom is that the students say that the substitute teachers didn’t give them the work. Another excuse I’ve gotten from students for work not being completed is that it was too hard for them to do. Now, I realize that for the most part, this is probably a lie. But, you have to make sure that you do everything possible ahead of time to prevent those excuses from costing students a day of work.
So, how do I prepare for a sub and prevent those excuses?
To prevent the ever-popular “the sub didn’t give us the work” excuse, I make sure the instructions are written on the board and that any paper they need is conviently placed on a table right where they walk in the door. I want it to be completely obvious to the students and the substitute teacher what students are expected to do.
Now, the second excuse is a bit different. When leaving work for students, you really have to think about what they can what they can complete on their own. You can’t count on the substitute knowing or being comfortable with math. So, I tend to leave things that are a little simpler or activity types that we’ve done many times before so students don’t have many questions.
One final consideration: you want to make sure that there is enough work for the whole hour. That’s true even for that one kid that seems to finish everything perfectly and super fast. You could have a more drawn out activity for those students, and make sure that you require them to show all of their work.
Now- let’s take a look at my favorite activities and assignments to leave with a substitute teacher:
Math Mazes
Well, if you are frequenter of this blog then you know I love math mazes. Kids love them, and as a teacher I love that these math practice sheets are literally print and go. I’ve created so many math mazes over the years that I have more than enough for the whole school year. I like to save a few for sub days or re-use some from earlier in the year to get some cyclical review in.
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Task Cards
Tasks cards have the advantage of taking a long time to complete. Especially if students have to show all of their work! My task cards have between 24 and 32 problems and they’ll keep the students working. This makes them a great activity to leave for a substitute. Because I have my students do partner practice with task cards during every math unit of study, they’re very familiar with this activity and can get right to work, even if I’m not there.
If I was already planning on using task cards later in the unit, I might rearrange my days and push that forward a couple of days. Or, if students weren’t ready to do independent practice with our current concept yet, I’d use an old set for cyclical review.
I let students work with their partner on this assignment and I make sure that the substitute collects all student work. (Or at least I ask them to collect it. Let’s be real- sometimes I hear crazy stories of what happened, but usually there’s at least one student who is anxious to dish and tell me everthing that happened when I was gone.)
I have my task cards printed on colored paper and paper clipped together into sets. Then, I put them in little Dollar Store bins. This way they’re super easy to grab and go, or to give to the substitute for that dreaded teacher who didn’t leave plans. I took a little extra time at the beginning of the year to get my system set up and then saved task cards this way over the year. That time spent preparing saved me SO much time over the year, and kept paying off in the following years.
Bingo
BINGO is the game that I leave the most often for a substitute. Most people are familiar with it so there doesn’t have to be a lot of explanation. The students get into the game and I have the guest teacher leave a list of students who won, so that I can give them Jolly Ranchers when I return. Some substitutes are afraid to play a game, but sometimes you never know what you are going to get.
To prepare for a sub, you can leave a copy of the student bingo cards as well as the teacher cards for a couple of different topics and leave it somewhere that’s easily accessible. This is my go-to sub activity for my math intervention class.
Coloring Pages
It took me a while to become a fan of coloring pages, but I love that students get a brain break with them. It’s an easy way to have them do some math and get a break at the same time. I think they are great for when you have a sub because part of the activity is coloring. This keep students busy and it’s an easy activity for the substitute teacher to implement.
If you go with this option make sure that students have access to colored pencils or markers. If you don’t, you leave the door open for them to say they couldn’t complete the assignment because they didn’t have anything to color with.
Last year I had one class in particular that was really good at coming up with excuses like this. They had it down to a fine art. This class taught me to think like them ahead of time and eliminate all potential excuses.
Coordinate Graphing Activity
There are a lot of coordinate graphing pages out there. I’ve found some that I love and that I use year after year. They’re fun for students and give them much needed practice with graphing coodinate points. Usually, I give students more than one option of graphing page to choose from. My favorite coordinate graphing practice pack is a set of emojis.
These pages are great to display later, and they take students a long time to complete. When they finish, they they also can color them. Last year I used these university symbols and that was great way to make a college readiness wall outside outside our classroom. You can also get coordinate graphing pages for holidays and seasons (as seen in the Christmas Ugly Sweater page above).
Growth Mindset
Growth mindset is something that we work on in my classes at the beginning of the year. It’s also a great thing to review throughout the year. While it’s not directly math related, it does boost student performance when they have a growth mindset.
One great activity to leave students when they have a sub are these growth mindset quote posters. Students get reminded of the importance of their mindset, and they can color and customize their page.
Most substitute teachers can help with these assignments with ease because they’re not math related. These Growth Mindset Task Cards get students reading, writing, and discussing. If your classes participate in these activities they’ll surely be doing something worthwhile during your absence from the class room.
Computer Games
Computer games are a last resort for me, but they can be useful if your students have access to computers. The ultimate issue with this one is that students get off task and do other things on the computer. To try and avoid this you can assign the activities through Google Classroom (or other learning management system) and find ways to hold students accountable.
My favorite programs for when I’m not there are Quizizz or SumDog or MathGames. For Quizizz games, I assign students a game using homework mode and turn off the time feature. I then assign the game through Google Classroom, making it easy for students to get there, and easy to see who hasn’t completed their game.
When leaving a computer game for students, I try to choose a game that 1) students already have a log-in for and 2) it’s easy to see what students have actually done. Also, you can choose a math computer game where students face-off against each other (SumDog, Prodigy, and Quizizz for example). That helps to get students into it and keeps them motivated to actually do what they’re supposed to be doing.
You’ve Got This!
So, I hope that this post helps you find something quick and easy for your emergency sub plans. Whether it’s an unexpected family emergency, a sickness that makes getting out of bed impossible, a mental health day or whatever else the case may be, these day’s happen. Remember, it’s okay to miss school. I just gave you permission. Your students will be okay and their education will not be ruined because you missed one day of school.
Want to get ahead of the game? Taking a bit of time ahead of a crisis moment can save you in a pinch, so no matter where you are in your school year, if you don’t have a sub folder set up yet, do yourself a favor and set aside 30 minutes to take care of that today. Choose a few go-to activities and write up your general sub plans. It makes those inevitable unexpected absences just a little less stressful.
Thanks so much for reading! Until next time!
