Substitute+Folder+Ideas

This page is for substitute folder ideas.

28 October 2011

I finally got to have my first experience with a substitute. My cooperating teacher had a conference she had to attend the entire day, and so there was a substitute. There are three parapros in the classroom that I am in though. One of them left for the conference, so it was the other two parapros and myself with the substitute. Two students were absent, so we had a very small class. I felt bad for the substitute. My cooperating teacher left her no lesson plan or folder of what to do. She told the parapros and myself. The class keeps to a schedule every day, so there really wasn't much to know. The cooperating teacher left a huge stack of worksheets and activities for us to work on, with the thought that we wouldn't get half way through- it was more busy work. We barely finished two assignments. I think the substitute was there simply for the qualifications- someone in the room had to be certified.

Things that I think need to be included in a substitute folder:
 * Keep it organized. Substitute teachers can't pick through your brain.
 * Make sure there's a schedule. Sure, your students might possibly know what they do and when they do it, but it shows a weakness on the substitutes end, and might allow opportunity for the students to walk all over him/her. The schedule needs to be relatively detailed, including where things happen if it involves the students leaving the classroom.
 * Give the substitute the name of a teacher on the grade who teaches the most like you in case they need any help.
 * Make sure to leave enough work for the students, with something else as a back up plan in case something happens during the day or the students work at a faster pace than normal.
 * Leave a seating chart!!! If possible, have a picture of the student with their name so that the substitute can attempt to know who is who. I will never forget in middle school this one time the substitute had no idea who was who and as a bad joke, students were telling her the wrong names, like saying Chuck was Bob, and Bob was Chuck for example. It was disastrous.
 * Have the rules to the classroom and the reward and punishment system for the class outlined for the substitute. There's nothing like coming into a classroom and having no idea what the rules are and how to discipline.
 * If there are any students in the class with special needs or special attention, make sure to list this. For example, if a student leaves a classroom at some point during the day, or if they take meds, or have any allergies, then this all should be made available to the substitute.
 * Leaving the names of a few students in the class that the substitute can rely on to help out if needed.
 * Phone List. This phone list should have the extensions of several numbers in the building that the substitute might need to use, such as the nurse, assistant principal or principal, and custodian.