How To Prepare For A Sub/TTOC
Ah teaching…the job where it’s more work to be away than it is to just be at work. How come everyone else I know just gets to not go to work when they’re sick!? They don’t have to plan for their replacement or, they just leave their work and come back to it when they’re back.
Whether it’s an illness, a graduation, a pro-d event or some other unforeseen situation, we all have days we need to call in the subs.
Discalimer:
Other than doing it as part of my teacher program, I have never once been a sub. I didn’t want to be one and I was fortunate to get a continuing contract right away. The thought of not knowing what I might be walking into in the morning is horrible to me. Will there be a plan? Will I be able to find what I need? I don’t know all these kids names! Where is the gym? The list goes on and on. No thank you! I am, however, appreciative of the people who take that on.
That being said, since I haven’t really ever walked into a class (other than the grade 7 class I was sent to that was ready for me because it was part of our practicum), I am just basing my preparation on what I THINK would be helpful. Some may see it as overkill but…have you met me? Extremely organized is my middle name.
Let me be clear…
Are you required to put sticky notes on things? No.
Are you required to set out all the materials in one spot? No.
Are you required to set out the first activity? No.
Does it make you a bad teacher if you only manage the plan and some bare bones? No.
TTOCs, subs, relief teachers, supply teachers (whatever you call them where you live), are professionals. They’re supposed to be able to come in and deal with what’s given to them. Sometimes there is no plan. Emergencies happen. They should come prepared with some activities in their back pocket. That’s not to say they don’t surely appreciate you trying to make it easy for them.
There are two ways that I prepare:
Sub Tub (best used for emergencies or if you just can’t be bothered even if you know ahead of time)
From scratch (when I KNOW I’m going to be away)
Sub/TOC binders
It’s important to know that at my school, all teachers have TOC binders in the office. All teachers have required documents like a class list, medical alerts, a school handbook with important info, a map, a week plan etc. This binder is given to the person when they check-in at the office.
If you don’t have this done centrally like we do, make sure you leave it for them on your desk!
Emergency Sub Tub
This little tub is really a life saver, especially for unexpected absences. Or…if it’s a known absence but you just don’t want to bother making plans from scratch.
It means you don’t have to write a sub plan in the middle of the night or after work when you’re not feeling well. Do the prep for it all at once and forget it until you need it!
I already have a whole blog post about the Sub Tub and how it’s set up and used. Check it out!
From scratch (when I have time to plan)
I like to leave everything in one spot (unless it’s a larger item and I mention where to get in from in my plans). It’s sticky note central…more on that later! This is how I’d leave my desk before walking out the door.
Unfortunately, while I love that I use so many wonderful programs and resources with my students, I can't leave most of what I do in a day for someone else. Either they don't have the actual resource to use or they likely have no training in teaching the lesson. Leaving them a manual with no slides and no training in how to deliver it is not going to work. This means that even though I have a day plan for me, I don't have a day plan that is easy for someone to just pick up and start doing.
So...if I'm not doing a Sub Tub day where it's those generic activities to get them through the day, I have to plan a different day with different activities. I try to stick to our schedule (writing in the morning, math after recess etc.) to stay consistent for those routine kids but the activity they're doing isn't what I'd do with them.
MORNING WORK OR FIRST ACTIVITY ALREADY SET UP
If you have a morning work system where students come collect materials, folders or notebooks, I think it’s helpful to try to put that out where students would get it from.
Your sub/TTOC is going to come in and have a lot to read and wrap their brain around before the bell rings. Having the first activity ready is one less thing for them to do.
PLAN
You can do the plan in any format you like!
This year I have a few kids with special considerations so I mention that on the first page.
I also put an outline of the schedule. The next pages go into the specifics of each activity.
COPIES
I organize copies by the order in which they’ll be needed.
I add 2 extra copies of activities. This way there’s an extra if something happens to someone’s paper and an extra for the teacher to use as a sample if they need to go over the instructions or model.
Sometimes I print things that I use digital versions of, like my phrase du jour. I printed a paper version the slide for that day and it can be used under the document camera.
I like to add a sticky note to each copy to indicate which activity it correlates to. Grade 2 math, morning routine etc.
AGENDA MESSAGE
Students copy their agenda message from mine under the doc cam. I pre-write the message for the day I’m away. Usually something like “Madame was away today. Practice home reading” or “Madame was away today. Wear a red shirt tomorrow”.
*In my sub tub day plans, there’s a generic message to write if I didn’t pre-write it.
READ ALOUD STORIES
Since we can’t always be sure who will be covering us and if they’ll speak French, I leave a French and an English book for them to read. They are welcome to use any book in my room, but this way they don’t have to hunt one down last minute.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
For this particular day, they needed foam dice and playing cards for a couple activities. I put these on the desk with everything else so that I don’t have to explain where I keep materials like this in the class.
I put a sticky to indicate which activity it’s for.
This year I’m required to wear a mic pack to support a student who is hard of hearing. Leave special equipment like this, the computer cart lock code or shutter keys, for example.
DATE AND SCHEDULE
Before I leave, I change the date and the schedule cards to match what I’ve written on the plan. On the last page of the plan, I ask that they change the date and the schedule (I tell them which cards to put up) before they leave for the day.
THE ACTUAL PLAN
I try my best to be concise in plans. There’s a TON of information to take in. I like bullet points as it’s often quicker to skim than a paragraph.
Below is an example of a plan I wrote for a 2/3 FI class where the 3s get ELA but the 2s don’t. As mentioned, while I try to keep the same structure of the day, these are not our normal activities and I do have to explain how to do them a bit. I try to choose activities that are quick to understand and don’t require a lot of pre-teaching.
I never mind if they don’t get to all the activities I’ve left. I’d rather give them too much than not enough. I know it takes someone new a lot longer to do things than it would take me, so lots of times they miss a few and that’s fine. Since most of these are not part of our regular programming, I’m not counting on them getting done.
If it’s not working and you need to just stop and go outside for a while and skip an activity, do it!
