9 Classroom management strategies for substitute teachers

In this guide

• Know the school
• Get to know colleagues
• Brush up on subject matter
• Go-to lesson plans
• Attention getters
• Assign roles
• Active supervision
• Play a game
• Survival kit

The only thing harder than being a teacher? Being a sub. 

Constantly in motion and never quite settled, substitute teachers are the heroes who swoop in to save the day when a classroom teacher can’t make it to school. 

I have many fond memories as a student in classes spent with substitute teachers. My favourite sub was a regular, and she dressed in fun outfits and always played educational games with us. My least favourites were the ones who never bothered to teach anything, or really even engage with us at all. 

So, as a substitute, what are some things you can do to mitigate the stresses of an unfamiliar classroom and ensure the students are focused, behave themselves and are still learning something?

1) Know the school

There’s an old adage that says “failing to prepare is preparing to fail”. If you’re going to a school for the first time, it’s a good idea to peruse a map of the buildings and grounds, get a hold of the bell schedule, and be aware of any emergency procedures.

2) Get to know colleagues

School staff are your friends! Having allies at any job makes the experience better. Having allies at a place you barely know might be a lifesaver. 

Other full-time teachers, administrators and custodial staff at the school can help guide your decision-making, help out with making copies in a pinch, or even stare down a student who might be giving you the business.

3) Brush up on subject matter

Students won’t listen to you if you don’t know what you’re talking about. I found this out the hard way on more than one occasion. So in your free time try to brush up on the subjects you might need to sub for.

Remember: you don’t need to know everything about everything, but you should know something about everything. 

4) Go-to lesson plans

Many classroom teachers will leave assignments for their students to work on, or a simple lesson plan that can be taught in their absence. Some don’t. 

So when the classroom teacher doesn’t leave any instructions, don’t be caught empty-handed. Here are some ideas for lessons that can act as a filler:

• Creative writing assignments. The beauty of this approach is the flexibility. Reception students can practice simple words, while secondary school students can be tasked with creating well-developed narratives. 

• Current events. What’s something interesting going on in the world? Pull up a current story or topic and go from there. Depending on the class, you might engage in a class-wide discussion or individual journaling. 

• Art and craft. Art is great because you can relate it to any subject, and make the assignment as simple or as difficult as you please. Only have pencils? Sketch! 

You can find tons of emergency lesson plans online. I’d recommend having a couple for each year group and sussing out what will work best with the class you end up with.

5) Attention getters

So you have a lesson plan ready to go, but you can’t get the student’s attention? Try using some fun call and response methods. Chances are your students will be familiar with some, and excited to learn a new one!

6) Assign roles

Many students are over the moon when the opportunity to help an adult presents itself. This method performs double duty – it keeps students occupied while making your life easier! My favourite trick is to assign the student who can’t stop talking to their neighbour the job of handing out supplies. 

Some other roles to distribute are assignment collector, line leader, and time-keeper. 

7) Active supervision

 If your students can handle working on their own or in small groups, that’s great! But you’ll be asking for trouble if you just leave them to it and zone out. Always, always utilise active supervision.

This can look like circling the room, making eye contact with students, pausing to comment on work, and engaging in conversation as students are working.

8) Play a game

Like I alluded to earlier, games are the way to a child’s heart! There are many educational games out there, and even more that maybe aren’t so educational, but can certainly serve as an incentive for good behaviour.

Here are some suggestions:

• Trivia
• Jeopardy
• Heads up
• Telephone
• Silent ball.

9) Survival kit

“The Organized Teacher’s Guide to Substitute Teaching” by Steve Springer and Kimberly Persiani is a fantastic resource. Its first tip? Build a substitute’s survival kit and bring it with you everywhere. This kit might be a box, a rolling backpack, a suitcase, or any other portable storage item.

So what goes in the kit? 

• School supplies. Tools for colouring and artmaking, pens and pencils, glue, a first aid kit… anything your students might need. You can’t be sure a classroom will be stocked with everything.

• Teacher supplies. You packed everything the students might need, now how about you? Do you have a go-to maths lesson that requires a ruler? Pack it! 

• Incentives and rewards. Many students are motivated by a reward system. Packing some small trinkets to award for good behaviour or a job well done is as simple as grabbing some stickers or fun erasers from the dollar store.

When you go into a school to sub a class, it’s imperative that you don’t think of yourself as “just a sub”. You may be standing in for a permanent teacher, but that doesn’t make your time spent with those students any less important. It may only be for a short amount of time, but do your best to make sure it’s the best time possible. 

References

1. Bailey, K. and Nelson, K. (2023). The Successful Substitute: How to Prepare, Grow, and Flourish as a Guest Teacher (Practical Tips, Teaching Strategies, and Classroom Activities F. Solution Tree.
2. Moon, B. (2013). Classroom Management Guide for Substitute Teachers.
3. Springer, S. and Persiani, K. (2012). The Organized Teacher’s Guide to Substitute Teaching. McGraw Hill Professional. 
4. Stanley Harold Collins (1982). Classroom Management for Substitute Teachers.