If you are getting ready to put your Substitute Binder together, you might have questions about what information to include in it.
I’ve
seen substitute binders with too much, and some with not enough. Here are the 10
pages that I think every teacher should have in their binders.
Page
1 – Daily Schedule
This
page should give your substitute an overview of the day. I usually put this information on a table
with the starting and ending times on one column and the activity that’s taking
place on the other.
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| See it my Substitute Binders here. |
Page
2 – Specials Schedule
This
page should have a list of the specials that the students go to each day. If
your students need to bring something with them, like pencils, notebooks, or a
folder, this page is a good place to add that information.
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| See my Substitute Binders here. |
Page
3 – Medical Alerts
List
the names of students with any medical conditions that need attention on this
page. Students that have asthma, allergies, have seizures, are diabetic, or
take any medication should be listed here. Include the students’ names, their
condition, and the action the sub needs to take. Remember to update this page
as you get new students.
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| See my Substitute Binders here. |
Page
4 – Lesson Plans
This
is the most time consuming part of preparing for a substitute, but it’s also a
very important step. You’ll have to walk through your day, step by step, and
write down detailed information for your sub. Think about things like turning
on the projector to listen to the morning announcements, making sure the kids
go to the bathroom before they go to lunch, and other things that a substitute
might not know to do. Remember, not everyone has the same experience level and
detailed plans can be the difference between a great day and a disaster!
Your
plans have to be specific in terms of what times to do certain things, but
generic in terms of what to teach. For example, you should tell your sub what
time to teach reading, but suggest that she choose a book and an activity from
your binder (more on that later).
Page
5 – Class List
Always
include several copies of your class list. These are useful for taking
attendance, checking off who completed assignments, and they also come in handy
in case the sub wants to write down the name of a student on a note for you.
This is another page that needs to be updated any time you loose or gain a
student.
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Page
6 – Discipline
This
is the page where you describe your discipline system. Some teachers use
rewards, some move clips, and some do completely different things. It’s nice to
fill your substitute in just so she understands what your students are
accustomed to.
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| See my Substitute Binders here. |
Page
7 – Attendance Forms
Your
substitute will probably not have access to your computer, much less to your
password to access a teacher portal for electronic attendance. Some schools
have a strict attendance policy that requires names of absent and tardy students
to be entered by a certain time. I keep little forms in an envelope that are
readily available and easy to use. Your sub can send 2 buddies to the office
with the form if need be.
Page
8 – Dismissal Procedures
What
needs to be done at dismissal time? What do the kids take home? Where do they
sit? Do they stack chairs? How do they get to the buses? Write all of that
information on this page!
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| See my Substitute Binders here. |
Page
9 – Dismissal Chart
In
my binder, I have a chart with every way kids can go home: bus rider numbers,
car riders, walkers, etc. I list the name of each student under the heading
that shows how they go home. This is another page that needs to be updated if
you get new students. Even if your students know how they go home, if a kid
doesn’t show up where they should have, administrators will ask you how the
student went home. It’s nice to have a reference available.
Page
10 – End of the Day Notes
If
you’d like your sub to write you a note about how the day went, it’s helpful to
have a form for her. I just make copies of my form and leave them in a plastic
sleeve in my binder.
You
will also need to have the materials that your sub will use to teach. For
example, add math worksheets, reading activities, writing prompts, and morning
work to sheet protectors, and add those to your binder. You might also consider
having a “Sub Tub” with certain books and math games for your substitute to
use.
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| Have generic lesson plans that work all year. Just change the book or the game that is used. |
When
you start putting your binder together, you can type up your pages on a word
document, or you can look for templates online. If you want you can also look into the templates I used on this post. They are available in this 10 page format, or with
Reading and Writing lesson plans that include all of the handouts that go with
each lesson (perfect for 1st and 2nd Graders).
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| Editable Lesson Plans with all the handouts included! |
Whatever
you decide to do, I hope you can use some of these ideas to assemble a fabulous
Substitute Binder!
If
you have other tips for teachers, we’d love it if you dropped us a line in the
comments section!