If you have never been a substitute teacher before, stepping in the door of a classroom for the first time can be terrifying, especially if your school system doesn't offer substitute teacher training. You probably are wondering if there's any way you will be able to control a roomful of children when they are thinking that since the teacher's away, it is ignore the new substitute day. Even if the kids are willing to listen to a sub, there are other concerns. Where's the attendance list and what on earth do you do with it after you've taken attendance? How do you know it is time for lunch? Try a few of these tried and tested techniques for successful substitute teaching.
Act Like You're in Charge
If you don't let on that this is your first job as a substitute teacher, the kids won't know. There's no list of newbies being leaked to a vengeful crowd of children here. Take a deep breath, stand straight and stride in like you own the room. A few more things you can do to seem more confident than you are:
* Make eye contact and hold it.
* Give one warning and only one warning. Then follow up with the promised consequences. (For example, turning out the lights on a noisy class.) Repeated warnings are like a neon "newbie" sign flashing over your head.
* Don't react with surprise to any stunts, such as books dropping on the floor.
Be Flexible
Sometimes teachers try to make the day exciting in an attempt to make the children behave while the sub is there. If things don't seem to be working, don't be afraid to ask the kids if this is how things are usually done. For example, if you seem to be doing quite a lot of moving around from station to station, ask if they usually have circle time, storytime and coloring in the morning. If the answer is that the regular teacher reads from stories on Fridays, go ahead and save that activity for later in the day when the kids are restless and need a break.
Ask for Help
If you aren't sure what to do with attendance sheets or what to do with a sick child, the office is only a button away. If you need more immediate help, lean into the hall and wave to the teacher next door. No one is going to think you're a bad substitute because you had to ask a few questions.
Finally, don't forget to have fun. You'll probably end up with a great class of perfectly nice kids. If not, your first day as a sub will be over in just eight hours.
Further Reading
To continue learning about being a new substitute, check out Substitute Teacher Training or Substitute Teacher Sanity Savers.
Katelyn Thomas - If you can't find me in the spring, I'm out hiking through the wood with a few pounds of photography gear strapped to my back. In the ...
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