Agree with what Lainy wrote

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2002 : October : 14

Agree with what Lainy wrote
By Cathy-Dee

Lainy has some great ideas so I won't elaborate hopefully on things she has already said.

- Sometimes classroom teachers also need to learn how to prepare for a substitute teacher coming into their class. It's amazing
how some teachers just do not know how to plan for a sub. I think all school districts should offer some sort of inservice so that everyone is on a similar page.
- So with that in mind - be prepared. The best substitute teacher's I've seen and learned from when I first started out were those who kept a handful of activities ready to use for any grade they might be teaching. It could

be as simple as a colouring page or a game or as difficult as a mini-lesson if they knew they'd be in the same class for a few days.

- these lessons were only used in situations as you described above where the plans that were left were not enough for you to go on.

- As far as the spelling test was concerned - if you couldn't have found the words, then you just do not do the test and you leave a note why. Sometimes a classroom teacher needs to learn the what they did wrong as well. Even in this case I would have left her a note saying that you couldn't find the words but the para-pro was able to help you out.

-The teacher may also have thought her para-pros would give you help when you needed it. And as far as the children respecting them more, this is very common. Remember they have earned the respect and trust of the students, you are the new person in their classroom and you have to earn that respect a lot quicker than it is sometimes possible to do. Classroom management is one of the most difficult areas for any teacher to get a good handle on.

Remember that once you step into a classroom you are the teacher! And while plans are there to guide you so that you do the work (or the student's do the work) that is required, it is still you who is the teacher for that day. And this takes time to develop as does anything. There are literally hundreds of good sites out there on classroom management as well as sites with worksheets, etc.,

My suggestion is to start a binder or file system at home for each grade level you might sub in.

- In the file have
- a game (sight word bingo, I spy, 7-up, Who want's to be a millionaire, etc.,)
- 3 or 4 worksheets that seem to be typical for that grade level - adding, subtracting, etc., Good ones are ones that might take longer to do, for example they answer the questions and then colour a space on the sheet, etc.,
- a colouring page
- a read out-loud book or two
- a mini-lesson - something you can do for one class if you need something more to do.
- a game for physical education
- an art activity - again nothing too hard or detailed - most schools have things like construction paper, paint, chalk so go simple with those types of items.
- a song or poem

- and a few classroom management ideas for lining up, getting their attention, and so on.

If you are prepared as well, then your day is more likely to be successful and fun for both you and the students.