What should I have in my Substitute Binder?

All teachers at some point will have to have a substitute teacher. In my school district, we would constantly go to meetings and professional developments during the school day, so I would have subs all the time.

It can be stressful to plan for a substitute. There is so much we do in one day, how could I possibly tell them everything they need to know?! And the TIME it takes to write everything down is way too much.

Most of the time, I know in advance that I will need a substitute. BUT, there are always those days where you are unexpectedly sick or your child gets sick. Those are the hardest days, since I would need to rush and try to get the substitute some kind of plans for the day.

After my first year of teaching, I realized I needed to give more thought to planning for a substitute teacher. I hated being so stressed. Most of time, I just felt like it was easier to go to school even if I was sick, than to plan for a sub. I decided to create a Substitute Binder to help me out. I will include everything I put inside my Substitute Binder and hopefully it will help you!

1. Substitute Binder

The first thing you will need is a three ring binder or folder. I use a three ring binder, since I just feel like it is easier to add papers to it and section dividers. Just use whatever is best for you.

I usually kept my substitute binder somewhere on my teacher desk at school. This way, if I ever had an unexpected absence there would be plans and information for a substitute ready to go.

2. Note for the Substitute

Normally, I would leave a note for the sub on top of my binder or right inside. I would include a quick overview of what was in my substitute binder, I would leave a list of reliable students and students that would go to other teachers throughout the day, along with important information like the computer login or copy number in case they would need it. I would also include anything different that was going on during the day if I knew before.

3. Dividers or Sections for the Binder

Next, I like to have dividers for the different sections in my binder. This way, the sub can easily turn to which information they need. I liked to use dividers with pockets, so I could put extra copies or notes in front of the sections. I divided my binder into three sections: Class Information, Classroom Management, and Lesson Plans.

First Section – Class Information

In this section, I include any information about my class that I think a sub might need to know.

I include:

• A class list with all students’ names and numbers
• My classroom schedule and a specials schedule
• A school map with the fire drill path highlighted (I also mentioned that the class roster for a fire drill was hanging on my door)
• A seating Chart for their desk and their spots on the floor
• Then I wrote up a paper for little things I did like: Hand Signals, Quiet Signal, Classroom Jobs, and Brain Breaks

This might seem like a lot of information, but I just wanted to have everything covered in case a sub wanted to know specific information about my class. They most likely will not need everything in this section, but I like to know that it was there if needed.

Second Section – Classroom Management

In this section, I include a paper with my classroom rules on it. I also include a paper that gives a brief overview of my classroom management. I tell the sub what I do if a student doesn’t follow a procedure (they will get a retraining slip to practice at recess) and I will tell them what to do if a student chooses not to follow a rule. Basically, first time they would get a verbal warning, next time a name on the board and owe recess, etc. They would get an action plan to fill out by the fourth time.

I put copies of the retraining slips and action plans in front of the section if the sub would need them.

I explain to the sub in this section what it looks like when they take recess. I also explain that they do not have to follow this, just let me know what students misbehaved and I will deal with it when I return.

Some substitutes have their own way of doing things, and that is perfectly fine with me. I just wanted to include what I did in case the sub didn’t have a plan for management.

Third Section – Plans 

In this section, I kept the plans that the sub would need for the day. I wrote a simple, basic lesson plan for a typically Monday – Thursday and a typically Friday, just in case I could not write plans. These plans were things that the students could do with little or no prep for me, and things that they could do anytime of the year. I picked a certain story for reading, sent them to the computer lab, had a basic outline for a math lesson, etc.

I had this template saved on my computer, so when I knew I was having a sub, I could easily add in specific information that they needed to do. This template was great for quick and easy plans.

4. Feedback Form

I left a Substitute Teacher Feedback form for the substitute to fill out at the end of the day. This included all the information that I wanted to know from the day, which helped the sub leave a good note.

Hopefully this will help you be better prepared for a substitute teacher. I would prep this binder at the beginning of the year or during the summer when I had some extra time, so it would be ready anytime I needed it throughout the year.

Thank you for Continually Learning with us!

Kyle and Sarah