Am I OVERPREPARING as a substitute teacher?

Question

Hi all,
I am planning to serve in my local school District as a SUBSTITUTE TEACHER this year.
I have "tossed around" many - many ideas of how I should PRESENT the lessons.......... so the kids will WANT to learn.
I am advised by the local administrators and teachers "Oh, just follow the lesson plans that the teacher should leave for the class. - That's all."
I am one who "thinks outside the box" by nature. - How / if should I prepare my ideas to inspire the students to learn?
Thanks.

Answer 1

I subbed for five years, and was rated the #1 sub in many departments of a LARGE high school. Now I'm teaching full-time. Here's my suggestions for you:
(1) Follow the lesson plan. Nothing makes me more angry as a teacher than to go through all sorts of work to leave directions for a sub, and have it ignored.
(2) Be prepared with a bag of tricks. Some teachers are last-minute sick and can't leave plans. So, have some generic educational-but-fun things to do. This could be a video and video activity, or a worksheet of word-games (applicable in any subject area), or some other educational activity.
(3) Bring something you can use to reward good behavior: a bag of candy? Stickers?

The school and district won't be impressed by you teaching creatively and ambitiously... but they will be impressed by you controlling any situation and adapting to any teacher's plans. If the kids talk about you later as the "crazy" one, or the "nice" one, or the "mean" one, or the "helpful" one, that will also influence the school's opinion of you...

Answer 2

Let's look at this from another perspective. Just how much do you think you are going to teach the kids, inside or outside the box, in one day?
The reason the teacher leaves a lesson plan for the substitute is that she has already planned out their year, and set out their goals and objectives in nice discrete little steps. If you ignore one of those steps, you don't do the kids any favor. By sticking to the lesson plan, you will be helping the slow kids to review things (and perhaps your fresh perspective will help them to understand that day's objective) and you will be a fresh source of entertainment for the brighter kids, who already know the work anyway.
If you think outside the box, substitute teaching isn't the job for you.
Sorry, that's not what you wanted to hear, but that's what my experience as both a sub and a teacher, has taught me.

Answer 3

I know that the teachers and admin have told you this, but please bring your enthusiasm with you! It is incredibly important to follow the lesson plan left. There are reasons for it being left to do. Don't deviate from that. I've not requested certain subs back because they changed what I had left. You can make it interesting by being enthusiastic (something many subs lack), and by paying attention to the lesson and perhaps asking some good questions of the students to further their understanding. You are filling in for a teacher who already has some type of thing going on.....you are only there to carry out their lessons that they left you. Just be cheerful and firm....the kids will respect that and so will the teacher who returns to find that everything was done how they wanted.

Answer 4

You are right, I think especially a substitute teacher should make the lesson fun. You know how kids treated subs, especially mean ones. Think of some games that can be applied to different subject, and have supplies ready to make 'game pieces' really quick, even have the students help w/ that. Or turn subject into a trivia game.

Something along those lines, and you could simply buy the winner a soda at the school's machine right after school is dismissed for the day, or not whatever.

Answer 5

What teachers want if for you to follow the lesson plans. What they hope for is that the kids will not get in trouble and the room will not be a mess when they get back.

Last year I had to sub one day a week because of our enrollement. I would bring coloring pages and stories with me incase I didn't understand the lesson plan. Since I am a storyteller as well, I carried stories in my head. I had a few treats if some children were extra helpful to me.

I must be a pretty good sub because the kids remember me when I come back to their building. ( Our district has 6)

Answer 6

Hi Charles,

Congratulations on your new position! The key to teaching is in finding the way to get your student to want to learn. Education is so vitally important that I don't feel anyone can over-prepare in your situation.

It's obvious that you are one of the few in education who is addressing your responsibility seriously. I am the same way, and I will think of ten zillion scenarios to find a few workable ones.

Working outside the "box" is a gift. Trust your creativity. Watch the children. Pay attention to what they respond to and to what seems to put them to sleep, at least mentally.

Following the lesson plan is a pretty sure way to become another humdrum, follow the leader teacher, and most children are used to that, unfortunately.

Appeal to their sense of creativity! Share yourself with them, when appropriate. Make sure you do incorporate the lesson plan to satisfy the administration's requirements, but beyond that, add and enhance by making the students feel they are a part of the learning process. Nobody really wants to stagnate; they just do because most people don't care the way you do.

Please, take my advice and stop doubting yourself. Take your vitality into the classroom with you and challenge each and every student to be the best he or she can be. If you follow your instincts, you will be the most sought-after sub in the history of your school.

I have great respect and admiration for you. Your students will, too. All the best to you and many blessings!

~Pasha :)

Answer 7

You have the perfect attitude for a classroom teacher, but you probably will find that your creative hands are tied quite often as a sub. If you enjoy teaching and continue to have creative urges, go back to school and become a full time teacher.

In the meantime, one suggestion would be to develop a relationship with a few teachers in particular. They may begin to trust you to develop creative instruction in their absence.

More importantly, subs need to be prepared in case the lesson plans are:
1. missing
2. done faster than expected
3. already done by yesterday's sub, who panicked when the students finished early

This means you do need to have a bag of educational tricks ready to go based on grade level. Put your effort into developing a solid set of generic but fun educational lessons and games.

Answer 8

have you been hired as a permanent sub in the district or a per diem sub? permanent sub-----i would prepare EXTRA just in case the teacher's lesson plans aren't sufficient. you want to make a good impression with the children, the other teachers, and administration. this experience could possibly lead to a full-time position.
per diem------if you're comfortable preparing more, that's ok. i wouldn't put too much time into lesson preparations as the daily rate of pay is usually lower, with little guarantee of the position leading to a full-time job.
either way, as a former teacher and principal, BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE TEACHER'S PLANS. NOTHING ANNOYS A TEACHER MORE THAN A SUB NOT FOLLOWING HIS/HER PLANS. good luck in your career efforts.

Answer 9

Haha! WOah! I never EVER thought MY substitute teachers go on Yahoo Answers to freak out. Wow, this is the best day of my life. You're only going to do it a few times, so just follow the lesson plan and do something fun at the end. You're only hurting your brain by thinking so much.

Answer 10

Why don't you go to college and be a teacher? You can't just go into a teacher's classroom and deviate from the lesson plans. Life isn't like the movie Lean on Me. You don't just go in, introduce new ideas for a week, and expect kids just to love it. You should stick with the lead teacher's lesson plans until you become a teacher yourself.