6 Key Tips for Success as a Long-Term Substitute Teacher -

The long-term substitute teacher (me) sitting at my desk and smiling.

Last updated on September 16th, 2023 at 02:39 pm

There’s a new teacher in town! And it’s you. At least for a little while.

Long-term substitute teaching straddles a category of its own, the awkward blend of day-to-day subbing and full-time classroom teaching. As a two-time long-term sub, I’m here to hand over all of my best tips. We’ll get through this together!

Tip #1: Find a worthwhile long-term sub assignment

Before even signing up for the job, there are important questions to ask that will affect your happiness, work level, and sanity as a long-term substitute. Questions such as: “How long will I be needed to cover the classroom?” “Will lesson plans be provided?” and “When will I get paid?” are worth voicing.

I learned it’s best not to make assumptions about the situation.

In one long-term sub job, I was privy to the exact dates of the term, the lesson plans were all printed and laid out for me, and I shadowed the teacher in the classroom before taking over. This was a planned leave, and the details had all been prepared and accounted for.

Another long-term sub position I accepted was an unplanned leave. The teacher had to leave suddenly, so there wasn’t much left in the way of lesson plans. The departure was related to an uncertain illness, so I didn’t have dates of the term. I took the job anyway, but these factors certainly made it less-than-ideal.

Through both of these experiences, I learned what to look for in a long-term sub position. There are red flags– it’s best for you not to ignore them.

Tip #2: Plan and prepare for the position

I outfit myself with a collection of useful supplies as a regular substitute. The same sub bag traveled with me when I started long-term subbing. Its contents included handy items such as incentives (stickers, in this case), a quiet signal (wooden chime), extra worksheets and activity pages, pencils, pens and a notepad.

When I long-term subbed for the planned leave position, I was able to observe the regular classroom teacher. I asked her tons of questions and took fastidious notes and drew up a seating chart. With permission, I even took a photo of each child and labeled it with his or her name. I started my first day taking over knowing each student’s name for later study. I started with a good grasp of the schedule and my own notes scribbled into the margins of the lesson plan, things like “Leave the playground at 12:05 to reach the cafeteria by 12:10” and other useful things I was able to learn on my observation day.

If it’s possible to prepare for a long-term substitute position, I’d suggest doing so as thoroughly as you can.

If you’re diving into an unexpectedly open position, you probably won’t have the luxury of an observation day or stacks of prepared materials or even means of communication with the teacher.

When I was in this kind of position, I opted to start the job on a Friday. That way I’d have the weekend as a buffer, to plan and make any adjustments necessary for a smoother week the following week.

If you have no idea what you’re walking into, bring blank name tag stickers. The sooner you learn the kids’ names, the better. Bring paperclipped stacks of extra handouts like coloring pages and crossword puzzles to fill in gaps if needed. Bring incentive items (stickers, tickets, non allergen candy) if that’s what you’ll need to get through the day. You’ll need to survive the first day, and you can strategize later.

I stayed late after school the first few weeks of diving into that position. I didn’t have a lot of information to go off of, and I labored to create systems that would work in this new classroom I was in charge of while carrying on what I could of the previous teacher.

Tip #3: Start the long-term sub job on the right foot

The way you start the job lays a foundation for the remainder.

Introduce yourself to the students in a friendly and confident manner, even if the situation is uncertain and frightening. When I stepped in for a teacher with an unexpected long-term illness, and the students were worried about her. We didn’t know when she could come back. So I tried my best to be positive, hopeful about what we could achieve together, and respectful of the original teacher and her unexpected absence.

Your introduction doesn’t have to be that different from your usual substitute spiel. It may contain more information, like how long you’ll be there. Create or make use of chances throughout the day to let the students get to know you as a person, and for you to get to know them– like asking a casual question to the student who meanders over to you at recess. You can learn all sorts of things just by asking a student how their day is going.

Or infusing interesting (and appropriate) tidbits of your personality into the subject matter. For example, while cracking open the Beverly Cleary classic, “Beezus and Ramona,” you could also engage students with a brief history lesson. “Ah, yes, I also read this book when I was your age. That was a different time, when we mostly wore overalls and lots of plaid and patterned vests. We didn’t have the Internet on our cell phones.” Rapport-building and a ’90s history lesson in one fell swoop.

It’s also helpful to send out a friendly and informative introduction letter to families. People like to know who is taking over their child’s classroom for extended periods of time. I like to print and send home a brief, half-sheet letter explaining the important details of my position as well as some fun facts that give insight into my personality. In another blog post, you can find my introduction letter examples as well as an editable template.

The long-term substitute sitting in the classroom.

Tip #4: Be the friendly but firm teacher

Model and practice classroom routines

How you manage the classroom will make or break your experience as a long-term substitute.

In my opinion, the best way to maximize student (and teacher!) learning and enjoyment is by thoughtfully creating an environment primed for these conditions.

Take some time to envision your demeanor, what you will say, what you’ll do in challenging situations. You may choose to carry on with the regular teacher’s set of rules or create your own.

Explain your expectations for everything from how students can contribute to a discussion to how students can sharpen pencils, and act these procedures out. This is called modeling, and the best resource I have ever encountered on the strategy is a book called “Interactive Modeling” by Margaret Berry Wilson.

Act like it’s the first day in your classroom.

Model your expectations and have students practice. I like to have students thoroughly run through routines (until they reach the standard I have set) like lining up quietly, coming in to start the day and begin work quietly, and how to work independently without raising voices to monster truck rally decibels. After practicing and succeeding at these things, I like to reward the class with a rousing game of Four Corners or Heads Up Seven Up.

That first week, we work hard to achieve high standards but also to have a little fun. Enough fun that students are happy to be there and feel comfortable in the learning environment we’ve cultivated.

Set and enforce behavior expectations

Find out what the teacher’s behavior management system is, and decide if you’ll continue using it. In one classroom, there was apparently a treasure box as an incentive for good behavior. I didn’t receive any instructions on the treasure box (or much information in general), so I developed my own system for rewarding good behavior.

In the other class, the teacher had a clip chart system that I vaguely kept in place. I think it helps to maintain consistency, but ultimately do what works best for you and the class.

Think through how you will hold students accountable to the expectations. This can also carry over from the previous teacher. Whichever rules and consequences you implement, be sure to enforce them fairly, consistently and without taking infactions personally. This is hard to do, but the best way to avoid classroom power struggles and behaviour blowups. Michael Linsin’s Smart Classroom Management blog is full of posts detailing exactly how to do this.

Tip #5: Work hard, strike the balance, and have fun with it

There’s an awkward tightrope to walk when long-term subbing.

You’re the classroom teacher right now, but on the heels of the original teacher. And that original teacher will likely be back at some point.

I spent a lot of time feeling inadequate or guilty about not perfectly synchronizing my every move with the OT (original teacher).

But I wasn’t her– I was me. She wasn’t in that room with the kids for 7.5 hours a day, day and in and day out. It all came down to me.

Of course, I was equipped with some of the plans and materials from the OT. And I certainly wanted to honor the work she had put in to set up the systems of the clasroom and to ease the transition back to her purview. But some things, the little details that fill the day, were characterized by my unique flair. I had to be okay with that– with being The Teacher (for a slice of the year).

After the giant hurdle of the first few confusing weeks, I tend to get my sea legs. Routines are established. Students and teacher alike generally know what to expect. We can move through the days in a pleasant-but-occasionally-potholed swing.

And, from time to time, as a treat, I like to arrange something fun or special for the students. When December came around during one job, I gift-wrapped a novel and a candy cane for each student. They “read by the fire” (the YouTube fireplace video displayed on the screen) and worked on their candy canes while light holiday jazz tinkled in the background. We also played board games and made green slime, because kids are always fascinated with slime.

Tip #6: Cultivate positive co-worker relationships before you leave

One of the main reasons people long-term sub is in hopes of gaining entry to a full-time position at the school. If this is the case for you, ask for feedback and recommendations while you’re still fresh on your co-workers’ minds– not 2.5 years later.

Getting feedback from an admin staff member like the principal is the gold standard. There’s no hurt in asking, politely, if he or she would be able to come observe you while teaching and give you feedback on the lesson. Then after this, (assuming the observation goes well) you could ask the principal to leave you a recommendation, either a printed/electronic copy or through the school system’s employment application.

I cannot emphasize enough how tough it was for me to ask principals for observations and recommendations, but I managed to summon the courage both times. I really wanted their advice, their feedback, and of course, a shiny gold star to add to my resume in the competitive school district I wanted to teach in.

I had to get over any misgivings about my performance the past three months. I had to focus on what I did accomplish with the students, and let go of my self-consciousness over imperfections.

The original teacher you covered for can also be a possible source of a recommendation. Maybe the teacher was able to get a good idea of the work you achieved or the expertise you imparted during her absence. It never hurts to ask.

In addition to the recommendations, it’s nice to just nurture friendships with co-workers and positive contacts. You never know where a connection might lead.

A great long-term subbing experience

All these tips point to a happy long-term subbing gig. I’ve tried these with success on two occasions. Please let me know if you think I should add any more. The job of a long-term substitute can be tough and sometimes thankless, but it can also be transformative. Delight in the fact that you are the one stepping up to help this classroom when it needs it most– and have a little fun in the meantime.

Other long-term substitute resources on the blog: