Last updated on November 9th, 2023 at 05:08 pm
Substitute teaching can bring its fair share of fun and excitement, but it can also come with disappointments.
Don’t let a sad lunch be one of those disappointments.
As uncontrollable as some of the factors of the job get, I find comfort in the fact that there are several things I can control. And control them, I try, to increase my chances of a better work day. So let’s start with packing a fantastic lunch for a day spent in a strange classroom.
Hydration and caffeination as crucial tools for substitute teaching
Let’s start with some of the fundamentals: drinks. Or, as they are commonly referred to in the teaching world, emotional support drinks.
Please don’t attempt to go a whole day without water. Yes, you’ll be better able to face the teacher’s restrictive bathroom schedule (sigh), but at what cost? Your health shouldn’t take a back seat to this gig– we don’t get paid enough or have the health insurance for that kind of sacrifice. I guess you will have no choice but to utilitze the school water fountain to provide proper hydration.
If remembering to bring drinks to job assignments is challenging for you, I recommend getting everything together the night before. I like to place my water bottle and coffee mug, with their corresponding lids, on the counter all cute and ready to go for the whirlwind of a next day.
My typical drinks list includes: 1. Coffee, hot and generously color-changed with cream. (The day may hold many challenges– I’ll need to take whatever sources of joy and motivation that I can.) 2. Water, both plain and sparkling.
I usually fill an insulated to-go mug, like a YETI, with hot coffee so it stays warm as I sip on it. Honestly, the first half of most subbing days is a blur for me because it’s characterized by a lot of sipping and circulating the classroom. This security blanket coffee, sweet, warming, grounding nectar that it is, propels me at least to specials class. Or, if it’s high school, through the first three periods.
Water is my cold drink of choice. I’ve learned that one can of sparkling water is not enough to quench me– I need an additional bottle of the hydration liquid. If you’re wondering logistically how I can carry three different drinks into a school without spilling everything, I am as well. What’s worked best is cramming the two waters into my lunch box, carrying that in one hand, and holding the coffee mug in the other hand.
The water gets sipped periodically, and I usually reserve the sparkling water as an afternoon treat, a fizzy pick-me-up when we’re kind of running out of things to do.
My recipe for a satisfying substitute teacher lunch
With drinks covered, we’re in a good place. But lunch is important, too.
I’ve flown out of the house with nothing more than a bunch of bananas. Or three granola bars. One of those family-size tubs of yogurt.
Sure, off-the-cuff lunches can help rid those hunger pangs, but it’s still lackluster and sad.
Since I never know what kind of day I’ll end up with subbing, I know at least my lunch can bring a tiny ray of joy and leave me satiated. That’s why I make planning and packing a great lunch a priority.
I recommend tackling this the night before, so it’s not an afterthought if you have to fly out the door. You can do components, like assembling a sandwich, or you can go all-in and just pack the entire lunch. I like to do this, inside the lunch box, making it stupid simple to just grab the lunchbox out of the fridge when I need to go.
I’ve found that my favorite and most successful lunches roughly follow this formula:
Main item: Sandwich or salad containing protein
Side: Fruit, hard-boiled egg, yogurt or cottage cheese pack
Snack: Nut bar or something similar
Drinks: Coffee + Waters
Examples of a substitute teacher lunch
Lunch #1
The lunch featured in the photo below was tiny but mighty. You can see it all fits in the space of, let’s say, a computer mouse pad.
But it was deeelicious. I took the time to craft a turkey sandwich with all the fixings (cheese, mustard, onion, tomato, etc.). This crisp gala apple had recently been a favorite find at the grocery store, so it gave me much joy and hope as I bit into it, all teacher like. Finally, the mini nut bar was a treat, a reminder that life is sweet despite the children not listening.
Lunch #2
My second lunch example (pictured below) was also filling, satisfying, and not at all sad.
This very combination fueled me the day I was faced with the turmoil of subbing in a room that had been covered for over a week by a litany of different subs. I found I could prevail in the not-so-great situation, thanks to a healthful, tasty, protein-packed meal.
The salad contains romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes and onion, and sliced lunch meat and Swiss cheese, mixed with a homemade creamy dressing.
The hard-boiled egg is sprinkled with sea salt, and the cottage cheese package contains a sweet peach jam to flavor the diary.
This lunch is filling and adequately interesting, thanks to the peach jam.
Where I eat lunch as a substitute
There was a time where I’d agonize a bit too much over where to eat lunch– the teacher’s lounge or the classroom. Now I’d say do whatever you want, within reason.
Eating in the teacher’s lounge can be a great way to get to know other staff members. You can really feel out the climate of the school, not to mention learn some juicy gossip, just by sitting around these places. Plus, this may be your only lunch location choice if you don’t have access to your own classroom.
I usually end up eating in the classroom, lights off, decompressing style.
I’m an introvert and like to bask in the quiet sometimes. Do what works best for you.
Fueling your subbing day
I hope this helps give you new and exciting ideas for your substitute teacher lunches. In fact, regular, full-time teachers, if you’re reading this, you can deploy these tactics as well.
If you’re wondering what tools I bring in my sub bag, I have a whole other post on that subject for you to check out.
My hope is that this information assists you in cutting down on some of the decision fatigue so rampant in teaching and sets you free to do the things you love– teach, enjoy your family, etc.
May your lunches be tasty and satisfying, and your classrooms be calm. I’m rooting for you!
