The second you release the students to start their work after giving directions, the room drops into the chaos of twenty little people engaged in anything but sitting at their desks completing the assignment.
Or every time you try to get the class’ attention, your efforts are met with a scattering of voices and buzzing of activities.
Lining up the class to go anywhere? Also a disaster.
You may tell yourself “I’m just a sub.” Or “It’s just for a day.”
But it doesn’t have to be like this.
Why modeling can be an effective strategy for substitutes
Modeling and practice was a strategy I clung to as an elementary teacher– and guess what? I’ve used this method with plenty of success as a substitute teacher.
It doesn’t have to matter if you’re with the class for an hour or a day. They can be trained to do things properly. You can use modeling to clean up and sharpen activities that will occur frequently throughout the day.
Modeling is clear, it reduces confusion, and it lays out expectations in a doable way.
It sets up the students for success. It’s the layup for your slam dunk as a sub, too.
I use this method constantly– it’s one strategy that serves as what I call my “base layer” of classroom management. Often, using modeling along with a few other practices, I can usher a class through the day safely and successfully. If I need extra reinforcement, then I dive into using more intensive methods like using extrinsic rewards and consequences (layers 2 and 3 in the chart below).
So, what is modeling?
What is the classroom management method of modeling and practice?
I define modeling as “acting out” what you would like the students to do.
Choose one procedure to work on at a time. Move through the sequence of actions in great detail– but you don’t have to use your words. Let students observe. Let them pick up on the nuances of what you’re doing– they’re smart, and want a chance to prove that to you!
After students have had a chance to observe the full rendition of whichever procedure you’ve demonstrated, have them practice that exact task.
Modeling, paired with student practice, is a potent strategy.
How to use modeling and practice when subbing
Pick 1-3 procedures to model and practice.
I would prioritize the procedures that are the messiest and/or most frequent.
The class struggles so much with lining up and going places it’s becoming a physically unsafe situation? Model and practice.
Really take time to hone this. Expect top-notch behavior. Sometimes you can even make it fun.
This is how I model the action of lining up to go somewhere:
First, I will make sure the whole class’ attention is on me as I explain exactly how I’d like the students to accomplish lining up. I will first give them verbal directions, such as “When I call your table to line up, you’ll quietly push in your chair and walk to your spot in line. Then you will face forward, your voice still off, waiting to go. When we start walking, your voice should still be off, you’re still facing front, and your hands and feet are to yourself.”
I then act this out. I’ve given my verbal directions, so this time I’m not speaking. I tell them to watch me closely and tell me what they noticed at the end of my act.
Then I act through the procedure, even if I need to utilize an invisible desk to rise from and chair to push in. This is a fun little part of it, and students sometimes find this comical. Either way, it’s engaging.
With their attention still held, I continue to move through the sequence perfectly. I complete the procedure and first ask: “Do you see how I want you to line up from now on? Thumbs up if you understand.” Then I ask students what they noticed about my rendition. I take two or three volunteers. Their answers further reinforce the procedure to the other students. They may have noticed that I pushed in my chair, for example, or that I stood in line with my hands behind my back.
Half of our strategy is complete, but we still have an important part.
The students need to act this out themselves, so there’s no question as to how to perform it.
You may choose to select a volunteer to first act out the procedure. Usually, I find the volunteer is eager to show that he or she knows exactly what to do. After their performance, you can again ask the rest of the class what they noticed about it.
Then have the whole class complete the procedure.
Tell them you are going to be watching closely for success. Remind them to think of every piece of the procedure they’re about to do. Set it up as an exciting challenge, and then give them the signal to start.
Just watch.
Don’t remind or correct at this time. Just observe quietly. They’re likely not used to that. Something will perk up in their minds that tells them “This sub is serious!”
When the students have completed the action, invite them to have a seat at their desks. Ask them to discuss, without using specific names, what they noticed about that practice session. Did they complete all of the steps correctly? After a few student observations, share your observations, less like a hard-to-please curmudgeon and more like a referee making calls.
Repeat this process as many times as needed. Repeat until the students can perfectly move through the sequence. At that point, you can transition to the next activity of the day, but let students know they will be accountable for getting that procedure right. And make sure you hold them to that.
Examples of common classroom procedures that benefit from this strategy
- Lining up
- Transport throughout the school
- Quietly paying attention during instruction
- Cleaning up
- Getting materials
- Independently working
- Playing a certain game or recess activity
- Lunchtime
- Snack time and handling snack trash/waste
- Bathroom and hand washing
Model, practice, master
This method is gold, but the rough and unpolished kind. It’s not brand new or complicated. It takes time and effort, but it works.
Modeling and practice adds weight to your words. Students learn that you actually mean what you say. You’re not just giving directions and moving along whether they were followed or not. You’ve laid it out, clear as can be, and now you expect excellence.
It also empowers the students.
Modeling and practice gives students a greater opportunity to succeed. They’ve had multiple forms of feedback and practice. They have a correct movie in their mind’s eye now of exactly what they need to do.
Consider trying this strategy out next time you’re subbing in elementary classrooms. And let’s see if you have more good sub days because of it.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried this! Until next time, my fellow sub friends.
