Setting Up Student-Centered Lessons as a Substitute

Gone are the days when a substitute teacher’s sole purpose was to supervise. Learning does not and should not stop simply because a permanent teacher is absent. As a former principal and a teacher, I have long respected those who serve in substitute teacher roles. Now, as a sub myself, I have experienced firsthand just how important the position is to students’ development.

As a sub, keeping students at the center of all lessons helps keep engagement high and learning fun. With the right preparation, temporary teachers can center students and positively impact their learning. Here are 10 suggestions from my experience that may be helpful for those in this important role.

How I Work to Keep Learning on Track

1. Before students arrive, write a welcoming message on the board with your name. Be sincere. Be honest. Show your personality. If a teacher did not leave a seating assignment, use prep time beforehand to write students’ names on colored note cards or sticky notes, and place them on the desks.

2. Greet each student at the door. Introduce yourself in your own style. Offer a fist bump, high five, handshake, or casual wave. During each passing period, be visible and ideally at your classroom door or in the hallway greeting kids by name as you learn them.

3. Embed social and emotional learning into attendance. Instead of having students say “Here” or “Present,” ask a straightforward question that has a one-word or brief answer (which can be based on the content area). Give them time to think and plan their answer before modeling your own response to the question. Once you begin, move swiftly and make connections as each student answers. Explain that it’s important to you to know their names and say them correctly. Even better if you have a personal example as to why this means so much to you.

4. Prepare a few backup learning activities so that class time is always meaningful. For example, if one is not provided, prepare a closing activity that cements the day’s learning. Since many teachers will prepare lessons for subs that consist of independent work time, a good closing activity is a stand-up circle, in which students can share an interesting fact or a new perspective gained. Depending on their age, you could prep sentence starters for them to finish with their own reflection. As the teacher, model your own authentic answer to the question—perhaps something you learned from a student during class that day.

5. If you’re able, stand and circulate around the room throughout the period. Be engaged. Be present. Be available. Make personal connections that you can refer to in future lessons.

6. Ask students about their learning. If possible, offer casual but meaningful one-to-one conferences about the content. Depending on the students’ age, you could structure more formal conferencing in a special place in the room, using a system. Perhaps the person who just conferred with you taps the next person on their shoulder—silent, yet efficient—or they could place a colored sticky note on the next person’s desk. The blank sticky notes could then later be used for a reflective writing piece.

7. Center student attention. For example, if a student raises their hand to talk and is speaking to the whole class, center the attention on them by gracefully moving away from the speaker. This widens the conversation and encourages the student to speak more loudly. Finding new ways to maintain students’ attention and to keep them connected to the conversation is key to their engagement.

8. Make learning visual, and offer movement breaks that are intentional. For example, a four-corners-choice movement break could be a question you pose, such as which of four different locations they would choose to visit. Have students move to one of the four corners designated and discuss their rationale with those also in that corner. Bonus points if your question applies to the content area of the class.

If you sense the need for a new visual or a movement break, ask the kids for ideas or lean on your own examples. For other ideas, consider a fireball round of “Stand up if…” as a whole class, or “Heads up” in small groups.

9. Show your care for students and their learning. Ask for their feedback in whatever format you choose. Students learn when they are connected and can feel it. If possible, respond to their feedback and use it for future lessons.

10. Laugh with them, connect with them, and ask them questions. Have fun while also maintaining clear boundaries and expectations. (This is best done kindly and confidently.)

Substitute teachers are not merely supervisors. By ensuring that students are at the heart of every lesson, subs can help all students feel connected to the content. In doing so, educators foster curiosity and, most important, a genuine sense of belonging in the classroom. It is this feeling of belonging that will pave the way for deeper learning.