essential routines for substitute teachers

ESSENTIAL ROUTINES FOR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS

Angela Moore, Resource TeacherHuman Resources

JCPS SuperSub Workshop November 9, 2010

Before we begin…

Make sure you signed in at the registration table.

Take a piece of colored paper from the center of your table and create a table tent with your first name on it. To create your table tent, fold the paper into thirds. Then, simply

write your first name in the center of the paper using the markers at your table. Stand the paper up in front of you so that others can see your name. See sample at front of room if you have questions.

Workshop Agenda

Opening Activity Purpose of Routines Guiding Principles for Substitute Teachers Introductions Classroom Expectations (Rules) Classroom Procedures Closing Activity

Opening Activity

Consider how you introduce yourself to your assigned class when you are substitute teaching. Do you have a routine?

Pretend those first few moments of class are a movie. Write the script for how you would introduce yourself to the class. Use the script form at your table.

Purpose of Routines

“Routines are the tools for saving time and ensuring smooth functioning, structure, and security.”

-- The Subs titute Te a che r’s G uid e to Suc c e s s

The foundation to successful classroom routines, procedures, and expectations is mutual respect between teacher and students. Procedures become ROUTINES after they are taught, rehearsed, and retaught.

Routines and procedures are a part of life. Weddings, traffic lights, airplanes “The reason we have procedures in life is so that people can

function in society knowing the acceptable and efficient ways other people do things.” -- The Firs t Da y s o f Scho o l

Guiding Principles for Substitutes Page 52 of The Subs titute Te a che r’ s G uid e to

Suc c e s s Table Activity

Discover the message behind the principle. Locate the envelope at your table labeled “Guiding Principles” and complete the card for each principle.

Appoint one person to share your principle’s message to the whole group.

Tip : Pro fe s s io na l dre s s c o nve y s to s tud e nts tha t y o u a re the a utho rity in the c la s s ro o m .

Introducing Yourself Create a routine for

introducing yourself to the class.

Students want to know:1. What happened to the

regular teacher?2. Who are you?3. What do you expect of

them?4. What are you like?5. Will anything different

happen today? Excerpt from Page 14 of

Ma s te ring the Art o f Subs titute Te a ching

Table Activity: Read scripts aloud to the

table from the opening activity.

Create a group script that contains what you want to share and what you want students to know.

Revise your own personal script to reflect what you have learned.

Tip : De s ig na te a he lp e r s tud e nt fo r the da y /c la s s /ho ur. Ro ta te he lp e rs a s a re wa rd s y s te m .

Opening the Lesson & Housekeeping Engage students in

learning immediately. Initiate the lesson using the teacher’s planned opening activity. If there is no opening activity for the lesson, have students create a name tent card while you take attendance.

Make taking attendance a routine. Each class period or school day should begin the same way.1. Introduce yourself.2. Engage students in

an opening activity.3. Take attendance

while students are engaged in opening activity.

Tip : Make it a p o int with e ve ry jo b a s s ig nm e nt to le a rn a tte nda nc e p ro c e dure s be fo re s tud e nts a rrive .

Classroom Expectations (Rules) After completing the

opening activity for the lesson, take a moment to review the classroom rules posted by the classroom teacher. If no rules are posted, share your own rules you have prepared in advance.

Table Task: Discuss the rules you

have seen posted in classrooms and the rules you use as a substitute. Which rule is the most important? Appoint a spokesperson to share that rule with the whole group.

Tip : Sp e nd tim e c re a ting y o ur o wn s e t o f c la s s ro o m e x p e c ta tio ns a nd bring the m with y o u to e a ch jo b a s s ig nm e nt.

Classroom Expectations (continued) Guidelines for classroom expectations

Be direct and provide specific standards. Example: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Non-example: Be cooperative.

Limited to five or less. Create a sample list of classroom expectations

with your table. Choose elementary, middle, or high school. Write your expectations on the paper provided and then post on chart paper labeled “Classroom Expectations.”Tip : O nly c re a te e x p e c ta tio ns

tha t y o u be lie ve in a nd will e nfo rc e c o ns is te ntly .

Classroom Procedures

You need to consider creating your own in case there is not one in place:

Procedure for Dismissal at the End of the Period or Day

Procedure for Quieting a Class Procedure for the Start of the Period or Day Procedure for Students Seeking Help Procedure for the Movement of Students and

Papers

Teaching Your Procedures

Three-Step Approach 1. Explain. State, explain, model, and

demonstrate the procedure.2. Rehearse. Rehearse and practice the

procedure under your supervision.3. Reinforce. Reteach, rehearse, practice, and

reinforce the classroom procedure until it becomes a student habit or routine.

From The Firs t Da y s o f Scho o l by Harry Wong

Tip : Re fle c tio n o n wha t y o u wa nt to a c c o m p lis h in y o ur wo rk is the ke y to c re a ting s uc c e s s ful p ro c e dure s .

Procedure for Dismissal at the End of the Period or Day

Discuss these questions:1. When the dismissal bell rings, are the students

already standing at the door waiting to leave, or do they just get up and leave, even if you are in the middle of a sentence?

2. How do you want the class to behave at dismissal?

3. How do you want the classroom to look after dismissal?

What is your procedure?

Procedure for Quieting a Class

Discuss these questions:1. When you want the class to be quiet and listen

to you, what do you want to do?2. When you want the class to be quiet and listen

to you, what do you want the students to do? What is your procedure?

Procedure for the Start of the Period or Day

Discuss these questions:1. At the beginning of class, what do you want to

do?2. At the beginning of class, what do you want

the students to do? (When they enter, do they know what to do, where to sit, and what materials to have ready?)


Procedure for Students Seeking Help Discuss these questions:1. When students need your help, what do you

want to be able to do?2. When students need your help, what do you

want the student needing help to do? (Raise hands, call your name, stop work, complain that there is no response, etc.)

3. When students need your help, what do you want the other students to do?


Procedure for the Movement of Students and Papers

Discuss these questions:1. Do your students take forever to pass their papers in and

even longer to change from group to group or task to task?

2. And when they turn their papers in, do they throw them into a pile on your desk or punch each other in the back as the papers are passed forward?

3. When materials or students move, what do you want to do?

4. When materials or students move, what do you want students to do?

What will your procedure be?

Group Task Teach your new procedure to the class. Your assigned procedure is located in the folder marked

“Procedures Group Activity.” Appoint a group member to be the reader of your group’s materials.

Plan a two-minute presentation to “teach” the procedure to the class.

REMEMBER the Three-Step Approach: 1. Explain.

2. Rehearse. 3. Reinforce.

Five groups: Your group is determined by the color of your name tent. Red, green, blue, pink, or yellow

Closing Activity Locate the Procedures Grab Bag (brown

envelope) on your table. “Grab” one procedure from your table’s bag and

discuss whether or not this is a critical procedure for substitute teachers to incorporate into their day. Continue with the rest of the procedures in your bag, sorting them into two piles (critical and non-critical procedures).

Explore the top three procedures on the card titled “Next Steps: Procedures to Create.”

NEW Professional Library

Please consider checking out books from our new professional library for substitute teachers.

Resources

Collins, S. (1999). Ma s te ring the Art o f Subs titute Te a ching . Eugene, OR: Garlic Press.

Herbst, J. (2001). The Subs titute Te a che r’s O rg a niz e r. Huntington Beach, CA: Creative Teaching Press, Inc.

Kronowitz, E. (2011). The Subs titute Te a che r’s G uid e to Suc c e s s . Boston: Pearson.

Utah State University. Subs titute Te a che r Handbo o k: Pro ve n Pro fe s s io na l Mana g e m e nt Skills & Te a ching Stra te g ie s . Logan, UT: Substitute Teaching Institute.

Wong, H. (1998). The Firs t Da ys o f Scho o l. Mountainview, CA: Harry Wong Publications, Inc.

Workshop Evaluation

Please locate the brown envelope labeled “SuperSub Workshop Evaluations” on your table and complete the workshop evaluation. Place your completed evaluation in the envelope. You may exit when you have finished. Thank you!

QUESTIONS

Next Month’s SuperSub Workshop The topic is Strategies to Address Intensive

Behaviors for the substitute teacher. The workshop will be presented by Jenny Sorrels, Specialist in Student Relations and Safety.

DATE: Tuesday, December 7, 2010TIME: 4:15 – 6:15 p.m.LOCATION: Stewart Auditorium in Van

Hoose Education CenterREGISTRATION: Opens November 16,

2010 – Call 485-3745 to register.