Teachers - Long Term Sub Plans?

cafedisco

My principal won't really give me any guidance on this and no one in the building who is a classroom teacher has taken a leave recently.

What are you teachers doing for long term sub plans?  How much detail are you expected to leave? Are you writing out daily plans or giving general overviews?  Making copies ahead of time or just leaving masters and letting the sub prep stuff? I'm afraid of not leaving enough but I also know if I leave it extremely detailed, it's likely most of it will get changed or not even used and it just seems like a big waste of my time...especially with all the crap and hoopla that happens at the end of the year, I feel as if I'm usually adjusting day by day at that point. 

I teach 4th but we are departmentalized and I have two sections of students.  I only teach ELA.

Thoughts?

chelle087

I teach HS math, so things might be annoy different for me. Last time I was on maternity leave I had left the sub with my timeline from the previous year and digital copies of everything that I had used so that she could tweak things if she wanted. It worked out pretty well and she stuck to the plan without me having to leave detailed lesson plans for each day.

I plan to do the same this time, but I am hoping that my AP kids are through the AP curriculum by the time I go out, so I will probably just leave some project options for the sub to pick from for them.

i have also started to make a list of more administrative items as I think of them. There will be a lot of organizing that needs to happen at the end of the school year with book collection and storage of other materials and I am hoping to not have to deal with a disaster when I return in the fall.

bww_0331

I'm u sure of what my plan is at this point. I'm supposed to meet with one of my principals this week to talk plans. I'm split between schools. One of my coworkers is taking my HS class (it's in her room, during her prep, and she already teaches the same class) so I don't have to do anything for that. In the mornings I teach MS Spanish and they have been struggling to find someone to cover that. So far my plan has been to leave daily plans (but it's just a 9 week course and pretty slow paced) and let the sub use those with free reign to change as needed. There's honestly a good chance my sub won't even know Spanish, which would change my plans a bit. 

Definitely curious to hear what others plan to do!

lovelongdog06

I'm not the teacher, but last I checked, my husband was asking the retired band teacher if he was interested in subbing for 2 weeks. That scenario would be ideal but I bet it won't happen that way.

catem07

Do you know who is taking over for you? My mom is a retired teacher and has done a lot of LT subbing (maternity and otherwise). My recollection is that the teacher leaves her with info about the curriculum, units, etc. but she's on her own for the day to day planning (they pay LT subs more partly because of that--at least there). However, most of the subbing has been in the school she taught in, so the people trust her because they know her or know that the dept head trusts her. I think she usually meets with the teacher at least once in advance, too. 

SnarkasaurusRex

My school requires us to make sub plans for any and all leave (even my friend, who had a PE over the summer and nearly died, had to make plans to cover her FMLA leave during her recovery - so dumb). Because we are the "ghetto school" (my principal's words, not mine) we have a hard time getting subs to come back to the building, so we as teachers are expected to cater to them and make it as simple as possible for them to sub.

I'm a HS science teacher so my stuff will probably be a little different than yours, but I am essentially leaving unit plans for both of my preps. It's more of a "here are all of the things that need to happen for this unit" with a checklist for each class period to make sure that all tasks/lessons get completed before the end of the school year. Since we will be in the midst of state testing, I know that classes will get disrupted, students will be absent for testing, etc., so I don't want to put the effort into making detailed daily plans that probably won't get followed anyway. This is what another teacher in my department, who just went on leave, did and it worked really well for her.

When I was out with DS, I had an awful sub who demanded daily plans but didn't follow them anyway...I was usually up in between late night feedings trying to get stuff together to send to her because she just wigged out about everything and couldn't handle it. I was too OCD about my classroom to let it go, and since I'm the only person in my department who teaches my preps there was no one to collaborate with. I'm hoping that I get a better sub this time (which reminds me that I should follow up on that and see if they've gotten anyone yet).

cafedisco

catem07 said:

Do you know who is taking over for you? My mom is a retired teacher and has done a lot of LT subbing (maternity and otherwise). My recollection is that the teacher leaves her with info about the curriculum, units, etc. but she's on her own for the day to day planning (they pay LT subs more partly because of that--at least there). However, most of the subbing has been in the school she taught in, so the people trust her because they know her or know that the dept head trusts her. I think she usually meets with the teacher at least once in advance, too. 

We don't have any curriculum...Each teacher writes their own plans and finds their own materials. I don't know who is covering me yet.

@SnarkasaurusRex those reasons you listed at the end of the year are exactly what I'm worried about. It sounds like the general consensus is to leave a unit plan with materials and let the sub adjust the day to day lessons. Thanks all!!

JaneArson

@chelle087 are you AP Stat or AP Calc?  I teach AP Stat and I'm *fingers crossed* hoping to be done with the curriculum by March 29th or so.  I'm thinking of leaving a practice test and some projects too!

Nolegirl1185

I teach first grade so mine will also be different than yours, but the first grade team collaborates and plans together.  I personally plan for ELA each week and plan to have that already typed into our online planbook. I know my team will take over the team website so the sub won't need to worry about that at all. As for copies and all that being prepared honestly depends on when they find a sub and WHO it is.  There are a few that I know I could give basic details to and they will do exactly as asked and a few who need explicit instructions and all copies laid out. My principal wants the sub to shadow with me for two weeks so the sub can observe for a week and start taking over small parts the second week, that way the kids have had 2 weeks of both of us to get used to it. I spoke to my principal yesterday and reminded her I still don't have a sub and that my Dr said I won't be working for much longer.  Hopefully we get someone soon!

bww_0331

Found out today that they found a sub for me. It's someone who has subbed a few times in the district but knows no Spanish. They have had the ad up for months and no luck- so this is the best scenario. Now I'm in a panic about how to change my lessons and make them more sub friendly. Luckily she is able to come observe for a couple of days next week so we will be able to meet and chat. 

cafedisco

@Nolegirl1185 that sounds like such a luxury to have someone eased in so smoothly!  Nice!  I feel as if I'll be lucky to have one consistent person...we don't have much luck with subs in our district. 

@wagnerw that's a bummer that they can't find someone who speaks Spanish.  Do you have any videos or online stuff so at least the kids will get to keep their lessons and practice up or is she going to have to teach something totally different?

chelle087

@JaneArson I teach AP stat too. I should be done in late march, but the course also offers college credit so I have to try and sneak in ANOVA for that curriculum before I leave. I am not due until the 21st so am hoping that I can make that happen.

Nolegirl1185

@cafedisco  If all works out as planned, it will certainly be a luxury!  I also work at a Charter school so we have flexibility in many areas.

bww_0331

@cafedisco It's a basic, introductory course so I am hoping that it won't be too challenging for her.  The kids get a vocab list and that's what they study from (I only have them for 9 weeks and my due date happens to be right at the start of term-so she will have them from Day 1) for each unit.  I'm just more worried about pronunciation and my last unit has some sentence writing/grammar structures, which definitely won't work with a sub.  So my plan is to shorten that last unit to just vocab and add in a 4th mini unit, but since I don't have a textbook it means that I will have to create it all from scratch over the next few weeks.  Vocal, activities, homework, assessments, etc.  That's the most overwhelming part. 

cafedisco

Oh, that makes more sense @wagnerw.  Does Teachers Pay Teachers have anything that you could just buy?  I usually don't use it but for this kind of case, maybe it could be helpful...

belocin

My sub is a retired 4th grade teacher who filled in for an unexpected leave in 4th grade last year so a few of my 5th graders are familiar with her. State testing starts the first Monday Im out and continues through the next week. The weeks after that include the big end of the year field trip, brunch, grad party and graduation. I am currently waiting to hear if I am expected to provide detailed plans or if I can leave her with the materials for the novel study (I am departmentalized ELA) and let her decide how to present it. I am also hoping to have as much of my room as possible packed up before I go without disrupting the kids too much. State testing is a good excuse to get things off the walls!

JaneArson

@chelle087 ANOVA too, that's interesting!  I'm due the 16th, which is at the end of our spring break.  I'm hoping to make it to April 7th, the Friday right before our spring break.  That would get in some review before I leave, then spring break, and then I just really need to plan 3-4 weeks of stuff for review.

Pancake227

I'm trying to leave the topics and as close to detailed plans as I can. The paras in the room know the routine so they'll help a ton. Hmmmm anyone have a good "thank you" gift for two woman who will most likely run my classroom and get paid next to nothing to do so??