Sick Day. Professional Development. Daytime Appointment. Whatever the reason, I dread being out of my classroom.
Being away is SO much work! Students are never on their best behavior when the teacher is away and things never turn out the way you hope they will.
I have a stash of emergency plans and activities tucked away, but when it is a planned absence I always put far more into my planning than I should – and I know it. I should be able to leave the “bare bones” and let the guest teacher run with it, but knowing my students I feel it is better to leave too much than not enough!
The ONE thing that I have prepared well in advance of any day away is my chart of student expectations for a “Guest Teacher Day”. I think it is extremely important for my students to know exactly what is expected of them when I am away. Every year we co-create and post a chart like this one:
I’ve had so many awesome comments left by my guest teachers about how nice this is and what a difference it makes in their day! And when the substitute has a good day… it is always a little easier to return to school!
This year, I updated the chart a little bit to make my students even more accountable. I even had them sign the bottom, like a contract!
What are your tried-and-true routines for days out of the classroom? I’d love for you to leave a comment below!
Check out more ideas and resources for Guest Teacher days on this Pinterest board:
