Category: Teacher’s Pay Teachers

As a teacher, you know that having to miss a day of school is inevitable. Whether it’s due to illness, a professional development opportunity, or an unexpected emergency, being absent from the classroom can be stressful, to say the least! Who wants to make sub plans when they are in the middle of an emergency or illness? One of the best ways to ease this stress is by having well-prepared sub-plans. 

Why are sub plans important?

Detailed and easy-to-follow sub-plans ensure that your students continue their learning seamlessly, and your substitute teacher can manage the classroom effectively. 

Here are 5 tips and tricks to help you create sub-plans that will make any substitute’s day run smoothly.

Be Clear and Concise

When creating your sub-plans, clarity is key! Write instructions in a simple, straightforward manner, avoiding jargon.. Make sure to outline each part of the day, including the schedule, activities, and any specific routines your class follows. The clearer your instructions, the easier it will be for the substitute to follow them, and the less likely your students will experience any disruptions.

Include a Classroom Overview

A substitute walking into your classroom for the first time will benefit greatly from a brief overview. Include a classroom map, a seating chart, and a list of important procedures (e.g., how to handle bathroom breaks, fire drills, or lunch routines). Also, mention any special needs or considerations for certain students. This will help the substitute feel more confident and prepared to manage your class effectively.

Prepare Engaging Activities

Substitute teachers often struggle with keeping students engaged. To avoid this, try to prepare a variety of engaging and educational activities. Make sure these activities are not only fun but also align with the curriculum so that learning continues even in your absence. Providing clear instructions and all necessary materials will ensure the substitute can easily implement these activities.

Leave Detailed Lesson Plans

Provide detailed lesson plans that include objectives, materials needed, step-by-step instructions, and any worksheets or handouts. It’s also helpful to leave a few extra activities or “time-fillers” just in case the substitute needs them. These could be educational games, reading assignments, or simple projects that are easy to manage.

Create a Feedback System

After your absence, it’s important to know how the day went. Include a feedback form in your sub-plans for the substitute to fill out. This form can ask questions about what was covered, any issues that arose, and any notes about student behavior or participation. This feedback is invaluable for improving your future sub-plans and understanding how your students adapted to your absence.

By following these tips, you can create sub-plans that are not only effective but also stress-free for both you and the substitute teacher! 

For a ready-made sub plans for teachers consider checking out my Emergency Sub Plans for Kindergarten editable resource with ten days of plans!  

This resource offers ten days of editable plans specifically designed for kindergarten, ensuring that you are always prepared for any unexpected absence. With these comprehensive plans, you can rest easy knowing your students’ learning will continue smoothly in your absence.

Looking for other grade-level plans? I have you covered! Check out 1st grade, 2nd grade, or 3rd grade sub plans here! 

Want more classroom management tips? Check out my post here on the benefits of using a visual schedule in your classroom!

Doing STEM activities with elementary students is one of my favorites! STEM activities foster creativity and critical thinking by encouraging students to solve real-world problems. They build foundational skills in science, technology, engineering, and math, preparing students for future academic success. 

Additionally, hands-on STEM projects make learning fun and engaging, sparking a lifelong interest in these subjects.

If you’re looking for STEM activities for kids, you’ll love these STEM activities for students! Whether you are looking to enhance your geometry lessons, incorporate literature into your STEM curriculum, or add excitement to your classroom with real-world engineering problems, we’ve got you covered. 

Let’s dive into some activities that will make your students excited about learning!

3 Tips for Doing STEM Activities in Your Elementary Classroom

1. Use Hands-On Learning

Engage students with materials they can touch and build with, like toothpicks and molding dough for creating shapes. This makes learning more interactive and fun.

2. Connect to Real-World Scenarios

Relate activities to everyday experiences. Use familiar stories, like designing a mouse house from “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” to make learning relevant and exciting.

3. Encourage Teamwork

Promote collaboration with projects like the Apollo Lunar Module Challenge, where students work together to design and test solutions, building teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Here are some engaging and fun STEM activities you can do with your early elementary students! 

2D 3D SHAPES Toothpick Cards | STEM Activities and Challenges

Are you looking for some engaging STEM ideas to incorporate into building geometry skills with 2D and 3D Shapes? I have you covered with these Build-A-Shape Mats! Print and laminate. Students build shapes with toothpicks and molding dough (you can use marshmallows or gumdrops instead), count the toothpicks, sides, and vertices, and trace the words!

​​If YOU Give a Mouse a Cookie STEM Challenge | Build a MOUSE HOUSE

Be the teacher they remember with these engaging STEM Activities! Kids will have a blast learning about blueprints, floor plans, area, design, and writing while doing these activities! Use the book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff as a hook with this STEM activity! 

Popsicle Stick Activities | Basketball STEM Catapult Challenge

Looking for an engaging STEM activity to engage your students with academic skills to solve real-world problems? This will enhance learning about basketball during March Madness. Be the teacher they remember by using student interests in your lessons by having them build a catapult to dunk a ball in a basket!

Apollo Lunar Module STEM CHALLENGE

Are you looking for an engaging STEM Challenge to enhance your space unit or to teach how the first man landed on the moon? This is a great challenge for students to use materials to create a Lunar Lander (module) to test for a soft landing with their “shock absorbers.” 

I hope your students love these activities! If you want to learn more, check out my post on the top benefits of STEM in elementary! 

Teaching lower elementary students is a rewarding experience filled with curious minds and boundless energy. However, managing a classroom of young learners can sometimes be challenging. Over the years, I’ve discovered some unique and effective classroom management techniques to create a positive and structured learning environment. 

If you’re looking for some classroom management strategies for teachers of little ones, this post is for you!

What are some classroom management strategies? 

1. Morning Meetings to Set the Tone

Starting the day with a morning meeting helps create a sense of community and sets a positive tone for the day. Gather your students in a circle and spend a few minutes sharing good news, discussing the day’s schedule, and addressing any concerns. This routine not only builds relationships but also helps students transition smoothly into the school day.

2. Interactive Visual Schedules

Young children thrive on routine, but they also need visual cues to understand what’s coming next. Create an interactive visual schedule that you can update throughout the day. Use pictures and words to represent each activity, and involve students by letting them move the markers or cards. This helps students feel more in control and reduces anxiety about transitions. 

Check out this visual schedule resource! 

3. Classroom Jobs for Responsibility

Assigning classroom jobs gives students a sense of responsibility and ownership. Create a job chart with roles such as line leader, book monitor, or snack helper. Rotate the jobs weekly so everyone gets a chance to participate. Not only does this teach responsibility, but it also fosters teamwork and helps the classroom run smoothly.

Check out this classroom job resource! 

4. Calm Down Corner

Sometimes students need a break from the hustle and bustle of the classroom. Designate a small area as a “Calm Down Corner” where students can go to relax and regroup. Stock it with items like stress balls, coloring sheets, and cozy pillows. Teach students how to use this space appropriately and encourage them to take a break when they feel overwhelmed.

5. Positive Reinforcement and Rewards

Positive reinforcement is incredibly powerful with young learners. Create a reward system that recognizes both individual and class achievements. This could be a sticker chart, a marble jar, or a treasure box. Celebrate milestones and good behavior with small rewards or special privileges. Remember to praise effort and improvement, not just perfection! 

By implementing these tips, you’ll create a classroom environment where students feel valued, understood, and motivated to learn. Classroom management is not just about maintaining order; it’s about fostering a space where every student can thrive! 

If you’re looking for an effective, fun, and unique classroom management rewards system, you have to try out Desk Pet Pals! 

When students do a good job, they earn “money”, with their money, they can purchase their very own Desk Pet Pal! These are essentially animal-shaped erasers that you can buy in bulk online like these. Once they have their own pet, they can create a habitat for their new friend. 

This resource comes with all of the templates you need to make this classroom management system a success including behavior contracts, signs, behavior charts, habitats to color, and more! 

What are your best classroom management tips? Share in the comments! If you’re looking for more classroom management ideas, check out the Blurt Bean Jar!