Creating Classroom Community... while taking attendance!

Hello readers! Today I want to share one of the things I do in my class to try to develop a classroom community, where the students really get to know one another. There are a million ways to do this, and one of the things I love to do is make calling attendance fun.

Now, after the first few days of school, you probably know all the students’ names, and you don’t really need to “call” roll; rather, you can just look around the room and see who is/isn’t there. I say that’s no fun. So what I do instead is I call roll every morning, and instead of having students raise their hands, say “here” or “present,” I ask the students to answer a question about themselves for me.

The first few days it’s always something simple, like “What is your favorite color?” and “what is your favorite food?” But after a few days, it takes a bit more creativity. Things like “Would you rather be a lion or an elephant?” or “Would you rather be able to turn invisible, or be able to fly?” After a week, my students start shouting out questions they want to answer. It makes taking attendance much more interesting, and it’s one of the little ways I try to get to know my students and help them get to know one another! It’s also great for calling roll as a sub.

Have any of you tried this for calling attendance? Any good recommendations for questions to ask the kiddos? Feel free to leave a comment!

Subbing 101: 10 Essentials to Keep in Your Substitute Teacher Bag

One of the things I’ve learned a lot about through trial and error is what things I need to bring with me on the job. Ideally, everything you’ll need to teach will be there in the classroom, and you won’t need to take out any of your supplies. That said, making sure you have these 10 things on hand will be a huge time saver.

10 Essentials to keep in your sub bag. I always have my prize box, tons of stickers, post its, and whiteboard markers, just in case!

1. Writing tools - both for you and for the students. I always keep a pen and a pack of pencils in my bag. I always want to have a pen on hand for when I write my sub notes. I also keep pencils because sometimes the teachers don’t have extras for their students, or they have them hidden somewhere. It’s easier for me to just reach into my bag and give out one of my own pencils rather than wasting 5 minutes of instructional time to do so. It’s also really smart to have whiteboard markers in your bag - same thing as the pencils. The teacher probably has them, but it’s not worth losing the students’ attention to search them out if they aren’t in an obvious place. Keep a few Expos in your bag, just in case.
2. Paper for writing sub notes. Usually this is something you can find around the classroom, but it’s so much easier to just have this on hand. I always have either a binder with lined paper or a notebook for this purpose.
3. My Planner always comes in handy. When you’re good at what you do, other teachers will notice. Sometimes they know they’ll be out sometime soon, whether it’s for a family thing, professional development, whatever. It’s good to have your planner on hand in case the teacher next door asks “Are you free on the 21st? I need someone to cover my class!” Like Scar from The Lion King, I’m going to tell you - Be prepared!
4. Post its. Okay, I admit, I think I have a post it problem. When I collect papers throughout the day, I put post it notes on them to let the teacher know what it is. Yeah, the teacher probably already knows what it is without the post it. The post it notes are just as much for my sake as for the teacher’s. It’s an easier way to organize what papers you collected and from whom - sometimes even at an elementary level, you’ll be subbing for different classes, and it’s easy to collect a stack of papers from Room 27 and get them mixed up with Room 31’s papers. Post its save my life all the time.
5. A book for myself. I love to read, and while usually all my free time during a day of subbing is taken up by re-re-rereading the sub plans or organizing something, sometimes you’ll have time to kill at lunch. I always bring along a teacher book. I’m currently reading through Teach Like a Champion 2.0 for the 40th time. It’s just such a great book!
6. Band-Aids. When a kid comes up to you crying because they have a cut on their hand/knee/finger/wherever, it’s so much easier to deal with when you know where the band-aids are and don’t have to frantically search every nook and cranny. Trust me on this.
7. Sponge activities of some sort. Okay, so this doesn’t necessarily have to be something tangible, but I personally like to bring in flashcards in addition to having a handful of activity ideas in the back of my head. With flash cards, if we have an extra 5-10 minutes, I can pull out the flashcards and play Around the World. Super handy, I highly recommend it.
8. Stickers may seem a little juvenile, but if you’re subbing in elementary school, then your students probably love stickers. Yes, even the older kids. I had a college professor who would put stickers on our finished papers before handing them back, and it always made my day. I firmly believe that you are never too old for stickers, and in my experience, my students agree. A lot of times, especially with younger students, I’ll cut down a piece of paper to be about 2 in x 4 in, and bring in a pad or two of stickers. Each student gets a slip of paper and keeps it on his/her desk. While they work, I’ll come around and stick on a sticker if I catch them on task.
9. Raffle tickets and prize box. Yeah, I’m one of those teachers. I bribe students using a prize box. It works. I actually don’t usually use proper raffle tickets. Instead, I cut up colored card stock and pass out a slip when the students are on task. I’ll draw a few raffle tickets at a time throughout the day - before recess, before lunch, between activities, etc. My prize box has nothing extravagant - pencils, erasers, and bookmarks, primarily. I’m cheap. Like I said, it works.
10. Business cards. Subbing, like any profession, is really about selling yourself. The thing about subbing, though, is that each day you’ll be at a different place, working for a different teacher. It’s like a new job interview every day, in some ways. Self marketing is so important for success as a sub. Bring those business cards, and share them gratuitously. I always leave a few with my sub notes at the end of the day. Some secretaries hold on to a stack of sub cards just in case also. And make sure to check out the teacher’s lounge - lots of schools have somewhere to write down your sub info/leave a business card.

I find that these are the things I can’t leave home without when I go for a subbing job. This list was created through trial and error - I have needed each of these things at one point, and I would regret it if I didn’t have them with me.

So what do you think? What do you always make sure to bring on the job? Let me know in the comments!

Subbing 101: How to be an A+ Sub!

Whether this is your first day subbing or you’re just looking for some tips to make it go more smoothly, this is what it takes to be an amazing sub. It seems simple, but seriously, do these things and you’ll stand out! In a good way!

1. Arrive on time.

And by “on time,” what I really mean is arrive early. If school starts at 8:00 and I’m required to be there by 7:45, I will try to get there by 7:30, especially if it’s a school I’ve never been to. The perks of arriving early are endless, and I could write pages on pages of why you should arrive early. But I’ll spare you. Basically, you want to arrive early so you can check in, find your classroom, read the sub plans, and it gives you time in case there are any issues like missing supplies (or worse - no sub plans!).

2. Stick with the plans!

Seriously. It seems obvious, but you’ll be surprised by how many subs don’t follow the sub plans. Teachers write these things for a reason! Stick with the sub plans and you’re doing a great job. Don’t fret if you don’t get to everything that’s written down, but try to do what you can. Also, let the teacher know what you did and didn’t get to in the note you leave, which we’ll get to in a minute.

3. Have the students clean up!

Okay, this one isn’t really required exactly, but it is such a nice gesture. Kids are always a little extra crazy (just a little...) when a sub is around, and as a result, teachers often end up coming back the next morning to a disaster zone. Try not to be one of those subs. If the sub notes say to have the students pack up to go home at 2:15, stop teaching at 2:10 (or 2:00 for younger grades) and have the students clean up their floor area. Give out raffle tickets or prizes to the table/student with the cleanest floor as extra motivation. Have the kids clean up and you will win some serious brownie points.

4. Leave a detailed note.

Leave the teacher a note letting them know how things went. Your note should include

• What did you cover today
• What did you not get to (and maybe a little note why)
• Which students were extra helpful
• Which students caused a lot of trouble
• Your contact info

I usually make my notes about a page long. Longer than that and I start rambling. I am really good at rambling. Teachers don’t care about your rambling. So don’t ramble! The teacher needs to know what you were able to teach today, what assignments you got to, and any major behavior issues. It’s also great to hear which students were really helpful - first of all, it makes your whole note seem more positive, and when the teacher gets to praise the students who did an amazing job, it’s extra motivation for all kids to behave a little better next time a sub comes around.

I also always write my contact info and include a business card or two. A little “If you have any questions please feel free to contact me!” goes a long way. I rarely have teachers call me to ask, but it’s nice to add just in case. Also, I try to leave more than one business card, because if teachers like you, they very well might share you with others. I’ve gotten phone calls months after a job asking me if I was available, calls from teachers I’d never met and schools I’ve never been to. Word of mouth can be really effective. Make sure that you’re selling yourself.

So those are my basic tips! Do these four simple things and you’re honestly doing better than most other subs out there. Subbing can be challenging, but from a teacher’s perspective, having to call in a sub can be really, really stressful. This tips will help you and the teacher out. A lot.