A wee vent: Apparently teachers here don't believe in sub plans

[Ember]

It's a small thing, but one that is causing me stress. I'm working basically full time as a casual / substitue teacher here. Only unlike anywhere else I've taught it is not normal here to leave sub plans. So nearly each and every day I am providing my own work for the students.

This isn't really the part that bothers me, as I've taught enough to have resources and I've just put together a binder of work, all by grade level. But as an educator I find it astounding. That means each time a teacher is away, the class is left to the whim of the substitute and the class loses the continuity of their normal routine and lessons.

The part I find stressful is that I'm constantly trying to photocopy in the morning, often there is nothing around to say when recess or lunch starts or when things like gym or music are happening, I never know where to meet the student when the bell rings, if I have supervision duty, or have any heads up about students with needs enabling me to adjust things. It's all flying blind and searching out people to ask who then seem annoyed that I don't know... *sigh*

Anyway, I don't expect things to change, and I will get used to it, I suppose. But it seems like a very silly way of doing things.

 

[Carnie]

Are you speaking to the building administration?

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I can't even imagine!

I've taught in Canada, the US, and the UK.... and the teacher leaving work for the students was always the norm everywhere that I've taught. Not that I enjoy re-writing my lesson plans at 4 am while sick (because the lesson that I had planned to teach that day was too "involved" for a sub to teach, and needed to be simplified).... but I just can't imagine leaving NOTHING unless there was an emergency involved. And even then, I've taught as a substitute in situations where the teacher left a video on his desk with a post-it note with "lesson plan" scrawled on it.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Wow! Around here, they are required to leave an emergency folder with the office with at least schedules in it. But most often, I find complete plans, either because they expected to be out or they have e-mailed them to the teacher in the room next door.

 

[Carl]

Of course this was a long time ago, but when I substitute taught in 1964 I didn't mind too much if there weren't plans. I just went through each subject and asked where in the book they left off. Now, if I had an extended stay at one school it did help to have a long range plan available.
By the way, as I became a regular teacher I was always required to turn in lesson plans, so I don't know how those that didn't got away with it.

 

[Coconut36]

Wow! Around here, they are required to leave an emergency folder with the office with at least schedules in it. But most often, I find complete plans, either because they expected to be out or they have e-mailed them to the teacher in the room next door.

Same here. Add to that I know my DH's district (or his school..can't confirm it is district wide) require a lesson plan for the entire week. So before start of school Monday AM you are required to have your lesson plan for the entire week laid out. A sub coming in would at least know what and where they are in a given text/subject..etc.

 

[Tinijocaro]

Curious which state you are in? In NY, OH, and IL, I know sub plans are required, at least in the districts I taught in. I can't imagine a district that doesn't make that a requirement.

Are you down South?

 

[Wendy31]

Curious which state you are in? In NY, OH, and IL, I know sub plans are required, at least in the districts I taught in. I can't imagine a district that doesn't make that a requirement.

Are you down South?

I believe she's "down under" as in Australia.

When I taught (at a southern school), we were required to have lesson plans and had to submit copies of our weekly plans by 8:00 am each Monday - just like other schools across the nation.

Additionally, our administrator required us to have "sub folders" which listed things such as current seating charts, class schedule, emergency response plan, etc.

 

[PrincesCJM]

As a high school teacher, and a former sub, I make sure to leave detailed sub plans. If I have to call in the middle of the night/morning for a sub, I email someone in my department - usually my department head - my sub plans. The year that I spent as a sub, I was in for some teachers who left little to none written plans. At least once, the written plan said to give a test but the test was no where to be found (and both myself and the teacher who shared the room looked for it).

The only time that I didn't do this was 4 weeks ago when my father past away. He had been diagnosed with cancer three months earlier. My department head and another colleague stepped up and planned for my three classes while I was out for the week. All I did was email a basic plan of attack and they did the rest. I was so thankful for them and would do the same for any of them.

 

[3smithboys]

I would have to be calling out dead not to have lesson plans in place for a substitute. If i know that I am going to be out, then I leave detailed plans on my desk...if not, then I email them to a teammate and they will give them to my sub. We also have 3 days of "emergency" plans in the office that are generic plans that have nothing to do with what we are currently teaching that can be pulled out and given to a sub if we were ever unable to get plans in because of an emergency situation.

 

[Talking Hands]

I sub at a high school and it really depends on the teacher and the department if I get sub plans. Teacher I had today was leaving for a field trip for 3 days and did not have rosters or plans for me. Oh and he was at school until 8:30 so he had no excuse.
Other teachers leave detailed plans or send them via email to colleagues who then give them to me. I pretty well know which teachers will leave them and which do not. Oh and I can depend on the math and social studies department heads to give me something if their teacher is out and doesn't leave plans.

 

[I Love Pluto]

When in doubt, ask the kids. They know where they left off, and they know what they need to work on. Kids are great!

 

[Tiggeroo]

I have this problem where I am at too. You need to make a sub pack. Get some easy puzzles that you can write on the board. Make copies of different puzzles, different ability levels. Put a bunch of things like this and a couple of movies in a bag. Find out the rules for photocopying. Always assume there won't be a plan. You can also scope out the room a bit. If you can pick up on a clue as to what chapter they are on give them some vocab or questions from the book. Look up some fun writing cues or OEQ's. Walk into the classroom with authority and tell them that your teacher expects this done and that you need to collect it by the end of class. If you sense a difficult class tell them you believe their teacher is counting it as a quiz grade.
I have a photocopy of a highlights magazine find the picture puzzle. It's more difficult then the average one and keeps kids busy for most of the class. Make sure you have some easier stuff. I am often in classes where kids could not do a crossword but they will all do word search.
I feel your pain. I don't understand teachers not leaving anything. They are required in my school but it is not enforced at all.

 

[englishteacha]

I'd lose my job if there weren't sub plans! I have an emergency folder with a few days' plans, just in case, and if I know I'm going to be out, I will leave plans or email in plans. I once got an email when I was home sick saying I hadn't left enough for the kids to do, which I couldn't figure out. Turns out the sub didn't actually bother to LOOK in the sub folder where there is enough relevant work to keep a kid busy for a week!

 

[BrerMom]

It's a small thing, but one that is causing me stress. I'm working basically full time as a casual / substitue teacher here. Only unlike anywhere else I've taught it is not normal here to leave sub plans. So nearly each and every day I am providing my own work for the students.

This isn't really the part that bothers me, as I've taught enough to have resources and I've just put together a binder of work, all by grade level. But as an educator I find it astounding. That means each time a teacher is away, the class is left to the whim of the substitute and the class loses the continuity of their normal routine and lessons.

The part I find stressful is that I'm constantly trying to photocopy in the morning, often there is nothing around to say when recess or lunch starts or when things like gym or music are happening, I never know where to meet the student when the bell rings, if I have supervision duty, or have any heads up about students with needs enabling me to adjust things. It's all flying blind and searching out people to ask who then seem annoyed that I don't know... *sigh*

Anyway, I don't expect things to change, and I will get used to it, I suppose. But it seems like a very silly way of doing things.

Weird. I would never dream of being absent without leaving sub plans. I even have "generic" lesson plans and the seating charts include a pronunciation guide.

OP, check out www.kenken.com and www.setgame.com Both have daily puzzles that are great for problem-solving.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I can understand needing to know when special are; that would be irritating to not have. Are there master plans in the office that they are expecting you to check for that ype of thing

Otherwise, as previously suggested, asking the students will likely get you all the information needed.

Most of the time they don't even have subs here in Germany (at least from 4th grade up) and I kind of agree with that stance. I did teach and I was a sub (and I think a good one, I loved subbing) but truthfully on a short term basis a substitute is never going to be able to get through nearly as much material with kids she doesn't know well and coming in in the middle as the regular teacher can, Unless there is truly already a plan in place to watch a video in the unit and that can be moved to the sub day, or just supervising while they work on a pre planned test or worksheet, most sub days the kids learn maybe 25% of what they would have learned with the teacher.

Rather than spend money on a sub for that minimal learning, in Germany, where school is not seen as babysitting but only as education, they just send the kids home early, or have them leave for an hour and come back, or whatnot.

Maybe where you are they feel they have to "babysit" but do not see any reason to put in teh effort to create plans which will not be nearly as relevant to the students comin from a sub as from the teacher
I think I would come up with my own plans but also either have plans which do not require using photo copies of anything or else just go on my own time and copy a bunch and then take 50 or so any time I sub. That would save you running around and making copies in the mornings.

 

[Ember]

Are you speaking to the building administration?

There really is no point. It's just the way it's done here. I've been talking to other casual teachers and the majority of the time there's no plans left. It's widely accepted. Many of the schools even have a photocopy policy for subs, where you can only copy 4 sheets for the day, or some such. Because they are so used to teachers leaving nothing.

Are you down South?

I'm in Sydney, Australia.

OP, check out www.kenken.com and www.setgame.com Both have daily puzzles that are great for problem-solving.

Thanks for the links! Things like that are really helpful!

Today was particularly frustrating. I had a grade 5 class. I tend to do grammar lessons as it's useful in their writing, but not something most teachers have a lot of time for. So I have little mini units on using quotations marks, commas, adverbs, etc. Anyway, today I tried to do one on making words plural. Only half the class was so far below grade level they couldn't read or write. Gee, that would have been nice to know before hand. I had easier, lower grade level work they could have done, I just didn't know they needed it. On top of that, there were several severe behaviours. At the end of the day the principal actually told me two of the kids have been known to be violent, so I must have done okay... Again, a heads up would have been great! It was kind of a nightmare day.

To be fair, most of the days aren't this bad. They're challenging, and it is more difficult than any of the sub work I did back in Canada before I got my position, but I'll muddle through. What else can you do?

 

[tae1218]

Maybe I do this because I subbed before getting my position but everyday before I leave I make sure I leave plans for the next day that have enough details so a sub can walk in and know exactly what to do. I use a template and it probably takes me about 2 minutes to complete. Many times i have subbed and walked into a room without any plans. I couldn't imagine doing that to a sub. I also keep a sub folder with generic lessons and extra work too.

 

[PoohBear1988]

Wow! I'm very surprised to hear that most schools don't leave work for you. I work an hour north of Sydney and pretty much every teacher at my school would leave work for their casual teacher, expecially if they knew in advance (ie going to a course, or having a planning day at school) The form we leave for the casuals also tells them about any special needs in the classroom, and the duty they are required to do. The assistant principal actually praised our staff as even if we call in sick in the morning, most teachers would email their grade partner who would then pass on the work to the casual teacher, and she said we aren't actually expected to do that. Do you find that grade partners are helpful? I know that I always help other casual teachers out that are next door to me, and they should at the very least have a copy of the program that you could have a look at.
Sounds like you are doing a great job though and grammar lessons are a great idea!
I guess I always like to leave work for my casual, as I know I would want the same if I was in their position. Hope you are enjoying Austalia though, hope you didn't move here to experience our summer....has been a very cool summer (which I love, as I am not a fan of the heat!)

 

[DeluxePrincess]

That's really strange. When I taught, we always had plans available. We helped our fellow teachers out and quickly put together a plan for them if there was an emergency. I can't imagine not having some outline of what was expected during the day.