How to Be Better Prepared in a 2nd-Grade Subbing Emergency
Sub Plans for the Second Grade Level Can Be a Lifesaver!
Sick days can be the worst! Especially during the school year when you wake up in the middle of the night to a sick child or even feeling sick yourself!
What is especially worse are those days when you think you have it all together. You have the kids in the car, you’re actually dressed, everybody has eaten, and for the first time, backpacks and lunches are prepared and in the car with you. You are driving along thinking to yourself, Wow, I got this!
That’s when it happens. Words from the back seat come floating up in a shaky voice, “Mommy, I don’t feel well…”
You think to yourself, No, not today. I don't have much time! And it's the beginning of the year! I don't have my sub tub together. We have so much to cover. I might even be getting a walk-through. Just make it through today.
In your best mommy cares about you and isn’t panicking voice, you tell your child, “It’s okay, honey. I think your stomach needs to settle from your breakfast. I’m sure once we get to school, you will feel so much better. And don’t forget Ms. Rogers is super excited to see you today.”
Crisis averted for now. Class periods are covered for the moment.
And then it happens.
SPLAT!
Breakfast all over the car! Now what?
It’s times like these that having emergency sub plans for a substitute teacher or guest teacher can come in very handy. It saves you from having two massive issues to deal with. It gives you more time to focus on puke and your sweet sick child and less time to worry about all the extra work you are piling onto your colleagues and yourself by using a sub day.
So, How Do You Prepare for the Unexpected?
Or even better, how do you have a stash of plans filed in your sub folder for that just-in-case moment or next time when you decide that today is the perfect day to go to the beach? (Because we all need mental health days every now and then!)
I’m going to share with you a solution to your sub-plan issues while also having enough activities inside of your substitute binder that gives kids busy work and comes with lots of good ideas for first grade or second grade.
Here’s how to be prepared, for the first time, in a subbing emergency!
Being prepared in an emergency subbing situation can save you even more stress and worry.
Step One:
Having emergency sub plans created in ADVANCE for the classroom teacher can save your team members massive stress and chaos. This step will save you massive moments of panic and give you the ability to put first things first. Preplanned preparation also gives you peace of mind that your students are in good hands and still learning while you are out.
Step Two:
Find the perfect spot to store your plans for five days worth of sub plans. Crates from the dollar store work well. File boxes are another great idea. I like cute wood baskets like this one that I found at TJMaxx. (Gotta love that store!) Make sure your team leader or teacher friend knows where they are. (Someone you can count on to grab them and put them on your desk for those unexpected days that you need emergency lesson plans
Step Three:
Have basic important information or paperwork pre-filled out and ready to go- things such as the classroom schedule or any classroom management things you need to explain. If you are like me and like to type, I have created editable templates of this basic paperwork that can be filled out in Google Drive. My link will prompt you to make a copy. Then you can change the title to whatever you want, edit it, and store it on your Google Drive. (You will need a Gmail account- which is easy and free. Believe me; it is worth it! Love Google.)
Step Four:
It's a good idea to have copies of the graphic organizers and content area things and any other necessary items taken care of in advance. This makes it so much easier for your teacher friend!
Step Five:
Breathe easy knowing that your sub will have full lesson plans or detailed lesson plans for everything they need, and you can take care of your emergency, your own kids, or, even better- take your much-needed Mental Health day!
Tips:
I know at some schools, a supply teacher may feel it is fine to leave regular everyday plans for the sub. I know that my regular plans were very detailed due to all the insane lesson plan expectations we had. However, I never expected other people to have to follow them. Lesson plans were for me (and evidence of my effectiveness, blah, blah, blah). Don’t get me wrong, we have some outstanding subs out there and many who were former teachers (although, are they crazy?!) But I want the day to run smoothly for anyone that comes into my class. I also want my plans to reflect a somewhat normal schedule so that the kids don’t feel too off. Keeping students busy and learning will win you major points with your sub!
Quite frankly, I was pretty proud of the comments my subs would leave about my emergency sub plans binder. They always said-
“Thank you for leaving such detailed and complete plans. This made the day go by so smoothly.”
Also, you may decide as a team to have each team member plan a day and then combine the days to have enough for at least a week set of emergency sub plans. That can be a great way to collaborate and to be prepared for a family emergency or anything else that comes up.
If you are in need of a set of emergency plans, take a closer look at Emergency Sub Plans and my Emergency Sub Plans Winter Edition. Each packet contains five days of plans for reading, writing, language, math, and science or social studies. All you need are copies and a few books (of your choice) for the read-aloud section.
And if you need more information on how to put these plans together, check out my free video on How to Put My Sub Plans Together.
I hope these tips help you be prepared in case of an actual emergency and in case of a much-needed break, and you have ready-to-go sub plans. Here’s to a stress-free day off and no more puke in the car!
Happy Teaching and Learning!
