ARGH! Absences! Tips and Lessons For Easy, Successful Absences

       I always envy my friends in corporate positions who talk about the doctor's appointment or lunch that they just "ducked out for" (for three hours!). Teaching is not one of those careers where you can "duck out for" anything, unless you're okay with the possibility of a fistfight.

     So I literally spent WEEKS trying to convince one of my good friends to reschedule her wedding that was going to be held during the first week of school. Being absent during the first week falls in my top ten list for nightmares. Not surprisingly, she was not impressed by my pleas.

    I used to spend hours preparing for subs. I would write out detailed plans related to our current unit, print and label everything with color-coded Post-it Notes, and then realize I had made a typo and start all over. You can't make up this level of inane time-wasting.

      A few years back, a friend hit me with the revelation that you could MAKE REUSABLE SUB PLANS. A world-changing epiphany! No longer would I wrack my brains for busywork activities and then write up 146-step plans; these plans would include directions, multiple meaningful activities, and could be printed out as is, with just the addition of a daily schedule, to keep the sub going. The plans I have are designed with so many activities that I just choose the ones that are most appropriate for where we are right now. Though I have a variety of substitute lesson plans, this one is by far my favorite, because it involves a story that my students find engaging, read-aloud directions, and meaningful close reading activities. 



Whatever you decide to leave for your students when you are gone, here are some suggestions for making the day easy, pleasant, and successful, for both your sub and your students:

1. Prep your kids with empathy the day before. While the key to good classroom management while your sub is gone is good classroom management all year, I always give my kids a little extra boost the day before. The first time we are going to have a sub, we brainstorm what it would be like to be brand-new to our classroom, and suddenly have to teach the whole class. We discuss how scary this can be for a sub, to walk in a room where everyone knows what to do except for him. I remind the kids that they are the experts on how the class runs, and that therefore they have an amazing opportunity to help someone who needs it. With some of my students who have a little more trouble with following classroom rules, I will often ask them to be the sub's special helper, to make sure he or she knows what to do. The more you show your kids that you trust them, the more they will want to earn that trust.

2. Allow your sub to do some activities to bond with the class. For me, this is a read-aloud (although I always give my students a copy of the text too, so that my visual learners can follow along, and so that everyone can "see" fluent reading). My kids love being read to, and having discussion about the text builds a connection between my sub and the kids.

3. Allow your kids to work in groups AFTER they have worked independently. One issue I often see when students work in groups is that the work is generally done by the fastest thinker, while one or two kids goof off and discuss their weekends. This activity is not truly collaborative, nor is it stretching the thinking of any of the group members. Instead, have your students work independently for 15 or 20 minutes first, then allow them to discuss their answers. This means that most everyone should come to the table with ideas to share, making this a better-managed and all-around more valuable activity.

I hope these ideas make those nerve-wracking absences just a little less stressful!

Cheers,