Home > Administrator's Desk Channel > Administrator's Desk Archives > Focus On... Archive > Focus On... Article

Focus On...

Substitute Teachers

Finding, training, and retaining good substitute teachers can be a monster challenge for many school principals. The way you greet and treat subs can go a long way toward meeting that challenge. The articles below from Education World's archive share stories and practical tips to help you get subs in the door and keep them coming back.

Setting New "Sub" Standards
More districts are training their subs in classroom management and instructional skills so a teacher's absence does not mean a lost day of learning. Included: Ed World explores substitute training programs.

Read More... Find more articles of interest in the following Education World resources: The Sub Station: Sub Station: Tips and Resources for Substitute Teachers Classroom Management 101 Discipline Hiring New Teachers See our complete archive of Focus On… articles. More than three dozen hot topics of interest to principals.

Sub Searching Made Easier
Hours of pre-dawn phone calls to fill a school's daily vacancies soon may be a thing of the past. Many districts have turned to automated systems that use the phone, the Internet, or both to line up subs. Included: How do automated substitute systems work?

There's No Sub for a Good Sub Plan
Do substitutes require special training? How do teachers arrange for sub coverage? What if a teacher doesn't leave behind plans? Are substitute teachers evaluated? All that and more. Included: Elements of a truly helpful "sub folder."

Setting New "Sub" Standards
More districts are training their subs in classroom management and instructional skills so a teacher's absence does not mean a lost day of learning. Included: Ed World explores substitute training programs.

Solving the Substitute Shortage, Part 1:
Four Rules to Keep Your Best Subs Coming Back
Over 12 years of schooling, the average student will spend 187 days -- more than a full school year -- with substitute teachers. What can schools do to guarantee the highest quality education on those days? Included: Tips for recognizing your school's subs.

Solving the Substitute Shortage, Part 2:
Exploring Other Options
Many school districts, coping with a serious shortage of substitute teachers, can no longer rely on the subs who simply show up and sign up. Included: Information about a substitute agency, a substitute union, and a "sub camp" that bridges the gap for subs.

Schools Respond to Substitute Shortage
From better pay for substitutes to special training programs, schools are paying more attention -- and respect -- to the substitute teachers they recruit.

Copyright © 2008 Education World

Last updated 06/26/2008