Given the difficulty of substitute teaching, it is surprising that few districts require professional training or previous teaching experience. According to one survey, substitutes should be flexible, have teaching experience and subject area knowledge, and be able to manage classroom adversity. Substitutes' role needs more appreciation. Includes…

Experienced elementary classroom teachers and substitutes discuss planning ahead for a substitute teacher, suggesting a substitute folder which includes any information to be relayed and a substitute activity bag containing lessons and activities. Games and activities that can be adapted for any grade level are described. (SM)

Presents information about what should be communicated to substitute teachers and why it is important, focusing on the substitute teacher's role, classroom management tools, curriculum management, and preparing students for the substitute teacher by creating bridges that will help minimize the sense of separation students feel when they have a…

Discusses a student discipline problem involving a substitute teacher and a student who used foul language in class. The teacher responded with a firm, but venomous, threat that provoked a response from the vice principal's office, but not from the boy's parents. Advocates on-the-spot ethical instruction to maintain credibility and an effective…

Suggests some techniques that the substitute teacher in the primary grades can employ to both sharpen students' skills and to put their imaginations to constructive use. (DR)

In the days before computers, passing on information to substitutes was difficult. Now teachers can individualize their lesson plans to guarantee that substitute teachers and the students will both have a good day. This article provides some plan-ahead procedures that have worked for the author.

Discusses the following five ways that substitute teachers can enhance their own effectiveness and control in the classroom: (1) expect the unexpected; (2) use available people as resources, including staff and students; (3) improvise relevantly in the classroom; (4) use technology; (5) enforce disciplinary measures promptly. (PGD)

Presents four research-supported guidelines for substitute teachers: (1) be prepared by arriving early and obtaining administrative information; (2) take charge of the classroom; (3) clarify expectations about student conduct; and (4) communicate the significance of learning to students. (MLF)

Describes a comprehensive staff development program designed exclusively for substitute teachers and devoted to student discipline. (MLF)

Describes a school administrator's experience when he was a substitute teacher for a day. (MS)

Presents successful classroom management strategies for substitute teachers, including maintaining a folder of activities, making introductions, reading a story, inviting problem students to be helpers, establishing firm rules, practicing the classroom teacher's rules, telling students about oneself, and rewarding good behavior with stamps on a…

Guest teachers are not sanctioned counterfeits of "real" teachers; they are optional community resources who can provide an additional, meaningful dimension to students' learning. This article provides administrators with recommendations for welcoming substitutes, familiarizing them with school schedules and lesson plans, and helping them work…

Discusses difficult problems faced by substitute teachers, what can be done to alleviate those problems, and how a substitute teacher should deal with a hostile student. (SR)

Advice for making substitute teaching a more effective and rewarding experience for everyone involved is offered in this compilation of 10 articles taken from issues of "Grade Teacher" (Oct. 1969), "Instructor" (Dec. 1959, Oct. 1970, Mar. 1972, Mar. 1977, Nov. 1979, Aug. 1983), "Learning" (Jan. 1974), and…

Substitute teachers are often not as effective as they should be, considering that they generally oversee 5 solid months of a typical student's K-12 education. The Ashland (Ohio) City Schools developed a questionnaire to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their substitute teacher program. The result was an in-depth manual and improvement of…