1For reasons of confidentiality, I refer to the district and all participants by pseudonyms.

If you want to ensure a high-quality teacher in every classroom, every day, then you need to develop and implement an effective substitute teacher program. This report tackles head on what has come to be widely known as the "substitute teacher problem"-the very real likelihood that on any given school day the teaching and learning process will be disrupted for both students and staff-for lack of enough qualified teachers. Identify ways to more effectively recruit, hire, train, and retain quality substitute teachers.

St. Michel conducted an extensive, two-year examination of the role of substitute teacher and determined that the problems with substitute teacher programs were a result of nonmanagement rather than mismanagement. This unique study records the perspectives of the substitutes themselves, the students they serve, the regular classroom teachers they replace, and the administrators responsible for supervising them. St. Michel's easy-to-use guide provides accurate information and specific recommendations for designing, implementing, and maintaining quality substitute teacher programs. The first book of its kind, Effective Substitute Teachers fills a need shared by teachers, principals, and administrators everywhere.

Have no fear, the substitute is here! Be prepared with the confidence and the knowledge for any classroom situation. As a substitute teacher, you have the powers of a superhero. Who else could teach sixth grade math one day and then transform into a sub for the kindergarten gym instructor the next? What other educator bravely goes into work not knowing what subject or grade he or she will teach that day and still manages a smile? But even superheroes need a little help; that is where this book comes in. The Organized Teacher’s Guide to Substitute Teaching is the only guide that gives you the tips and strategies to not only survive a day of strangers but actually create an impact in the classroom. Appropriate for grades kindergarten through six, this bible for substitute teachers will get you through the entire school day, even if the regular teacher did not leave lesson plans! Among hundreds of valuable ideas, The Organized Teacher’s Guide to Substitute Teaching offers: A guide to making your own Substitute Teacher Tool Kit, filled with items you will need throughout your day In-depth information about each grade level so you know what to expect, no matter what class you're assigned Core curriculum activities, writing assignments, and projects specifically targeted to each grade level Sponge activities, games, and fillers designed to help you fill the time until class transitions or before the end of the day Advice on how to keep calm and in control even if students try to test your limits An interactive CD-ROM with ready-to-print templates and worksheets

Transform Your School’s Substitute Teaching Experience Just like everything else, substitute teaching is about to undergo a big change. In Substantial Classrooms: Redesigning the Substitute Teaching Experience, authors Jill Vialet and Amanda von Moos usher in a new era of innovation in substitute teaching. Threaded with concrete and actionable ways to improve the experience of substitute teaching for administrators, students, and the teachers themselves, Substantial Classrooms is a leading voice for innovation and renewal in substitute teaching. Instead of viewing substitute teachers as a placeholder in an educator’s absence, this book encourages readers to view substitute teachers as vital resources that diversify the typical classroom learning experience. While other books look only at making a bad situation bearable, this book re-examines substitute teaching with an eye towards reinventing it as a unique and valuable part of students’ educational experience. Key themes of Substantial Classrooms include: How substitute teaching works today Applying human-centered design to create change in legacy systems like substitute teaching Concrete and inspiring examples of different models for substitute teaching, for example, reimagining it as paid fieldwork for aspiring teachers. In addition to these key themes, every chapter includes stories and techniques from dynamic and innovative educational practitioners. This must-have guide to substitute teaching can improve schools everywhere and revolutionize the way educators, school and district leaders, colleges, and community partners view the experience of substitute teaching as a lever to positively impact schools.

This book addresses aspects of substitute teaching that are essential to making your teaching experience a worthwhile one. For some reason, however, many colleges, universities and professors don't teach from this perspective. Sometimes it takes a person looking from the outside in, someone whose mind has not already been filled with opinions and dogmas to offer a fresh perspective on issues that need to be addressed. This book provides a fresh perspective on the potential solutions to problems that substitute teachers face everyday. Renee was probably the least educated, least experienced substitute teacher in the school district. In fact, she had no formal education or experience in the field of education. Yet, she was a highly coveted substitute teacher in the school district she taught for. She handled and taught the students so well that well-educated and experienced teachers asked for her advice on how they could manage their classes. If you ask some of the best substitute teachers (and teachers for that matter) how they are able to effectively manage their classroom and enjoy their teaching experience, many will tell you that they have used the concepts that have been outlined in this book. The author defines what it means to be a substitute teacher and outlines a holistic approach to substitute teaching that requires the teacher to consider his/her responsibility to their students which goes beyond teaching textbook material. In order to teach textbook material, students must understand the significance of being at school first. If this foundation is not laid, then in many situations, teaching textbook material is futile, if not impossible. In order for the student to understand his/her purpose at school, they should understand that they have a purpose in life and these formative years are their opportunity to discover that purpose. Providing this understanding of purpose will empower even the worst of students to go on to be productive members of society. The students can only go as far as teachers themselves have gone. As a result, if the teacher has not discovered his/her purpose for being alive, it is impossible for him/her to empower his/her students to discover theirs. The author therefore challenges teachers everywhere to first discover their purpose and who they were created to be, so that they can challenge their students to do the same. The author also equips substitute teachers with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively manage the best and worst classrooms. She reminds the teacher that teaching textbook material is very important and should be put in proper perspective so that they can lead their students to become successful, not just in school, but in life. The role of the substitute teacher should never be trivialized and when you know your role and operate in that role, you can have a tremendous impact on those you teach, even if you are in contact with them for only less than one day.