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.

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.

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

"Substitute teachers are courageous educators. Day in and day out, they walk into unfamiliar classrooms and willingly embrace the challenge of creating meaningful learning experiences under stressful conditions. This marvelous book—with its practical tips and valuable insights—is a must-read for these unsung heroes." —Lynn G. Beck, Dean and Professor University of the Pacific "The book gives substitute teachers value, importance, and worth, something that many of them don′t feel and that many school districts and teachers fail to acknowledge." —Elizabeth Day, Sixth-Grade Teacher Mechanicville Middle School, NY Begin every "first day" of school with confidence! This invaluable handbook provides clear and practical techniques to help substitute teachers walk into a new classroom, create a positive learning environment, and deliver instruction that meets established curriculum standards. An ideal resource for novice and veteran substitute teachers—and for the administrators who hire, train, and supervise them—this book includes: School and classroom procedures Eight key tips for classroom management "What Would You Do?" practice scenarios with multiple solutions Information on professional topics such as permits, pay, networking, and more A checklist of things to do before, during, and after class