The primary duties and responsibilities of a substitute teacher are simple: facilitate the continuation of learning when the teacher is absent.
From taking attendance and delivering lesson plans to ensuring safety and leaving a note, our Kelly Education experts have compiled guidance to set you up for success.
One of your most basic substitute teacher duties is the roll call. It may not be the most exciting part of teaching, but it’s an important way of informing the regular teacher — and, by extension, the school administration — who is missing.
PRO TIP: Consider the roll call as an opportunity to match faces to names. As you call out each student, try to memorize their face as they respond. Being able to address the students by name will help you quickly establish a rapport with them, making the actual teaching easier.
Most days, a lesson plan is left for you. You’re responsible for walking students through the curriculum using the instructions the teacher provided.
This ensures that students continue to hit their important educational milestones even when their teacher isn’t there. Review the lesson before class starts, so you’re well acquainted with the subject matter.
If there isn't a lesson plan, contact the school's principal or a neighboring teacher for advice about lessons or activities. And if you need help coming up with activities, check out these lesson plan ideas for elementary school , middle school, or high school students.
Students learn best when they are in an environment conducive to learning.
First, bring a professional, optimistic, and helpful demeanor.
As a substitute teacher, you’ll mostly be supervising students inside the classroom. There are several best practice classroom management techniques you should follow.
However, you may be required to supervise them in other settings, including at assemblies and in the lunchroom.
There’s always a chance there will be a safety drill or even a real emergency on your watch. Be sure to review the school’s emergency protocols ahead of time so that you are properly prepared.
Another responsibility for substitute teachers is to assign homework to students.
The teacher may have left some specific homework, be sure to clearly inform the students—even ask for them to write it in a planner.
It's not likely that you'll need to come up with assignments on your own if you are on a daily assignment. You might just ask students to finish up anything that did not get completed during class.
As a longer term substitute teacher, make sure assignments align with the teacher’s instructional plan or established curriculum.
The school district should provide you with an approved curriculum or lesson plan. Therefore, while you’re responsible for teaching lesson plans provided by the teacher, you shouldn't need to build or supplement an educational curriculum from the ground up. However, emergencies happen, and being prepared with some backup ideas is often seen as helpful.
Also, if you are a short term substitute teacher, you won't likely assign instructional goals to students or communicate with parents about their student’s behavior and/or academic performance. That is, unless otherwise instructed by the principal or other school administrator.
PRO TIP: Get more "not to" tips in this article.
You can also check out an example substitute teacher job description to get more details about duties. This way, you can decide if it’s the right fit for you, your skills, and your professional goals.
At Kelly Education, we believe in helping our substitute teachers become the best educators for students. We support our substitute teachers every step of the way.
To get started, check out these articles from our fully stocked resource library:
Fill out our brief interest form and one of our recruiters will contact you to answer your questions and share more about opportunities to become a substitute teacher with one of our school district partners.
If you choose to work with us, you’ll get the core training, policies, and procedures to prepare you for day one.