Home room teachers have the job of preparing their students for a Substitute Teacher. Often students dread this more than going to the dentist, so it’s important to help them keep an open mind. Here are some tips that may help.

1. Remind students you expect the same behaviour from them for the substitute teacher as when you are there (or perhaps even better!!). Let them know you will ask the substitute how they behaved and will be rewarding those who did well. Remind them that the substitute teacher is not you and so may do some things differently.

2. Actually reward those who did well. Repeat every single time there is a substitute teacher in your room.

3. Leave more than enough work for the students to do – often students finish all the work early and then have nothing to do when there is a substitute teacher. If you leave more than enough work, it helps the day to go smoother. Let the students know you will be leaving lots of work so they are prepared and don’t think it will be a day of watching movies (unless you leave a day of watching movies).

4.  Let the students know that you will be giving the Substitute Teacher options to do something fun with the students if they do their work well. Leave a game or something fun for the Substitute to do with the class in the afternoon if the class does well.

5. Remind students about the Golden Rule and about treating people with respect. Remind the students that substitute teachers are people too!