Chronicles of A Substitute Teacher: It’s Dangerous To Go Alone, Take This.
A shining new era
Is tiptoeing nearer
And where do we feature?
Just listen to teacher- Be Prepared,"The Lion King"
Now that I have exposed my geeky side, I answer the questions every new substitute has: “What should I bring with me on my first job?” I remember being nervous about taking my first position because I wasn’t sure if I would be familiar with the school or the age group of the students. Luckily, that quickly became a non-issue as I had made several connections with educators at various schools from college practicums and working before and after school programs. However, I still did not have a clue what I should bring with me to work aside from my lunch bag. So, here is a list of items I think every substitute should need when they are going to a new school or to work for a teacher they haven’t worked for before.
A water bottle. You are going to do a lot of talking and moving throughout the day and students don’t react well if their teacher passes out at the front of the class.
A mini first aid kit of sorts that includes some Kleenex, aspirin, tums, bandaids, Dramamine, allergy meds, nail clippers, and any other medical items you may need at a moment’s notice.
A whistle. I never thought of this until I was on a playground with a group of 4th graders who were trying to climb on top of a piece of equipment they weren’t supposed to be on. Trying to yell across a playground of 60 students is not effective.
Along with the medical kit, I bring a small bag that keeps needed hygiene product in my purse. A travel size of hand sanitizer, deodorant, mints or gum, flossers, tampons/panty liners , and some bobby pins and a hair tie.
- A few back-up plans that are grade appropriate. Some days there are no plans left for you for whatever reason. Your first line of defense should be to find the teacher next door and ask for help. If that doesn’t pan out well, you can use your backup plans. Teambuilders are always a hit, I really like the Moon Landing Activity and it has another one called Lost At Sea you can find online pretty easily.
Probably one of the most important items, and the one that I have been slacking on lately because I am not going to continue subbing much longer is a wristwatch. This may sound odd, but it can cost a lot of subs their ability to return to a school due to a simple misunderstanding. If you do not have a watch, what are you most likely to use to check the time? Yep, a cell phone. Administrators do not like it if a substitute teacher appears to be using their cell phone, especially if they are supposed to be monitoring students. So wear a watch and don’t give anyone the opportunity to have a bad impression of you.
Keep a protein/granola bar and a few loose dollar bills in your car as well. Inevitably, you will forget to bring your lunch or need a sugar/caffeine fix to make it through the afternoon. You can buy a lunch at school, if you dare. Better yet, find your clever secretary and ask him or her where the snack/fundraising drawer is so you can get something to supplement your granola bar.
So that is my recommended list for things to bring with you on your first substitute job. Some employment agencies I have worked for also suggested you bring an extra pair of relaxed fit clothing and tennis shoes in case you get roped into filling in for the P.E. teacher at some point. I have had it happen where I am subbing for one teacher and something comes up during plan time where they ask me to fill in for a different teacher. They have always had it figured out by the beginning of the next class period, so if you really feel you have to change for 45 minutes, then go ahead and put those in your car as well. Don’t forget your lunch, and as always, bring a great attitude for the day. Students can smell it when someone isn’t confident in their abilities, so don’t give them that edge and your day will be a breeze.
You can see my previous blogs for Chronicles of A Substitute Teacher below
June 11, 2017- Where Are My Fellow Educators?
June 12, 2017- How Did I Even Get Here?
June 13, 2017-How Many Times Do I Have To Give The FBI My Fingerprints?
June 14, 2017- The Challenges of Being A Substitute Teacher
June 15.2017- Perks of Being A Substitute Pt. 1
June 16, 2017-Perks of Being a Substitute Pt. 2
June 17, 2017-Perks of Being A Substitute Pt. 3
Stay awesome,
You seem like a great teacher or at least the caring kind. I applaud you and other teachers substitute or not that believe in more than just tenure as a means of what the kids need and they can find out the rest on their own. Your starter kit sounds like something for the apocalypse. Nonetheless, keep fighting the good fight. I fight it intriguing that most systems are so broken because they are so heavy at the top from the CEO down and blame all of the people who don't get any sort of say.
Haha, well I married a man that is much more of a preparedness savant than I am so I am well-versed in emergency planning. I also don't always bring all of these items with me if I know where I am going to substitute and the teacher I am filling in for, but you never know how the day is going to go.
I understand you have need to be ready for war almost. Regardless of how you heightened your level of preparedness I think its cool. I tried to finish my undergrad toward teaching but they wanted me to jump through so many hoops it was disgusting. Have yourself a most amazing rest of the weekend.
Lol. Yah, I became very proficient at hoop jumping and scanning/formatting/uploading all sort of documents for evidence in my final semesters of my undergrad. Have a great weekend as well!