Foundational Skills for Substitute Teaching

Welcome to Substitute Teaching:

• Knows the steps to prepare, begin, and complete a teaching assignment
• Understands the role of a substitute teacher in the school community
• Understands and can make appropriate introductions to build relationships with school staff and student
• Understands the differences in types of teaching assignments (grade, subject, length-of-time, pre-planned, emergency, etc.)
• Is reflective about their own biases and strives to be inclusive of all students; Is aware of how their own identity and personality influence interactions in the classroom

Classroom Management Series:

• Understands the challenges of classroom management for new substitute teachers
• Can identify how student behaviors communicate needs
• Understands the differences between proactive and responsive classroom management
• Understands and can implement basic proactive strategies including communicating expectations, building rapport, and facilitating transitions
• Understands and can implement basic responsive strategies including de-escalation, positive reinforcement, channeling, and immediate intervention
• Can identify and implement appropriate academic and rapport-building activities, when needed, to ensure ongoing student engagement
• Can recognize and implement established classroom routines and expectations
• Knows how to identify and manage their own bias and triggers as a classroom manager
• Knows how to proactively avoid power struggles or challenges with students

Facilitating Instruction Series:

• Understands the elements and functionality of a modern classroom
• Knows how to read, implement, and lead a lesson
• Understands the 4 phases of a lesson
• Understands and can implement multiple strategies to Check For Understanding throughout the lesson
• Understands and can utilize common instructional strategies
• Knows how to supplement or extend a lesson, when appropriate
• Knows how to organize and manage small groups of learners
• Knows how to facilitate and transition between whole group, small group, and individual student learning tasks
• Understands that students have diverse needs and can demonstrate flexibility in seeking to support all learners to participate in planned activities
• Understands how to enhance a lesson to increase engagement and learning or introduce an alternative lesson if absolutely necessary