At least 60% of students that enter our classrooms daily have been impacted by adverse childhood experiences. Yet, the main goal at school is still to teach students content and life skills.

So how can educators show our students the care and support they need in order to help them learn?

Trauma-informed teaching is an approach that considers how trauma can impact learning and behavior. As educators think about what student behavior may be telling them, they can respond in more thoughtful ways.

Our blog will dive into 8 strategies and mindsets to help you reframe your interactions with students.

Table of contents

What is trauma?

What does trauma look like in students?

8 trauma-informed teaching strategies

1. Consider your own triggers
2. Practice empathy
3. Don’t take things personally
4. Look for roots, not weeds
5. Employ de-escalation strategies
6. Avoid power struggles: Give students a choice
7. Build relationships with students
8. Focus on positive attention

Additional resources

What is trauma?

Trauma can be defined as a physiological and emotional response to any deeply distressing or disturbing event or experience. 

Child trauma occurs more often than you think. More than two thirds of children report at least 1 traumatic event by age 16. In 2019, about 1 in 5 high school students reported being bullied on school property in the last year.

Students can experience trauma through ongoing exposure, throughout their early development. Potentially traumatic events include:

• Witnessing or experiencing abuse
• Neglect
• Homelessness
• Domestic violence
• Community disasters
• Refugee or war experiences
• Sudden or violent loss of a loved one

What does trauma look like in students?

Students who’ve gone through trauma may hide their pain or mask it in another response. Trauma responses in students can look like:

Knowing how trauma affects students prepares us to respond appropriately. Students dealing with trauma are especially prone to:

• Difficulty in self-regulation
• Negative thinking
• Being on high alert
• Difficulty trusting adults
• Inappropriate social interactions

Remember, all behavior is trying to communicate something. Kids (and adults) don’t leave their trauma at the door once they enter the classroom. That “invisible backpack” travels with us everywhere, even to school, and every student will express the weight of what’s inside that backpack differently.

Important note: A trauma-informed teaching approach assumes that you may never know what your students are carrying in their “invisible backpack,” but it’s your job to acknowledge it and approach their behavior and learning with this in mind.

8 trauma-informed teaching strategies

We won’t always know if or how our students are experiencing trauma, yet we still expect students to come into the classroom focused and ready to learn.

Here are a few strategies we believe educators can use to be more supportive of students dealing with trauma.

1. Consider your own triggers

Teachers are humans. We all have triggers or particular student behaviors that tend to activate our own natural responses. We can–and must–build awareness about our own triggers to ensure our response to students is empathetic, supportive, and kind.

To build awareness, practice self-reflection. Notice when you feel strongly offended or upset toward a certain kind of behavior. Consider why that is triggering for you. Reflect on your teaching experience growing up, your life experiences and relationships, or your cultural identity. Lastly, consider what you can do to mitigate these triggers.

2. Practice empathy

You don’t have to have experienced trauma yourself to be empathetic to someone who has. Acknowledge a student’s big feeling. Help them identify it by asking them how they feel or naming the feeling you see the student expressing. It’s okay if you’re wrong, they’ll probably correct you.

If you don’t feel equipped to talk with your students about it or if they request to speak to another staff member (counselor, dean, etc.), give them a hall pass and allow them to do so while taking note of the situation.

3. Don’t take things personally

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Our Scoot sub Lakiesha Smith says, “They can come in with a lot of trauma. A lot of their issues are not personal. So, sometimes, there’s a verbal exchange with inappropriate language and profanity involved, and you’re on the other end of it. You’re like, ‘Why me?’ and it’s not really about you. It could be about something that happened at home, the night before, or something that’s been going on for weeks now.”

Keep in mind that 99% of the time it’s not about you. Remember the “invisible backpack” of other stressors that could be weighing down students.

4. Look for roots, not weeds

If all behavior is communication, what is your student’s behavior communicating? Take time to privately ask the student and listen to what they have to say.

Student behaviors are like weeds. If we just look at the surface, we often miss the root cause. Always look for potential root causes.

Smith says it better than us:

“[Try] to understand where the issues derive from. […] They are going through something very personal that’s bothering them.”

5. Employ de-escalation strategies

It’s important to maintain these classroom management techniques to keep a calm, orderly classroom:

• Stay calm: Keep a calm, neutral voice to keep situations from escalating and help model for students how to de-escalate their emotions.
• Give students roles: Empower students by entrusting them tasks. They’ll feel positive about their contributions.

As a last resort, you can always call the front office for help in extreme cases after you’ve exhausted all other strategies.

6. Avoid power struggles: Give students a choice

It’s easy for an educator to demand obedience and order. But students are much more willing to trust educators who respect them. When misbehavior happens, give students a choice, give them space to reflect, and move on. Don’t try to win or look tough.

Instead of confronting a student in front of everyone, try private, nonverbal redirection. Give students extended time to comply with directions, rather than demanding immediate compliance.

7. Build relationships with students

Show genuine interest in students’ lives outside academics by asking about their interests and experiences. If you have extended opportunities to interact with them, try the “two by ten” rule. Talk to a student for two minutes a day for 10 days in a row about topics unrelated to academics or behavior.

Check out our other blog for more tips on how to build relationships with students.

8. Give positive attention

Students who experience chronic neglect and negative thinking may act out more because they realize negative attention is fast, predictable, and efficient.

Positive attention, on the other hand, should also be just as fast and frequently shown to kids. This includes praising good behavior, as well as surprising kids with “random acts of kindness.” Make sure to express warmth that isn’t necessarily earned.

Additional resources

While these strategies help foster a trauma-informed teaching approach, they aren’t exhaustive. Check out these websites to further your understanding in trauma-informed teaching and how trauma impacts children:

• SAMHSA – National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative
• Child Mind Institute – Trauma & Grief
• ASCD – Trauma-Informed Teaching Strategies

Wrap-up

All kids will benefit from a trauma-informed teaching approach. We don’t need to single out the kids who have explicitly been impacted by trauma and use these strategies only on them.

If you’re looking for more in-depth training on this topic and much more on your way to becoming a well-rounded guest educator, consider applying to Scoot Education!

We’re an educational staffing company dedicated to creating exceptional experiences in education. This means whether you’re a sub, paraprofessional, or a teacher aide, you get access to:

• Training resources to sharpen your skills in classroom management, lesson internalization, and more
• A personal Education Consultant who understands your day-to-day and works closely with you to fit your needs
• More job opportunities, more fun!

Apply now

As a sub, you want to get this right so that activities run smoothly, learning outcomes are achieved, and everyone feels happy and safe in the classroom.

But how do you set expectations successfully and make sure they follow your guidelines, especially when you’re combating the Substitute Teacher Effect?

Below are just a few techniques you can use to establish and implement classroom norms when you’re the teacher of the day.

Why set classroom rules and expectations?

 

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As our Scoot sub Laura says, “Kids love to know. They feel safe knowing the rules, the boundaries, the expectations.”

This is true for all ages! Although many of us hate rules because we feel like it restricts our freedom, good rules keep people safe and functioning better in society.

In the classroom, rules and routines are in place to ensure students are treating each other with kindness and respect and achieving learning outcomes.

As a sub, you can make a big difference for these kids and their teachers.

By showing up and maintaining class norms and behavioral expectations, you’re helping foster a positive environment where learning can happen even when the regular teacher is out. Once they come back, they’ll thank you for it.

Follow the tips below to successfully set expectations and reinforce them when they aren’t met.

Make use of your introduction

Your introduction is powerful! Setting expectations, showing friendliness, and communicating the agenda at the beginning of the day goes a long way.

When things get out of hand, you can remind students of the expectations you set early on.

Once the bell rings and students settle down, make sure to take a few minutes to introduce yourself in this way:

• Who you are: Use the name you want to be addressed by like “Mr. B” or “Mrs. Kate.” Share 1 or 2 fun facts you want them to know about you. Consider writing your name on the board too!
• Behavior expectations: Review 1 to 2 important rules with them. You can also write them on the board, point to a rules poster, or ask them to repeat a few to you.
• The agenda: Let students know what they will be doing and learning together today.
• (Optional) Practice an attention getter with them: This is helpful when you need to transition your students from one activity to another.
• (Optional) Game reward: Offer a brain break at the end of the class or after stretches of time to motivate students to behave and finish work.

Don’t take too long! You don’t want to lose your students’ attention. After your introduction, open the floor to questions. Then begin taking attendance to get to know their names.

First day teaching?

Download our First-day Teacher Toolkit to learn how to sub effectively.

You’ll get tips on preparing for your assignment, introducing yourself, and a guide to classroom management!

Download First-day Teacher Toolkit

3 examples of introductions per grade level

Primary school (PreK to 3rd grade):

Teacher: “Good morning, everyone! My name is Ms. Katie, and I am your sub for today since your teacher couldn’t be here. I’m hoping that we’ll  work together to have a good day today, what do you think?”

Students: “Yeah!”

Source: Reddit

Children can feel upset when their regular teacher isn’t in, which is why they prefer routine and are generally good at following directions (once you get their attention).

You might not have to stress classroom expectations immediately because their attention span is very short.

Secondary school (6th to 12th grade):

Teacher: Hello everyone! My name is Ms. Coleston, your teacher today.

1. My favorite subject is English and my worst subject is Math.
2. I have a son named Presley, who is a cat.
3. I love music, dancing and writing in my spare time.

3 rules I enforce:

1. Be respectful towards ME, your classmates, and your classroom.
2. Stay on task and utilize class time wisely.
3. Behave and act as though Mrs. Smith is present.

Source: Scoot Sub, Ashley C.

Secondary school (6th to 12th grade):

Teacher: “Hello, my name is [insert your name].

I’m filling in for your teacher [insert full-time teacher’s name] and will be here for [how long you will be filling in]. I like the color blue, love cats, and I speak two different languages. Raise your hand if you also like the color blue. Raise your hand if you also like cats. 

Today we’ll be picking up where your teacher left off and learning about [insert subject] and [insert any other subjects for the day].

I’ll also be leaving a note for your teacher, so let’s be sure to behave extra well to impress them while they’re away. Can anyone tell me 3 important classroom rules?”

Source: Teacher How?

Older kids are more likely to test how much they can get away with. To get them to cooperate, it’s important to build trust and rapport with them. They’re more inclined to listen to someone who believes in them.

Check out our blog for more tips on how to build relationships as a substitute teacher.

Tips for setting expectations as a guest teacher

Be simple and specific

The shorter and more specific your rule is, the easier it will be to recall and follow it.

Communicate up to three rules when setting expectations at the beginning of class. This keeps it short and memorable.

What classroom rules are important to highlight? Here are 36 classroom rules to get you started.

Get help from students

Typically, the students know the classroom norms better, so don’t be afraid to ask them!

Asking your students is a way to build trust because they’ll feel empowered informing you of the rules.

Collaborate with other teachers

Your neighboring teachers are one of your biggest assets when it comes to establishing clear rules. 

Ask them how to handle tough situations or specific students you’ve had difficulty with. They might be able to give you advice and time-tested strategies.

Not only that, they might also teach your same kid or period! You can team up with them to reinforce a consistent set of classroom rules for your group of students.

Lastly, collaborating with other teachers ensures that you’re in line with school culture. This helps you and your students avoid more problems with school rules down the road.

Adjust your teaching methods to increase engagement

Rules and expectations are hard to follow when they don’t suit your classroom. If your students are older and less hyper, you can adapt your lesson plans to be more discussion-based or team-based to increase engagement.

Or if you’re working with primary kids, incentivise your kids with a game at the end of the day when they finish all their work and are well behaved.

Always observe how your students learn best and use these classroom management strategies and techniques to boost student engagement.

How to uphold classroom expectations

Ever heard the saying, “Rules are made to be broken?” As a sub, you’re bound to run into cases where students aren’t meeting expectations academically or behaviorally.

Here’s how you can reinforce classroom expectations:

• Restate expectations gently, but firmly
• Walk closer to students misbehaving to nonverbally remind them to knock it off
• Compromise when it’ll help a student slowly correct their behavior
• Foster a positive classroom environment by praising students who are on task rather than focusing on dealing with a misbehaving student

Read our blog “Handling Challenging Student Behavior: 6 Strategies” to learn more.

Remember that misbehavior is merely a student achieving a “mistaken goal.” This could be revenge, attention-seeking, or working with a disability.

Have compassion on your students, while gently reinforcing that actions have consequences. It’s best to do this privately, which we explain below.

Encourage self reflection and foster a growth mindset

Whenever rules are broken, it’s easy for students to feel shame and for teachers to insist on sticking by the book.

Instead, try to talk to a student privately and ask them these questions:

• What happened?
• What were you thinking and feeling at the time?
• Who or what was harmed?
• How do you repair the harm?

Then, listen and give them that choice to do better going forward.

By letting students reflect on what they think is right or wrong, you’re teaching them how to make better choices on their own in the future.

Rules are not the goal. Rules are meant to keep kids safe and foster a positive learning environment for students. By teaching self reflection and fostering a growth mindset, you’ll shape them to be better individuals in society.

Final thoughts on setting classroom expectations

Setting expectations will look different for each class. As long as you do your best to learn the class norms, get to know your students, and adapt to meet their needs, you’ve already made a difference for your community.

Want to sub with us?

If you’re a current sub or someone looking to try out teaching, apply to Scoot Education! We’re a substitute educator staffing company dedicated to creating exceptional experiences in education.

As a Scoot sub, you’ll get ultimate flexibility in your work schedule, 1-on-1 support through a personal Education Consultant, and market leading pay.

Apply now

The regular teacher will see from your sub note that you’re a responsible sub who cares about the work you do. When that long-term subbing position opens up, you’ll be the first they recommend for the job.

Here are some tips for writing a thoughtful note that has teachers calling you back again and again!

Psst – grab our free, downloadable 1-pager that lists out vital topics to report to the regular teacher. You’ll stand out as a stellar, professional educator!

Get your free template

Why you should write a substitute thank you note

When a teacher is out for a day or two, they’ll usually feel worried about their classroom. They’ll wonder if their students are learning and behaving well even when they’re gone.

You can alleviate the teacher’s stress by writing a sub note that covers all the important details of the day.

Sub notes will help the regular teacher get back into the swing of things when they return. This gives the students a seamless learning experience.

Also, subs who leave helpful notes have a higher chance of being requested again in the future. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Download our “Sub report” template

Coming in with copies of your own “Sub Report” form will definitely help you stand out from other subs. You’ll also get used to organizing your thoughts in a systematic way each time you sub. Here’s what you should take note of throughout the day:

• Absent students
• Student and classroom behavior
• Any unfinished work or activities you couldn’t get to
• Lesson plan modifications
• Extra comments about the day

Download and print out our template to make it easier to leave sub notes!

Get your free template

Tips to write an amazing sub note

1) Stay professional and informative

Since this note is going to be seen by the regular teacher and could potentially lead to more job opportunities in the future, make sure to keep your notes professional, informative, and thoughtful.

Organize your notes in a template that’s easy for you to fill out and for the teacher to follow.

Then, make sure to write a formal letter to leave a strong impression on the teacher you covered for.

You can address them as “Dear Mrs.”, “Dear Ms.”, or “Dear Mr.” followed by the teacher’s last name. If you don’t know how to address them, just saying “Dear teacher” works too.

Instead of using bullet points, use full sentences. Think of this as a formal letter, with a greeting, body paragraph, complimentary closing, and a signature.

2) Take notes throughout the day

Sometimes, subs forget to write thank-you notes at the end of the day. This can happen if their day is too busy or if they’re just wiped out from a long school day. Don’t let this happen to you!

Write down small notes to yourself throughout the day so you don’t miss anything. Keep these notes in front of you so you see it. When school is over, you can compile everything quickly and easily.

Carry around a clipboard and fill out a “Sub Report” template to keep track of your short notes. You can also opt to record everything in a notebook.

Bonus tip: Tell the class that you’ll be recording down the names of exceptional students to let the regular teacher know. This can be a great classroom management tactic!

What to include in a sub note

 

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1) Absent students

You should always remember to take attendance for every classroom you sub for. This is a task that subs often forget to do so make sure to cross this off your checklist the moment class starts.

Take attendance using the class roster that is provided to you and write down any students who are missing.

At the end of the day, let the teacher know which students were absent or late to class in your note. This way, they’ll know who needs to get the makeup assignment. The teacher will be grateful for your thoughtfulness.

2) Changes to the sub plan

Many teachers will leave sub plans for substitute teachers to follow in case of their absence. Usually, following the lesson plan will help you get through the school day without a problem.

However, you won’t always be able to finish the lesson plan. Some students may fall behind on an activity or the whole class couldn’t get to the next section of the lesson plan.

It’s okay to not complete everything. You just need to let the regular teacher know, so they can easily pick up where you left off.

What if there are no sub plans?

Sometimes, teachers won’t leave lesson plans behind. This can happen if a teacher has to suddenly take time off for an emergency, or if they were just too busy to get around to making a plan.

First, consult other teachers in your curriculum. Try asking the next-door teacher to see if they can give you ideas for activities. Or they just might lend you some spare materials and lesson plans for the day.

If all else fails, thankfully you can bring in your bag to fill up the time!

3) Student behavior

Write down how well behaved the students were. Any teacher would be happy to hear that their class was amazing in their absence!

You can talk about how they paid close attention to instructions or did their work quietly and efficiently. Mentioning important things like this will help the teacher feel a lot better about missing a day or two of class.

Mention the students who actively contributed

Write down which students were exceptionally helpful and contributed to helping the class progress through the lessons and assignments.

The teacher will greatly appreciate the extra time you take to recognize the great students in the classroom.

Had some challenging students?

Sometimes you’ll encounter some particularly challenging student behavior. It happens to the best of us!

When this happens and you’ve used all your classroom management techniques, sometimes the best thing you can do is just let the teacher know about it.

Make a note of the student’s name and in your letter, say that you did your best but the student was still distracting to the rest of the class even with redirection and reminders.

It doesn’t feel good to call out a single student but at the end of the day, the teacher will appreciate it.

Don’t focus only on the negatives

Unless you had an extremely poor experience in the classroom, it’s best to avoid writing only negative things. Even if your time was truly bad, you still need to be specific about what could’ve gone better and the steps you took to help the student.

Try to sprinkle in praise and positivity wherever you can. Consider starting your note with 2 positive experiences, mention any bad experiences in the middle, and end on a positive note.

The last thing you want is to leave a bad impression on a teacher who couldn’t see your hard work!

4) Anything else the teacher should know

Did you notice that some of the students really struggled to keep up with the materials? Were there a few students who fell behind in their work, even after you tried to help them? Make sure to write this down!

If you notice anything unusual or saw something you thought the teacher would like to know, you can also write it in your note.

5) How to end your sub note

Now that you’ve written a thoughtful thank you note, all that’s left is to close it out. Here are a few phrases you can say to finish your note:

• It was a pleasure to sub for your class.
• I had a lot of fun subbing for your great students.
• Thank you for the opportunity to sub for your classroom.

Finally, sign off with your full name and leave the note on the teacher’s desk. Make sure to place it somewhere that the students won’t spot it. 

You can also ask the school admin you greeted that morning about where you should leave the thank you note.

Taking the extra time to write a thank you note shows the teacher and school that you sincerely care about your work as a substitute teacher. And if the school is hiring for a long-term substitute, you can be sure that the teacher will mention you to the principal and hiring sub coordinator!

Leaving a thoughtful thank you note can make you popular as a substitute teacher. The school you’re at will appreciate the extra though you put into the note and might request you again and again!

Want to start subbing with a company?

Here at Scoot Education, we make sure our subs feel completely supported. In addition to helping you write your thank you note, you’ll also get:

• Access to your own Scoot consultant, an expert in the education field who can answer all your questions. Whether you need help getting through the application process or need advice when teaching, your Scoot consultant has your back!
• Exclusive access to exclusive resources from experts in the education field, all from the comfort of your own computer. We care deeply that our educators feel prepared for success in the classroom.
• Full control over your schedule with our app Scoot 2 Work. We have no availability minimum so you can work as much or as little as you want!
• Weekly pay every Friday via direct deposit straight into your bank account.

Apply to substitute teach with Scoot Education and you can start subbing with great perks!

Apply now

Walking into a classroom with a bunch of students you’ve never met before can be challenging. Nearly all substitute teachers, whether they’re a first-year teacher or a veteran, are bound to experience something they didn’t expect.

To help you prepare for uncharted waters, here are 7 situations you might find yourself in as a first-year substitute teacher and what to do.

Download a guide to ace your first day teaching!

Download our “First-day teacher toolkit” that includes how to prepare for your assignment, introduce yourself, and classroom management strategies.

Get your free “First-day teacher toolkit”

1) Where do I park as a sub?

One of the solutions to the guest teacher’s woes is to arrive early.

But if you have time before your assignment, use Google to answer as many questions as you can:

• What is the route from your home to the school? 
• How long will it take? 
• What kind of parking is available in the area?

Always plan to leave 5-10 minutes early so you don’t feel rushed. This will also give you time to find parking.

When you’re a substitute teacher working with a company like Scoot Education, we are the ones who provide you with parking information in addition to anything else about the school that would help you have a great experience.

Regardless of whether or not you have the information, it’s always good to leave early in case something unexpected happens.

If you know you’re running late, make sure to let the school know immediately. But if you’re working with Scoot Education, call your consultant.

2) Where can I find the classroom?

Check in at the front desk to get your bearings.

You’ll likely teach in many different classrooms and on more than 1 school campus. So it’s normal to be a little disoriented when you first arrive.

However, try not to arrive late and out of breath to the classroom you’re covering for. This isn’t a good first impression for the guest teacher and schools will be less likely to call you back.

Upon entering the school, just go up to the front office staff! Introduce yourself and ask them where to find the right classroom (and nearest bathroom – just in case). 

You can also ask questions about the bell schedule, where the staff lounge is, school policies, and more.

No matter where you sub, it’s good to be friendly with everyone working there. You’ll never know where support will come from when you need it!

3) How do I introduce myself as the substitute teacher?

Use classroom management techniques to introduce yourself.

“Uh…hi…haha…I’ll be your substitute teacher for today. What are you guys…um…supposed to be doing?”

Yikes! That’s awkward and your students are less likely to respect your authority as a teacher.

Before class is in session, make sure to greet students as they come in. (Tip: arrive at your sub assignment early to do this.) It’s also a good idea to have the seating charts in hand.

When class starts, give a clear introduction. Here’s a simple example of an effective framework:

• Who you are
• Maybe a few fun facts about you
• The lesson plan for today
• Behavior expectations (ex. needing to raise their hand to speak, following the existing classroom rules, etc)

This way, you can create a connection with your students while also clarifying what students need to complete during class. They’ll be more likely to have good behavior and you didn’t need an extensive classroom management plan to achieve it!

You can also write down the agenda on the whiteboard so students can be reminded of it throughout the day. Otherwise, giving a verbal reminder helps with classroom management to get students back on track.

Stay confident in yourself and aim to have a productive day. Don’t worry about being “just the sub.” Students can tell when you’re nervous.

4) What if there are no lesson plans?

Ask your next-door teacher or the most responsible student in the class for help.

First, double check to see that there are actually no lesson plans. Look around the classroom. The assignments might have fallen on the ground or are clearly written on the whiteboard.

If there are no plans to be seen, try asking the next-door teacher to see if they know where else the regular teacher could’ve stored them.

Typically, other teachers are more than happy to help you! Even if they don’t know what plans or materials you’re supposed to be using, they can give you ideas of activities to do or potentially loan you spare materials.

You can also ask the most responsible student in the class what is expected of them to be working on.

Prepare extra activities for when there’s no lesson plan or too much free time.

If none of these work, a great guest teacher should already have a wealth of assignments, games, and crafts in the substitute teacher’s to-go bag to keep students engaged.

Here are more ideas from ThoughtCo and our brain breaks blog for when there are no plans or when the plan isn’t long enough:

• Trivia: Bring trivial pursuit questions and set the class up into teams. Have them take turns answering questions while keeping score.
• Pictogram Puzzles: Pictograms are word puzzles that are visual (GOT, GOT, GOT, GOT; Answer: FOUR GOT=FORGOT). Print out a number of puzzles, link them to a Smartboard, or project them.
• Scattergories: The object of this famed board game is to quickly fill out a category list with answers beginning with the assigned letter. Points are awarded if other players/teams haven’t thought of the same answers. The player/team with the most points wins. There’s an online version too.
• Pictionary: You can play a game of Pictionary without the cards. Split the class into two teams, and take turns trying to guess what teammates are drawing on the board.
• Write Mission Statements and Goals: Teach students all about personal mission statements and goal-setting exercises. Then guide them as they create their own in this simple writing activity.

5) How can I get my students’ attention?

Manage student behavior with attention-getters.

No matter how good a class can be, it can get very noisy very quickly. Be prepared to have an effective way to reign in your class.

Here are a few methods to bring back the students as a whole group:

• Use objects like a rain stick or a bell. Students will be able to hear the unique and distinguishable sounds among the chatter.
• Try out verbal attention grabbers. We give a handful of examples in the image above. All you need to do is say one part of a phrase like “Hocus pocus,” and the class is supposed to respond immediately with the matching phrase, “Everybody focus!” Then the whole class should be silent and waiting for your instruction.
• When there are only 1 or 2 students who are being noisy use other techniques like simply walking around the room or asking the student to repeat the day’s expectations.

If you’re interested, check out our blog to learn more verbal and non-verbal attention getters to keep kids engaged.

If you’re going to use any attention getter, make sure to explain it and practice with them before you start teaching, so they’re not confused when you start using it.

6) What if there are rebellious students?

Prevent situations from escalating with these techniques.

Be prepared to do a little behavior management over the course of the day. In order to have a productive day, teachers usually need to constantly watch students, even when they’re busy working on an assignment.

Here are a few ways to deal with challenging students:

• Actively monitor the room, so students don’t assume they can get away with all sorts of things behind your back and avoid learning. Oftentimes, just walking nearby the students you want to address is enough to get them back on task.
• Praise students for any good behavior that you catch. When you compliment one student, other students will want to do well so they can get praised too. This is especially effective for younger crowds like elementary or middle school students.
• Privately remind the rowdy students of the assignment they should be working on and repeat some of the expectations. Don’t try to shame any student in front of the other students. You should always try to maintain a positive and supportive classroom environment.
• If a situation is getting out of control, contact the front office or the next-door teacher for assistance. If you can’t step away, send a reliable student to the office instead.

Hands off! Even if a student is being very disruptive or they’re trying to leave the classroom, you should not try to grab the student or block them with your body.

There will be students who just won’t listen to you no matter what. Don’t take this personally and don’t start fights. There are no positives to fighting with a student. 

Managing student behavior is definitely challenging for both substitute teachers and full-time teachers. Remember to not take things personally and stay calm.

7) What do I do when class is over?

Leave a helpful note that recaps the day of learning.

Provide information on how the day went for your teacher who was away.

Teachers will want to know which students were doing well and which students were being disruptive along with any actions that you took to deal with the situation.

They’d also want to know how much lesson material you went through. If you were unable to complete the lesson plan, let them know why.

You can write everything down on a simple piece of paper and leave it on the teacher’s desk. Or you can use this free “Sub report” template to help you stand out as a sub who’s prepared and organized!

Also, letting students know at the beginning of class that you’ll be recording everything down can also motivate them to act better because there are clear consequences if they don’t.

Here’s to creating an exceptional learning environment!

As a substitute teacher, you can face countless unexpected situations, but it’s ultimately up to you how you handle them.

We hope that reviewing these common guest teacher situations will help both you and your students have an amazing day of learning.

Refer back to your “First-day teacher toolkit” whenever you need a reminder!

Ready to become a substitute teacher?

If you haven’t become a sub yet, consider subbing with an educational staffing company like Scoot Education. We want to support you throughout your application process and beyond.

Subbing with Scoot means access to more opportunities, more school districts, and more excitement!

Apply now

Keep more than one in your back pocket to find the attention-getter that works best for you and your students. Happy teaching!

1. Call backs
2. Classroom transition songs
3. Line up chants
4. Give me five

1. Clap-in or snap-in patterns
2. The look
3. Sign language
4. Instruments
5. Proximity

Why use verbal and non-verbal cues for classroom management

1. Save time and energy: A well-executed clap call back or a simple point to the classroom rules can swiftly command attention without draining your energy.
2. Foster teamwork and listening skills: Cues promote patience, active listening, and teamwork. Students learn to respond together, encouraging positive peer influence and exemplary behavior.
3. Set the mood and make learning fun: Interesting attention-getters and songs can enrich your students’ learning. Catchy tunes and creative cues with instruments or using sign language teaches kids new cultures and ways to communicate.

Verbal cues

1. Call backs

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• Class, class? / Yes, yes?
• 1-2-3, eyes on me! / 1-2, eyes on you.
• Hocus pocus… / Everybody focus!
• Macaroni and cheese! / Everybody freeze!
• Waterfall / Shhhh… (with finger on lips or waterfall arm motion)

2. Classroom transition songs

3. Line up chants

4. Give me five

Non-verbal cues

1. Clap-in or snap-in patterns

2. The look

3. Sign language

4. Instruments

• Claves
• Chime
• Bell
• Singing bowl
• Drum
• Rain stick

5. Proximity

How to implement attention-getters effectively

1. Use a variety of cues that will work for your students.

2. Practice, practice, practice!

3. Ask your students to teach you signals they already use.

4. Be open to feedback from the students.

5. Use visual reminders to help students learn a new signal.

Teachers! What’s your favorite attention-getter?

Want to sub with us?

Apply today

Even for experienced, certified educators, finding new and creative ways to keep students engaged can be daunting.

But the key to running an orderly, disciplined classroom is to be prepared.

Follow these classroom management tips to help you keep your students from squirming in their seats and actually working on their assignments.

Classroom management tip 1: Walk around the room

Good classroom management involves being active and engaged.

Many teachers use this simple, but effective classroom management tip to get students back on track. More will stay engaged if you’re also an engaged educator.

So don’t just sit at your desk!

Make rounds around the entire class to regularly check on students during blocks when they need to quietly work. The class is more likely to stay on task if they know you’re going to be coming around.

Walking by is also a helpful tactic to address that one disruptive student in a non-confrontational way. You can make eye contact and give a non-verbal gesture like raising your eyebrows to remind the student that they should be working on the assignment. Make sure the students you’re trying to address actually see you.

If they’re too distracted, you can quietly check in to see how far along they are in the assignment and if they need help with anything.

Maybe the students that don’t seem to be working are actually fast finishers that need something else to do! If that’s the case, it’s always handy to have extra activities in your substitute bag just in case.

The subtlety of roaming the room is a wonderful way to “control” the class without becoming the tyrant.

Classroom management tip 2: Give students roles

Substitute teachers can build rapport by entrusting students with tasks.

Kids love feeling important.

Build relationships by asking them to help in the classroom. This can involve passing out or collecting papers.

You can also ask your students to deliver a message to other teachers or take a note to the office if need be.

These tasks can act as behavior management strategies because they help students build a sense of self-worth while providing an opportunity to stretch their legs and move around.

You might find that antsy students love helping around the classroom. Even the especially disruptive student might be much more capable than you think. They’ll start feeling responsible and want to meet those expectations of being the teacher’s helper.

Classroom management tip 3: Shake it out

Common classroom management tips involve getting your students to be active.

Faithfully following the regular teacher’s lesson plan is necessary, but not always fun for the class. Most of the time, students will need to stay in their seats for the whole school day. That gets tiring very quickly.

To prevent losing the class’s attention, spend a few minutes to take a break and get everyone out of their seats. Do a few arm circles, yoga moves, jumping jacks, or share your sense of (or lack of) rhythm with dance moves in the above visual!

When you arrive early to the school, you can usually find good places within the lesson plans to have small breaks. Or you can also take a spontaneous break if you notice that too many students seem to be wondering when the bell rings.

Classroom management tip 4: Keep it short

Engaging students is easier when lessons are shorter and more digestible.

One of the most effective substitute teacher tips is to keep your lessons short. This doesn’t mean substitute teachers should be chopping up the regular teacher’s plans. That’s a huge no! But you can strategically present the plan in small amounts so students don’t feel overwhelmed.

Here are a few ways you can make the lesson plan more digestible:

• Be clear and straightforward when you provide instructions. Don’t give too many options or else that will confuse the class. For example, if you want everyone to work on an assignment. Make sure to let them know if they’re working in groups or by themselves and what to do if they finish early. Set clear expectations.
• Tell the class that they’ll be focusing on 1 task or a handful of questions. Have them quietly work and then when they’re finished, you can introduce the next section of the class.
• Follow the Pomodoro technique; 25 minutes on then 5 minutes off. This way your students feel like it isn’t all endless work and have time to rest their brains. Bonus: this also gives them time management and awareness skills.

Classroom management tip 5: Require students to review the lesson

Asking students to write down what they’ve learned is a great tool to help them remember the lesson content.

Before students rush out of the classroom for recess or lunch, ask them to write down a few things summarizing what they just learned.

Younger students can write or draw 1 interesting point about the lesson.

Older students can write 2 or 3 thoughts, ideas, or questions they have about the lesson.

Only after the mini-review sheet is completed can the student leave the class. Make sure you leave extra time for this activity so students are not leaving late.

Not only does the class get a quick refresher of what they just learned, but you can also check the papers to see whether students absorbed the content.

You can leave those notes in the classroom for the regular teacher so they know how much of the lesson plans you were able to cover while substitute teaching. You might get extra brownie points with the school for being detailed.

Classroom management tip 6: Encourage students to present

The class is more likely to stay focused when they might have to present.

Divide the classroom into small groups and have them briefly talk about the main points of what they just learned.

Students can listen to what their peers learned and they’ll be able to ask each other questions that they were too shy to ask the teacher.

After discussing for about 5 to 10 minutes, ask each small group to give one contribution. The group would nominate a “spokesperson” to speak up for the group.

The spokesperson can either share their own insight or one of their peer’s insights.

To keep things casual and less stressful, allow kids to present while sitting down.

There will be classes that find presenting way more challenging than it is fun, so be ready to give a lot of positive encouragement for students to use their voices!

We hope these classroom management tips help you to keep your class focused. No matter which you choose to use, remember to act confident. It’s no secret that many kids think a substitute teacher day means a free day to do nothing.

Whether you’re subbing for younger students or older students, utilize your authority as the adult in the room and you’ll be dealing with fewer behavior problems.

Need more tips for substitute teachers like how to introduce yourself or what to do when class is over? Check out our other blogs:

• 7 Common Substitute Teacher Problems And How To Tackle Them
• 10 Tips For Stellar Subs

Ready to become a substitute teacher?

Becoming a substitute teacher is simple. Especially with an educational staffing company like Scoot Education. We want to support you throughout your application process and beyond.

Subbing with Scoot means access to more opportunities, more school districts, and more excitement!

Apply to substitute teach with Scoot!

If you find a way to form a bond with them, the overall classroom experience becomes more productive and enjoyable. Students are more active listeners and engage with learning better.

Regardless of how long you’re with the class, these 5 relationship-building tips help you establish rapport with students right away.

If you want your own physical copy of rapport-building tips, check outour free infographic!

Download these tips for later

1) Special greetings

Think about how you feel when you’re greeted by someone who is truly excited to see you!

You also get excited and happy, right? You feel welcomed.

Use this same excitement with your students. Make it a habit to bring the energy and actually greet your students-no mumbling or side glances! Address them with your full attention, look them in the eye, and speak confidently.

Older students, especially, will size you up, so your first impression is critical.

You can also make the greeting more interactive with a high five, a fist bump, or a special handshake.

This positive interaction helps set the tone for the rest of your experience with the students.

2) Check-in

Take less than 1 minute to get a gauge of how your students are doing by asking them: “How are you?”

There are many ways for your class to communicate their feelings.

One way is to just have everyone either give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. Another way to check-in is to ask students to show a number between 1-5 on their hand, 5 being “My day is great!” and 1 being “My day can only go up from here.”

If there are students who aren’t feeling as well as the others, keep an eye on them.

You can also check-in regularly throughout the school day. Don’t be the substitute teacher who sits at their desk all day! You’ll appear disinterested or disengaged and likely not invited to teach in the classroom again.

Instead, give a positive impression to students. Show that you’re engaged and actively, move around the room to check-in with students on their progress.

3) Incentivize positive behavior

As you go around and check-in with students, reward any positive behavior with praise.

Openly praising good behavior encourages other students to do better, and fosters a cultural wealth model instead of a deficit model.

You’re a teacher, not a military sergeant. You’re not a disciplinarian, you’re an inspiring role model!

So, while you might occasionally need to address negative behavior, the most effective tactic to build trust with your students lies in empowering them, not scolding them.

Find ways to encourage more good behavior, like:

• Tell the class that you’ll write down the names of exceptional students to report back to their teacher.
• Ask each student to take out a piece of paper and make a name card. Then explain they’ll get a hole punch/sticker/stamp for everytime they did well and a special mention to their teacher on their great behavior
• Write the names on a white board for the whole class to see.

4) Listen

Let your students talk to you about something important to them.

Give them 2 minutes of your undivided attention where they can talk about anything.

Students love being heard and respected. If they see that you’re 100% present, they’ll also feel more relaxed and comfortable around you.

If you’re a long-term substitute, try incorporating 1-on-1 meetings with all of your students throughout your placement. Children often feel pressured to perform in front of their peers, so meeting them personally will help them calm down.

If you’re a substitute teacher, you likely won’t have time to meet with everyone, but definitely start addressing students individually instead of a whole group. And whenever a student wants to tell you something, give 100% of your attention.

5) Make mistakes

We teach our students that it’s okay to make mistakes and ask for help. But how willing are we to do the same?

When students make mistakes in front of their peers, they often feel very embarrassed. This can cause them to react negatively.

They may refuse to address the mistake and ask for help. When the whole class gets into this habit, it’s difficult to manage the class effectively.

Teach by example, if they see you, an authority figure, making a mistake and asking for help; that’s powerful!

Whether you’re a full-time teacher or substitute teacher, establishing successful teacher-student relationships is critical for any age group.

Not only will classroom management get much easier, you’ll also feel empowered to lead awesome learning days.

Try out any combination of the 5 rapport-building tips and let us know in the comments which is your favorite tip!

Ready to sub with Scoot?

Become a Scoot Education substitute teacher today and start making a difference in schools near you!
Apply to substitute teach with Scoot!

Without a strong foundation,you’ll have trouble creating anything of value.

Erika Oppenheimer

On any given day, substitute teachers may find themselves at a private school teaching the alphabet to preschoolers- and explaining pre-algebra to 6th graders the next.

While adaptability is a crucial skill for all teachers to have, exceptional substitutes, however, all have one thing in common: strong foundational pillars of success.

We’ve assembled 10 pillars of successful substitute teaching that will enable you to meet each unique occasion with confidence as you use your skills to rise above the rest of the crowd.

1) Follow the lesson plan

Sounds like the most simple substitute tip, but many subs don’t follow it!

There’s a lesson plan for a reason. Remember the classroom teacher knows their students and curriculum better than you do. Yes, you have an allowable margin of freedom and variation but as a guest in their class it’s your responsibility to adhere to their wishes and it’s smart to follow their guidance.

Following the plan means you also get valuable insights to make your day run smoother and effectively. Teachers often list names of helpful students as well as tips on how to deal with behavior issues, bathrooms, and attendance protocols.

2) Learn names and use them

Learning a student’s name is key to building rapport quickly for subs. Start with introductions, ask students to complete info sheets or decorate a paper name tag they can put on their desk.

Having a hard time remembering? Use alliteration to your advantage: ask each student to share their name and a fun fact about them, or an adjective that begins with the same letter of their first name.

Still struggling? Use games and other memorization tools like these.

Then, use their names as much as possible, acknowledging good behavior with positive reinforcement, (i.e. “Way to go _____!”)

3) Take good notes

You don’t have to write a novel, but leaving a concise and specific note will allow the teacher to easily catch up from a missed day. Communicate what you accomplished and where you left off in the assignments. Recognize star students and note improvements with challenging ones.

Also, remember to sign it and leave your contact information in case they need to ask you a question or would like to request you as a substitute again.

4) Be kind

It sounds silly, but kindness is always in high-demand and in low supply! Demonstrating kindness and a general good attitude makes you memorable and conveys emotional intelligence.

If you’re tempted to complain (about anything), don’t. Instead, use that same energy to ask people about their day and how they’re doing. Remember their answers so that when you come back, you can follow up. You’re building relationships to ensure your return.

5) Eat lunch in the teacher’s lounge

This is an opportunity for teachers to get to know you, and learn you’re a stellar and capable substitute.

Conversations will naturally come up around your background and teaching, enabling you to humblebrag about your enthusiasm for the classroom! Staff will see your passion and remember to request you next time they need a substitute!

6) Take initiative

Sometimes teachers have a prep period and since you’re a guest teacher, you might not have anything to do.

Instead of hiding out and/or sleeping for the next hour, clean up the classroom, work on your own notes, or go to the office and ask them or other team members if they need any help. Your energy will not go unnoticed. Exceptionalism is always rewarded!

7) Make nice with the office staff

Administrative staff is the backbone of the entire school. Making a good impression, striking up a conversation and building a relationship with the office staff is really helpful to making you a pillar of their sub roster.

8) Ask for help

A great substitute tip is to ask for help. If your classroom is getting out of control, call the office and ask for help. Different schools have different ways of doing things and sometimes the best resources are the people around you. Asking for help and leaning on the people there shows that you’re willing to learn the school culture as well as uphold it.

If there’s no lesson plan, ask neighboring teachers what their classes are currently working on.

9) Communicate

Always have an open line of communication with fellow teachers as well as administration. Be direct and honest about whether you can or cannot help. If you’re unavailable, say so and schools can move on quickly to find the next available substitute. If you can help out, don’t just do the bare minimum, go above and beyond, anticipate their needs and follow through.

10) Be flexible

Things happen. Keep calm and trust that administrators and staff are working on the best solution for the best coverage at all times. If you’re asked to switch roles on the fly, jump at the chance.

You’ll definitely get a gold star because everyone loves a team player.

Taking a look at the list, which pillars are you already incorporating into your substitute teaching? Which could you improve upon?

Following, or simply being aware of these pillars for stellar substitutes will not only allow you to teach a few students, you’ll reinforce the standards that define you and come out looking like a hero in the process. Good luck and have fun!

Ready to sub with Scoot Education?

If you haven’t become a sub yet, consider subbing with an educational staffing company like Scoot Education. We’ll support you throughout your application process and beyond.

Become a Scoot substitute teacher today and start making a difference in schools near you!

Apply to substitute teach with Scoot!