Lincoln Public Schools

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KEYS TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL SUBSTITUTE TEACHER

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Assignment Times

Substitute teachers are expected to be on duty 30 minutes before and after the student day when assigned to a full day. A full-day assignment is seven and a half hours. If assigned to substitute for a half-day, then you are expected to be on duty 15 minutes before and after assigned teaching times. The total duty time is three hours and 45 minutes for a half-day assignment. A substitute is not to be called for less than a half-day assignment. Any deviations from these hours need to be approved by the building principal.

Due to the fact that substitute teachers are paid for either half-days or full-days only, if a teaching assignment concludes prior to the end of a half-day or a full-day, the substitute teacher is to remain in the building and assist with other duties. Check in the office for additional duties. Substitutes not remaining in the building for the assigned half or full day time allocation will have pay docked for time not present.

In the case of full-day assignments, because of the need for substitute teacher coverage, substitutes may be asked to teach additional periods. There is no additional compensation for one additional period. However, if more than one additional teaching period is required, substitutes will be compensated at the rate of 1/7 of daily rate of pay per additional period of teaching time.

Duty hours for substitute teachers in the Early Childhood Special Education classrooms will vary at the different schools. SubFinder/WebConnect will provide the hours for the particular assignment. Substitute teachers called in error will be given other duties within the building and be compensated for the amount of time originally assigned. Substitutes should consult with the principal or appointed person.

If, while on assignment at a school, you are requested to return the next day, please call and confirm this assignment on SubFinder.

If an assignment is canceled prior to the beginning of the absence, the substitute will be notified and will not receive payment. Another position may be acquired if available. If the substitute caller is unable to reach the substitute prior to his/her arrival at the designated school, pay for one-half day will be allocated. The school then has the option to use the substitute in another capacity for one-half day.

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REPORTING TO SCHOOLS - ARRIVAL

Plan to arrive at your assigned room at least 30 minutes prior to arrival of pupils for a full day of substituting or 15 minutes prior, if substituting for only a half day. This will afford an opportunity to become familiar with the physical setup of the room and to locate material necessary for carrying out the assignment in a successful manner.

Upon entering a building, the substitute teacher should check in with the school office for information regarding his/her assignment. The substitute should introduce himself/herself to the office staff. A designated person should show the substitute to his/her classroom and help locate lesson plans. This person should also be able to direct the substitute to other teachers on the teaching team and point out the teachers’ lounge and restroom.

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PICTURE IDENTIFICATION CARDS

Picture ID's are to be worn by substitute teachers each day that they teach. Picture ID's are available in Human Resources. Pictures for substitute ID badges will be taken at LPSDO from 9:00 AM -11:00 AM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Monday - Friday during the school year. Badge Identification Authorization forms must be completed and taken to Cathy Townsley in the Communications Department who will be taking the pictures.

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CAR TAGS

Car tags are available in Human Resources. They should be hung face out on the rearview mirror when the substitute teaching assignment is located at a high school. The parking lot is school property and items not permitted in school should not be brought into the parking lot.

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CELL PHONES

Substitute teachers are not to use personal cell phones for any non-school purpose during teacher duty time.

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MAILBOX

The substitute teacher should check the teacher’s mailbox for any pertinent information that may effect the teaching day, e.g., lunch tickets, attendance forms, notes, handouts, etc. Check the mailbox again later in the day. Take only the items that you need and remember that the items in the teacher’s mailbox belong to the teacher.

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INTRODUCTION / NAME TAGS

Introduce yourself to each new group of pupils with whom you come in contact throughout the day. Write your name on the chalkboard to avoid any confusion during the day. Wear your substitute teacher name tag throughout the day. If you forgot your name tag, ask the secretary to give you a replacement.

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TAKING ATTENDANCE

The substitute teacher will be responsible for taking attendance. Secondary substitutes need to be sure to get the attendance scanners from the secretary. If the secretary does not give you the attendance scanners, ask where that particular school keeps their scanners. Substitute teachers are also responsible for reading the daily bulletin aloud during the designated period.

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LESSON PLANS

The substitute teacher should follow the lesson plans left by the regular teacher as closely as possible. If this is not possible, do the contingency lesson plan in the substitute folder. If there are not lesson plans available, consult the principal, department chair or an assisting teacher. If unable to implement the teacher’s lesson plans, the substitute teacher should leave information about why the lesson was not followed and what specifically was done in the place of the specified lesson.

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COLLECTING/CORRECTING WRITTEN WORK

In general, all written work should be collected and/or corrected (if a key is left) by the substitute teacher unless specifically instructed otherwise. Any written work assigned by the substitute teacher that is beyond the lesson plans of the regular teacher should be collected, graded and left for the regular teacher to examine. Substitute teachers on a long-term assignment should follow the regular teacher’s direction as to grading papers and recording the grades. Questions should be directed to the principal or department head.

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ADDITIONAL DUTIES

Unless otherwise directed by the principal, the substitute teacher should perform all the work of the teacher who is absent, including playground, hall and lunch duties and other similar school-related tasks. This also includes after-school activities unless other arrangements have been made.

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LEAVING THE BUILDING

A substitute should not leave the building during the planning period. If there is an emergency, check with the principal. Anytime that a substitute leaves the building, he/she should sign out or notify the school secretary.

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ATTENDANCE AT BUILDING STAFF MEETINGS

Long term substitutes are expected to attend required staff meetings at the building during the time they are serving as a long term substitute.

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SUBSTITUTE STAFF MEETINGS

Substitute Caucus Committee / Cohort Leader meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at LPSDO except where noted. These meetings serve as informational, problem solving, and planning meetings. All substitute teachers are invited and welcome to attend.

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SUBSTITUTE'S REPORTS

The substitute teacher should report to the office before leaving at the end of the day. Be sure to return keys and any other materials that you received upon your arrival. Inquire if you are to return the following day.

If your assignment has been completed, complete the two (2) substitute report forms that are available in the school office.

Sample Lesson Plan

Periods 1, 2, and 3: 10th Grade English

These students just finished reading Julius Caesar and are now ready to watch the film. You will not get through the whole film. Just leave it where you left off. Please let me know if there are any problems.

Period 5: Study Hall

Students should all bring something to work on with them. I have left six passes for individuals to go to the library - they asked for permission yesterday. Everyone should stay in the room and spend the hour working silently and alone.

Period 6: 10th Grade Diff. English

Students have numerous items on which they need to work today. First of all, students should spend the first 10 to 15 minutes engaged in silent reading of a book of their choice. When they are finished with this, students should then finish answering questions on their study guide sheets. These sheets should be turned in today. When they are finished with that, they need to begin analyzing the characters from the novel. Please remind them that tomorrow will also be used to work on this. Remind them that their final paper will be due on Friday.

Thank you for watching my classes for me today. If you have any questions or problems, please let me know. I hope you have a great day!

Thank you,
Lisa Hyde

Sample Response to Teacher

Period 1:

Lisa Miller - absent. Kevin Anderson - tardy - he was 17 minutes late.

This class was fine. They really seemed to enjoy the movie. Some students that I overheard now have a better sense of the novel. We got to the part where Caesar was killed.

Period 2:

Everyone was here.

This class had a few individuals who were very talkative. After a couple of minutes, I just walked over to where the noise was coming from and I stood on that side of the room. This was very effective. Everything else went just fine. I stopped the tape where the other class got to.

Period 3:

Jim Allison - absent. Mike Walker - absent. Jill Little - tardy.

This class was very attentive and a few students were able to notice a couple of differences between the book and the movie. This class also got to the point where Caesar was killed.

Period 5:

Mike Weber - tardy.

A couple of students were mad that they were not given passes to go to the library. Cassie and Judy had to be separated because they would not work due to constant talking. Everyone else utilized their time well.

Period 6:

Everyone was here.

Students read for the entire 15 minutes. They seemed to be enjoying what they were reading. I regretted that I had to make them stop. Most students used the rest of the class to finish their study guides. Mike, Troy, and Lisa did not turn in their study guides. Most students only spent about five to 10 minutes on their analysis. I did tell them that there would be time to work on them tomorrow. This class was fine.

An overall great day! You have some great students and that made my job very easy. Everyone, with the exception of those that I wrote about, worked very hard for the entire hour. Thanks for a great day!

Roger Brown