A Substitute's Wish List

Here is a list of things I wish the teacher would leave me when I substitute in his or her elementary school classroom. What is so important for the regular teacher to remember is that my job is challenging enough as I come into an unknown situation. The more I have to fuss around with the things I need to keep the class going, the more chaotic, difficult, and stressful the day will go. It is important to find a balance when it comes to information. Too much will mean that I won't have time, or take time, to read everything, leading to oversights.

If I think of more things I will add them to this list and republish it with the current date.

1. Seating Chart - I don't always use one but it's nice to have. (One with student photos attached would be even better! That's especially true for 5th and 6th grades.)
2. Desks that have taped down name tags.
3. A brief description of what behavior management system is used.
4. A simple list of standard consequences for bad behavior and options I can resort to if things begin to get out of hand. For example, is there another classroom I can send an unruly student to? And when is it appropriate to send a student to the Principal's office?
5. What the rewards are for good behavior.
6. Names of students I can rely on to give me accurate information on how things are usually done and what procedures are followed.
7. Names of students I ought to keep a close eye on and, briefly, why.
8. Emotional, mental, or physical difficulties I should be aware of.
9. A lesson plan that tells me what you want/expect me to get accomplished, and how.
10. A lesson plan with times on it so I know how long we have for each activity or lesson.
11. Information on what the students should hand in, and where they should put it, at the BEGINNING of each lesson in the plan.
12. Materials, teacher's guides, handouts, etc. stacked in the sequence of when I will need them. Don't make me chase around the room for stuff so that the kids can desolve into chaos while I hunt.
13. ENOUGH copies of necessary handouts and materials so that I have extra (for students who lose theirs and so that I may demonstrate what to do if need be).
14. Filler/extra work that I may assign if a lesson gets done early.
15. Options students have if, individually, they finish earlier than the rest of the class.
16. A boombox or VCR or DVD player or computers that work and are easy to figure out, or has directions included. I'm technically savvy but STILL seem to run into equipment that won't work for me.
17. While you're at it, I would appreciate being able to use a computer with access to the internet. It's how I write my "report to the teacher". Do I need a password?
18. CD's, DVD's, VHS tapes...whatever media I'm expected to use, set out so I don't have to search. Even better if it's cued up to the spot so I can just push "play".
19. Do not say "PE - Your choice"! While I may have games for most grades, not all subs do. In fact, PE was not covered in any of the classes I took to earn my teaching credential.
20. If I am expected to grade papers, leave an example of how to mark AND score each type of paper. Do I circle wrong answers? Do I write the numer right or wrong? Do I write a fraction? Do I calculate a percentage? Do I use a red pen, which some consider to be a no-no because of what they associate with it?
21. List of telephone numbers by the phone so that I may contact other teachers and the office, and any special instructions for using the phone (e.g. dial 9 do dial outside).