Supply Teacher Folder

Having caught my first cold of the season, I am reminded of the importance of having a comphrensive emergency supply teacher folder. 

None of us likes to leave our class with a stranger; most teachers spend hours putting together meticulous supply plans with every detail laid out for the

carefully chosen individual who we have prearranged to come and run the show when we -- the homeroom teacher -- are out at a conference, Board meeting or other pre-planned event, and when we suddenly find ourselves sick, would sooner drag ourselves in half dead than leave our students attended by a surrogate whose lesson plans we have neither the strength nor the patience to write up.

A well crafted emergency supply teacher folder can alleviate much pressure for the teacher who finds herself suddenly ill and in desperate need of a day in bed.  This morning, I again realised the importance of such an artefact in the room, and -- as I hauled my congested head out of bed and forced myself to swallow some breakfast before heading out to school -- cursed myself for not having yet prepared mine this year.

For those wondering how to put together such a thing, here's what I typically include in mine:

1. welcome letter, including the names of a few helpful colleagues
2. class list with notes on any students "of interest"
3. brief overview of my classroom management system
4. timetable with duty schedule included
5. generic recount paragraph planner and DVD and/or other "busy work" -- a reading and response, for example, or picturebook to read aloud, some cross word puzzles, etc.
6. professional learning article, perhaps on classroom management or some other hot topic of late (many supply teachers I've had enjoy the professional reading, especially if they have a planning time while they are in for me)
7. end-of-day survey, such as the one below, to gather data on any interesting events of the day that you may need to follow up with upon your return to school

In my experience, establishing and enforcing procedures and routines early on in the school year makes for a smooth-running classroom that in many cases takes care of itself -- I have often left students "in charge" when I am away, to help the supply teacher monitor routines that the students themselves are familiar with and can manage on their own (for example, during my literacy block, when they know how to "read to self" and "work on writing" uninterrupted).   Nevertheless, even in the most well-run classrooms, having a well-set up emergency supply teacher folder on hand can ease the anxiety of having to take an unexpected day off work.

I sure wish I had had one this morning!!!