Substitute Resources

  • Information for Substitutes

    Badge Distribution:

    Sub Badge distribution will be at the ESC Annex. 

    Professional Development for Substitutes

    • Substitute Teacher Star Feedback Rubric
    • Substitute Paraprofessional Star Feedback Rubric
    • SubU—Substitute University
      SubU is offered twice a year and offers relevant classes for substitute teachers and paraprofessionals. CPE hours for certified teachers are earned for attendance. An email will be sent to all substitutes informing them of dates and times of upcoming SubU opportunities.

    Internet Resources

    There are scores of internet sites available to assist substitute teachers in carrying out their duties and responsibilities. You are encouraged to search for yourselves, but some of the best sites are annotated and included here for your ease of use, including General Information, Succeeding with Special Needs Students, Filler or "Sponge" Activities and Effective Teaching Practices for Substitutes.

    • Discipline Help provides solutions for handling 117 specific types of student misbehavior in the classroom. This site also provides an excellent theoretical foundation for behavior management and "Behavior of the Day" to learn how to manage hundreds of different student behaviors. You will want to "bookmark" this site.
    • STEDI, The Substitute Teaching Institute at Utah State University (STI/USU) is the nationwide leader in training substitute teachers with the skills they need to succeed in the classroom. Founded in 1995 at Utah State University, STEDI (formerly STI) conducts research in the best practices for substitute teaching and provides live and online training resources as well as the Substitute Teacher Handbook and the SubInstructor CD. Their latest service is the SUB STATION, which includes FAQ's about substitute teaching, additional internet links, a chat line, sample lesson plans, and many other features which bring dignity and professionalism to substitute teaching.
    • Sub Station: Tips and Resources for Substitute Teachers contains a wide array of resources for substitutes, including articles from The Education World such as "Substitute Survival: Tools You Can Use," and "Ten Games for Classroom Fun;" activity tools such as free worksheets, brainteasers, and writing prompts; and additional links to more Internet resources.
    • I Love that Teaching Idea: In addition to lesson plan ideas, this site also includes tips and instructions for your first day with the students, classroom management ideas, field trips, teacher tips, and a special section for substitute teachers.
    • teach-nology.com: Another free resource available online for teachers, including substitute teachers. Instructional materials and ideas, along with workbooks, worksheets, puzzles, educational games, etc., can all be found on this one site.
    • ProTeacher provides both the regular and the substitute teacher an endless supply of information and suggestions for successful teaching. It lists numerous articles on topics including child development, classroom management, special needs students, teaching practices, and lesson plans. The site provides excellent resources for teaching specific subject areas from kindergarten to high school. A "chat room" is also available for substitute teachers to share their frustrations and successes.

    Succeeding with Special Needs Students

    • KISD Special Education: A list if reference materials compiled by the KISD Special Education Department.  A MUST for all substitutes--not just those who signed up to work with special-needs students.
    • Misunderstood Minds Provides substitutes with a fascinating and instructive look inside the minds of special needs students, particularly those considered to have "learning disabilities," including students lacking success in reading, writing, and mathematics. The site is a companion to the PBS special on learning differences and disabilities.

    Filler or "Sponge" Activities

    • Sponge Activities Great collection of the latest 100 ideas for filling instructional time with fun and meaningful student activities--grouped by subject areas.
    • A to Z Teacher Stuff Several ideas to use during those tricky times of moving from one activity to another.
    • Vocabulary development, history and definition of sponge activities, as well as a list of activities that will strengthen vocabulary and concept development.
    • Proteacher This site provides links for substitute teachers, game ideas, and tips for encouraging critical thinking and active learning in the classroom.

    Additional Teaching Resources

    There are too many internet sites to list here that provide effective teaching practices and other assistance to substitute teachers, but here are a few:

    • Proteacher -This site offers resources such as effective teaching practices, research-based activities, thinking strategies, active learning, & specific strategies for substitutes.
    • Education World - This site has an educational search engine, links to education-related sites, sample lesson plans, and curriculum ideas.
    • FunBrain - This Family Education Network site provides free games and online quizzes for children K-8, parents, and teachers.
    • Graphic Organizers - Terrific site with printable venn diagrams, story maps, concept maps, KWL charts and more
    • Stories and Fairy Tales Theme Page -Fantastic and fun stories and reading for children of all ages.
    • TeachersFirst - Classroom Resources & Lesson plans
    • Teachnet.com - Teachnet.com's educational services include lesson plans, Web links, interactive forums, mailing lists, and a weekly e-mail newsletter.