Heidi: This is episode 228 of Teacher Approved.
You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping
educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm
Heidi.
Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story
Window, where we give research based and teacher approved
strategies that make teaching less stressful and more
effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from
each episode at secondstorywindow.net.
Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to
the show.
Emily: Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's
episode, we are sharing six strategies for getting your
classroom back on track after you've had a substitute teacher.
Plus, we have a teacher approved tip for setting your students up
for success on future sub days.
Heidi: But let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we share
a quick win that you can try in your classroom right away.
Emily, what's our suggestion this week?
Emily: This week, try referring to substitute teachers as guest
teachers when you talk with your students. This simple language
shift helps drive home the point that this person should be
respected the same way you are respected. Instead of saying,
we'll have a sub tomorrow, try we'll have a guest teacher
visiting our classroom tomorrow.
Heidi: I love this. It sets a completely different tone. When
we call someone a guest teacher, it implies that they are someone
special that we are welcoming into our space, not just a
placeholder until the real teacher gets back.
Emily: If you like this idea or anything else we share her on
the podcast, we would love it if you would take a moment and give
us a five star rating and review on your podcast app.
So here we are in early October, and if you haven't been out sick
yet this year, you probably will be soon.
Heidi: And even if you haven't had to call in the substitute
for a training or a meeting so far, there's likely one on your
calendar in the near future.
Emily: Being away from school, it's a huge stress from start to
finish, because first there's the scramble to get sub plans
ready when you're already feeling awful or rushing to
prepare for a last minute meeting. Then there's the worry
about how things are going while you're away, and finally,
there's walking back into your classroom wondering what you're
going to find.
Heidi: Whether you have been out for half a day or for two weeks,
coming back is always a heavy moment. Standing outside your
door, it's like Schrodinger's classroom. In that moment,
there's still a chance that everything went great. The sub
taught all your material, the children were golden angels, and
inside you will find everything neat and tidy and waiting for
your return.
Emily: But there's also the chance that it did not go great.
The sub taught nothing. The children were out of control,
and your classroom now qualifies for FEMA emergency response
funds. But until you unlock that door, you don't know how it all
played out.
Heidi: No, I can't look. We should just hang out in the
hallway for a while.
Emily: Sorry, we're gonna have to go in there and see what
happened.
Heidi: Oh, this is such a cruel way to start the day. I remember
coming back from a training once to find a three page handwritten
note, chronicling everything that had gone wrong. This was
from a retired teacher who had subbed over 100 days that year,
and she said my class was the hardest she had ever
encountered.
Emily: Wow, that is just not the award you're looking to win as a
teacher.
Heidi: No, no, definitely not. And I saved that note for
posterity. I mean, on the one hand, it was validating, because
those kids were tough, and I did warn her up front that they were
kind of like a pack of puppies, so she had a little heads up.
But on the other hand, what do you do with that? How do you
even begin to get back on track?
Emily: Oh, so rough. One time, I came back to find that the sub
hadn't used any of the plans I'd prepared, but had gone through
all of my cupboards and gotten out random supplies for the
kids. They played with math games that I was saving for
later in the year. He,, no surprise, it was a he dug out my
treasure box and gave everyone a prize. He helped himself to the
candy that was in that week's estimation jar. And my room was
a complete disaster.
Heidi: Oh, that's so frustrating, because there's
nothing you can do after you have put all of that time and
energy into writing well thought out plans and preparing all
those materials, only to have it just all be ignored.
Emily: And of course, we have also had amazing subs over the
years, the ones that the kids can't wait to tell you about,
and who left everything better than they found it.
Heidi: Yes, that's so true. Some subs are just magic. It's like
having Mary Poppins fill in for the day. But whether you return
to find that everything is practically perfect or a perfect
nightmare, there is still that moment when you walk back in and
think, Okay, how do I get my classroom feeling like my
classroom again?
Emily: And that's exactly what we're talking about today, how
to smoothly get everyone back on track, whether you're dealing
with the aftermath of chaos or just the general disruption that
comes with having someone else in your space.
Heidi: If you remember our favorite analogy of student
engagement, our goal is to keep the forces of structure and
novelty in balance. If you have too much structure, the kids are
bored and causing problems. If have too much novelty, the kids
are overwhelmed and causing problems. Having a sub is a
guarantee of increased novelty. Even now that you're back, they
are still coming down from that high energy.
Emily: That's why they need you to step in to help them
regulate. And we do that by leaning into structure. It gives
your students space to shift their energy from unregulated
excitement to focused engagement. So today we've got
six strategies to help you do just that.
Heidi: And the good news is that most of these strategies really
don't require a lot of extra work. It's more about a
framework for how to be intentional with the time and
the energy that you would already be spending.
Emily: Right. Because there's a very real chance you might still
be recovering from whatever kept you out in the first place. The
last thing you need is a complicated plan that requires
you to overhaul your whole system while you're recovering
from a stomach bug. So let's dive into our six simple
strategies for resetting your classroom after you've been out.
Heidi: The first thing, and this is vital, because it makes
everything else easier, it's to get to school early if you
possibly can. And I know, I hate the mornings, and I know that
this is the last thing you want to do, especially if you're
still not feeling great. But even just 15 or 20 minutes can
make such a difference in how the day unfolds.
Emily: And it is so unfair that you have to jump right back into
the thick of things the second you walk in the door. But that
is teacher life, unfortunately. So let's do what we can to make
this a smooth transition, and you can start that by taking a
second to pause.
Heidi: That pause is important. As you walk into your classroom
the first morning back, take a moment to look around before you
do anything else. Sometimes the state of your classroom tells
you more than any note ever could. Are the desks where you
left them? Is your board still organized the way you like? Are
there mysterious art projects hanging out that you definitely
did not assign?
Emily: Like when I found the treasure box I had left in the
back of the closet lying open on the counter, the visual scan
told me way more than any note could have.
Heidi: He probably didn't leave much of a note anyway, it
doesn't seem like that type of sub.
Emily: Yeah, no.
Heidi: Arriving early also gives you a few minutes to check in
with the teacher next door. They probably heard everything, and
they are just waiting to fill you in on what really happened.
Emily: Oh, gosh, you know they've got tons to tell you.
And once you get that debrief, you can go over the sub note, if
they haven't emailed you already, tidy any mess, and get
your materials ready for the day.
Heidi: The goal is to get all of the prep work out of the way
before the kids arrive. That way, you're free to be present
with them, instead of scrambling around trying to figure out
where everything is.
Emily: Once you've done the prep work for the day, take a couple
minutes to create an atmosphere that says we're back to normal.
And that is our second strategy for recovering your class after
a sub, and that is to set a welcome tone.
Heidi: I always tried to have something that felt like home,
maybe familiar music playing, or a welcome back message on the
board, just a signal that your classroom is your classroom
again.
Emily: Plus a calm atmosphere helps you feel ready too. Kids
pick up on your energy immediately, and if you're
frazzled and still figuring things out, they will notice,
and they will be frazzled too. But if you have time to say,
Hey, I'm glad to see you, I missed you, it sets a completely
different tone.
Heidi: It's that presence that makes all the difference, and
this is why it's so important to get there early, so that you're
not stuck making copies as the kids arrive. When you can
actually be there, physically and emotionally, it helps the
kids get back on track.
Emily: Think of it like bumpers on a bowling lane. Your calm,
grounding presence on that first morning back is a gentle nudge
to keep the energy of the day rolling in the right direction.
Without it, you might end up with a gutter ball.
Heidi: Which in a classroom means you'll have hyper kids. If
you are not in the room as they arrive, they're going to be
amped up wondering if you're going to be there, and if not,
who is. That means you will have to spend a bunch of energy to
keep that bowling ball rolling down the lane.
Emily: I wonder how far we can stretch this bowling metaphor.
Heidi: What, you don't think that was a strike?
Emily: It's really more of a homerun, but let's not mix
metaphors.
Heidi: Well anyway, that sets us up for our third strategy for
recovering after a sub. Once you've taken a breath and the
classroom is ready for a fresh start, the next priority is
reconnection.
Emily: This step is so important. Don't just launch
into math like nothing happened. When kids have had a day, or
even just half a day with a substitute, it's like the
emotional tether between you and the class has stretched a
little. Before you dive into math facts or reading groups,
just take a few minutes to relax some of that tension.
Heidi: This really doesn't have to be a big production. If you
do morning meeting, this is the perfect time to just add in a
moment of connection. If you don't do morning meeting, just
gather everyone together for a few minutes.
Emily: A nice place to start is with gratitude. Thank everyone
for welcoming the guest teacher and doing their best. It sets a
positive tone right from the start.
Heidi: And then you could do a quick temperature check. Have
everyone share one word for how they're feeling today, or keep
it even quicker with a signal. Ask everyone to show a thumbs up
or a thumbs down or a thumbs sideways, just to see where
everyone's at emotionally.
Emily: You may even want to include a little we're back
together moment. So maybe your class cheer or a favorite song
that feels distinctly like your classroom.
Heidi: This is also a great time for something playful, a silly
movement song, a two minute dance break, or a read aloud of
a funny picture book. This really can be quick, but the
point is to send the message, I see you, we're back together,
and we are a team again. Those few minutes do more for the
day's learning than any frantic rush to get straight to the
lesson plan could.
Emily: And bonus, while you're reconnecting, you can casually
take the emotional temperature of the class. You'll notice
who's still a little keyed up from yesterday, who needs a
private check in later and who's ready to roll. It's a small
investment of time that pays off with a smoother, calmer reset
for everyone.
Heidi: You might want to close out this reconnection time with
our fourth strategy, which is to ask students to share their
perspective of how things went with the sub.
Emily: Oh, yeah, they have insights you won't get anywhere
else.
Heidi: And we don't want this time to feel like a punishment
or a lecture, so try framing it as a chance to notice what went
well and what could be smoother next time.
Emily: And you can totally keep this simple and short. Maybe
during morning meeting, you ask a few open ended questions,
like, what was something you enjoyed about yesterday? What
helped the day go smoothly? What's one thing we could all do
better when we have a guest teacher next time?
Heidi: If you prefer a quieter start, try a quick written
reflection. Give students a sticky note or a half sheet with
prompts like two stars and a wish, which is two things that
went well and one thing that could be better next time. Or,
what would you want to tell our next guest teacher about our
class? That gets them thinking about your classroom culture
from an outsider perspective.
Emily: Sometimes kids surprise you with what they notice. They
might point out things that worked really well that you
hadn't thought of.
Heidi: Plus, it gives them a voice in the process, instead of
just having things done to them.
Emily: Okay, so you've arrived early, you set a peaceful,
welcoming tone, you set aside time for reconnection, and
invited students to reflect on how things went. Now it's time
for our fifth strategy, and this is the moment you've been
waiting for, getting back to your regularly scheduled
programming.
Heidi: Yes, remember how we want to lean into structure to reset
the class? After reconnecting, the fastest way to help everyone
feel secure again is to just get back to your normal routine.
Emily: Kids thrive on predictability, and having a
guest teacher no matter how wonderful they are, disrupts
that, so the sooner you can return to your regular schedule,
the better. Obviously, we want to schedule time to reconnect
and reflect. But besides that necessary detour, do what you
can to follow as normal a routine as possible.
Heidi: If you find that things still feel a little shaky as you
go through your regular routines, you can lightly touch
on expectations. Hey, let's remember how we stand in line
without talking, or, who can show me our hand signal for the
bathroom.
Emily: And we really do want this to feel light, because
you're not re teaching everything or lecturing. You're
just gently reinforcing how your classroom works, reminding them
that you have boundaries and you're going to keep them.
Heidi: Yeah, that's the real key. If there are bigger issues,
like if the sub noted problems with noise or transitions,
invite the class to help problem solve. I heard transitions were
tricky yesterday. What ideas do you have for making those
smoother when we have a guest teacher?
Emily: Of course, if things went really, really poorly with the
sub, you may want to spend some time today clearly re-teaching
your expectations, but you can save that for any worst case
scenario situations. You don't have to do it every time.
Heidi: Yeah, hopefully you never need to use it. But you know
that you've got that tool handy if you need it. Those Tell Try
Tally Talk slides you set up for the start of the school year
work just as well in October as they did in September. So get
those out if they're needed, and you can go back to Episode 75 if
you need a refresher on the tell, try, tally, talk method.
Emily: Addressing things that didn't go well while you're out
can be tricky, but it's important, and that's our sixth
strategy for resetting your class. Thoughtfully handle
behavior issues.
Heidi: Yeah, this can feel so tricky, but remember, you don't
have to launch into detective mode the minute the bell rings.
Start by calmly reviewing any notes the sub left or any
feedback you received. If there were issues, give yourself a
moment to separate the facts from any strong emotions.
Emily: If you offered a reward for good behavior during your
absence, follow through. If they earned it, celebrate. If not,
talk about why and what they can do differently next time.
Heidi: And during that discussion, it's important to
keep the tone very matter of fact. Start with a reminder that
expectations are the same no matter who is teaching. You
aren't angry, you're just clarifying,
Emily: Yeah, so you might say something like, I heard that
yesterday, there were some challenges with following
directions during science. Let's talk about how we can handle
that better next time. Framing it as a shared problem to solve
rather than a list of punishments, helps students stay
engaged instead of defensive.
Heidi: And depending on what happened, you could add this
discussion to your reconnection time. Ask, what worked well when
the guest teacher was here? Where did we slip? Let students
suggest solutions or ways to make the next sub day smoother.
Emily: The key is reframing it as a learning opportunity. Every
time we have a sub, we get a little better at it. That
mindset helps students own their role in creating a respectful,
welcoming classroom for any sub, and it plants the seeds for an
even smoother experience the next time you're out.
Heidi: The goal here isn't to shame anyone, it's to rebuild
trust and clarify expectations. End the conversation by
restating the positive. I know we can handle it even better
next time, and here is how we'll do it. Wrapping up with a
forward looking focus lets everyone reset and move on
without lingering tension.
Emily: When kids help create the solutions, they're way more
likely to follow through. Plus, it shifts from you were bad to
how can we be successful.
Heidi: Now there will probably be some occasions when there
have been specific incidents that you need to address. So
handle those privately, so that the conversation can stay
respectful and constructive. Playing out the drama in front
of the whole group just never ends well.
Emily: Yeah, and if things were really rough when you were gone,
remind students that you can always take the Fresh Start
approach. Today we get to show what we're really about.
Heidi: So to recap, when you're coming back after having a guest
teacher, get to school early, if possible, so that you can feel
prepared and ready for the day to start.
Emily: Then set the tone for a welcoming reentry by tidying
your space and being present to greet your students.
Heidi: Take time to reconnect before jumping into academics,
and get your students perspective on how things went
with the guest teacher.
Emily: Get back to your regular routine as quickly as possible,
and address any behavior issues thoughtfully.
Heidi: The nice thing is that these strategies aren't just
about fixing problems, they're about strengthening your
classroom community and helping students become more successful
when you're not there, so that hopefully the next time you come
back after an absence, you do find that everything was
practically perfect while you were away.
Emily: The teacher's dream. We would love to hear about your
substitute teacher stories, The Good, the Bad and the You won't
believe what I found when I got back stories. Come join the
conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.
Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where we share an
actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and
simplify the rest. This week's tip is to use your first
substitute experience of the year as a foundation for
preparing students for future guest teachers. So tell us more
about it, Heidi.
Heidi: Okay, this is a tip that will pay off every single time
you need a sub again. Use your most recent experience of having
a sub to start preparing your students for the next one. Once
you have reconnected and reflected, take a few minutes to
talk about what worked well and what could be even better the
next time that you're out. Keep it positive and collaborative,
something like, you did a great job getting your work done
yesterday. What else should we definitely remember to do
whenever we have a guest teacher? And what could we tweak
so that the next guest teacher feels even more welcome? Make
sure to capture those ideas. Maybe it's a chart that you
could post, or a digital doc you project. You can even have
students write their responses that you gather to share with
the class.
Emily: Some classes even create a when we have a guest teacher
agreement that they all sign, things like we will follow all
classroom rules and we will be helpful and kind. Having it
written down and signed makes it feel more important.
Heidi: And once you've written down your expectations, here's
the magic. Refer back to your list or your chart, often not
just when you're planning to be absent. If you walk by another
class that has a sub, pause and say, Hey, remember our sub plan?
How should you come to the carpet when I'm not here? Yep,
quickly and quietly without touching anybody else.
Emily: Those quick reminders keep expectations fresh and they
normalize the idea that a smooth sub day is just part of your
classroom culture, and you have confidence in their ability to
represent your classroom well.
Heidi: Even if you are lucky enough never to get sick, you're
still going to have a sub day or two during the year. By
preparing students now, it makes the whole experience less
stressful for everyone, including you. That way the next
time you have to be out, whether it's a planned PD day or an
unexpected sick day, your students already know exactly
what to do.
Emily: And that means your guest teacher walks into a class
Heidi: To wrap up the show, we're sharing what we're giving
that's calm, welcoming and self managing, and you come back to a
extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra
room that doesn't feel like it's been through a tornado. Future
you will thank present you for laying that ground work now.
credit?
Emily: I'm giving extra credit to my old lady habit of my
favorite show, which is CBS Sunday Morning.
Heidi: I love CBS Sunday Morning.
Emily: I picked this up for my parents because this was always
on on Sundays at our house, and so I just started watching it
myself, and it is just my favorite little button to the
start of ,the end of the week, start of the week, whichever you
want to call Sundays. I like it because it is technically a news
show, so you will get a little bit of news. But it's not like
Meet the Press or something, where you're just going to get
like a fire hose to the face of all the news. We're already all
getting that. This is more gonna just hit the big stuff, and
might have, like a story that dives into an aspect of the big
stories, but otherwise it really is just a collection of
interesting stories.
Like, I love learning about like these interesting places in the
world where they like do an interesting deep dive about
some, or an occupation I've never heard of, or they have a
lot of like, human interest stories where there's some guy
that always does this, I can't remember his name now, Steve,
maybe Steve something, where he's just, like, highlighting
the story of, like, the cute kid who, like, made a stand to offer
free hugs to people. And he goes and interviews the kid and oh,
gosh, it's so feel good. It just is calming. And I feel like it
helps me stay informed, but also I just, I love that it teaches
me random things that I didn't know I didn't know. Like, I
always like, I feel like a lot of the weird things I know about
the world I learned from CBS Sunday Morning.
Heidi: Like Dutch canal jumping or random roadside attractions,
or an artist that you've never heard of, or an artist you know
a ton about, but here's that whole new look at their past
history that you haven't thought about before. It's just always
eye opening.
Emily: Yeah, sometimes it'll be like a deep dive into like some
historical person that you just never knew this whole thing
about their background, or they'll often do like a
celebrity interview as well. But it's not, it's not like the
typical celebrity interview. It's usually a much more
interesting personal conversation, which I
appreciate, too. So anyways, if you want a new old lady habit,
start watching CBS Sunday Morning.
Heidi: They should sponsor us. We love them so much.
Emily: Seriously, my kids all know the little trumpet sounds.
Heidi: That little blurb, until our trumpet sounds again or
something.
Yep. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?
I'm giving extra credit to Joshua Radin's new album one day
home, which is just perfect fall chill vibes, if you're in the
mood for that. It's like peak Joshua Radin, if, if you were a
fan back in like 2006, this is all those right points. But it
also, there's a second version of the album that, instead of
guitar, is piano and vocal. And I think I almost like that
better. It's kind of reminding me of like, vintage Billy Joel
stuff. Like, very, it's the exact same songs, just different
arrangements, and either way, both a win.
Emily: I'm excited to check that out, because Joshua Radin is
quintessentially acoustic guitar. So, hearing it with
piano, that sounds exciting.
Heidi: Very different.
Emily: I heard a Joshua Radin song on like a random commercial
the other day, and I was like, whoa, this is weird. It always
reminds me of how I think I was 22 when we went and saw that
concert that he did. And I remember at the time thinking, I
am too old for concerts. And I was 22.
Heidi: We had to stand the whole time. We're like, no.
Emily: We are not cut out for this life. As much as we love
music, we are not cut out for standing in bars for concerts.
Heidi: I know, I think at the time, we were complaining, like,
by the time, like you had to get there an hour early. No wonder
we like a CBS Sunday mornings.
Emily: I know, I think we've always been middle aged, it
turns out.
Heidi: Or we're just not dumb.
Emily: No, we know what we like.
Heidi: Nobody wants to be standing around for four hours
on a concrete floor. No, it's not fun. Does not make the music
any better.
Emily: Amen. But I will check out his new album, so I'm
excited.
Heidi: Much more enjoyable than standing around.
Emily: Amen.
Heidi: That is it for today's episode. Whether you're dealing
with your first sub day of the year, or you're a seasoned pro
at this, remember that every experience is a chance to
strengthen your classroom community.
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm Heidi.
Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow
or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an
episode.
Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the
Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.
Bye for now.
Emily: Bye.