Substitute Plans by Teacher Saver Sub Plans

Hello Fellow Teachers and Substitutes, I created Teacher Saver Sub Plans for teachers and substitutes that are looking for quality, National Common Core standards-based, full-day substitute plans that are easy to use. I am a teacher in Santa Cruz, California. A while back I realized I had a huge bank of sick days stored up. How did this happen? Well, I almost never take days off. I absolutely hate planning for a sub. My strategy when I have been sick has always been get to school, survive, get home, and go to sleep. There is nothing worse then being sick and having to plan sub plans. Not only does your mind not seem to be functioning, but you know that inadequate lesson plans will make for a completely wasted school day for the students. Leaving a pile of random filler activities, or teacher’s editions with complicated lesson plans never feels right. Every time I have been sick or had a unexpected emergency I have wished that there were an easier solution. So, I decided to create a solution for teachers. Isn’t our job hard enough already? I really hope I can offer some peace of mind to even just one stressed out teacher. I hope these substitute plans make your life easier and your sub's day more productive. The idea behind each full day of substitute plans is that all of the notes and directions are already there on each “Teacher Page.” Besides making copies of the student worksheets (titled “Student Pages”) there is nothing else to do except relax and let the substitute take care of the rest. Please email me any comments or suggestions. I want to create the best possible sub plans. Thank you teachers for all that you do! Teacher Katy

How Teacher Saver Sub Plans work: You came to Teacher Saver Sub Plans because you need substitute plans. You are already doing the right thing. Each day of Teacher Saver Sub Plans represents 6 hours of student work, and contains a combination of writing, reading, math, social studies, science, physical education, and even art lessons. Each lesson comes with a “Teacher Page” that gives simple and clear instructions for the substitute. Many lessons also have a “Student Page” which is the worksheet the students use for the lesson. The first page of the document is a letter to the teacher explaining how to use the substitute plans and what page numbers (“Student Pages”) need to be copied for the class. The second page of the document is a “Table of Contents” page that outlines all of the day’s lessons for the substitute. This page also gives an estimated lesson length and lists the National Common Core Standards and California State Standards that are covered. The rest of the document contains the “Teacher Pages” and the “Student Pages.” Once you have downloaded the Teacher Saver Sub Plan, the only thing that you need to do print the Teacher Saver Sub Plan and make copies of all of the “Student Pages.” Each “Student Page” needs to be copied for your entire class (if you have 28 students you will need 28 copies of the “Student Page”). You have a few options: (1.) Make the copies yourself. (2.) Have the substitute make the copies. (3.) Have a kind teacher or principal at your school make the copies. You could even email the Teacher Saver Sub Plan to someone at your school and you don’t even have to leave home.

I have received a Certificate of Commendation from my district for starting a Random Acts of Kindness program in our district (2013.) In 2014 I was promoted to a new position at my school site as an instructional coach. I will get to work with all of the teachers in each grade level. I will be a support to my staff and a coach for this huge transition in the Common Core. When I made my first set of Teacher Saver Sub Plans I kept them in my desk ready to grab when needed. It wasn't more then a few days later that I woke up with a terrible migraine. Before I created Teacher Saver Sub Plans I would have had a huge cup of coffee, four Advil, and gone to work. I would have maybe done review worksheets, played a movie, and even just let my kids have free choice time. I would have just done my best to survive the day rather then planning for the sub in that condition. However, I had a safety net. I asked my partner teacher to go in my room, get the sub plans, and place them on top of my teacher desk. I ordered my sub on our school's sub site, and then I went back to sleep. That was it. I knew that day, that all of my long hours of work creating that 4th grade Teacher Saver Sub Plans were worth it.

I have a Masters in Education from the University of Santa Cruz.

I created every lesson in each Teacher Saver Sub Plan. All of the lessons and activities are original ideas and copyrighted.