Activities for Substitute Teachers

Quick Games to Help Subs Bond With Students

Oct 15, 2009

Substitute teaching is a difficult job. A sub will have a much more fulfilling day if he or she and the students are having fun while being productive.

The cliché of students rejoicing when a substitute teacher comes to class, thinking they basically can get away with anything, including doing no work, is in many cases a reality. The job of a substitute teacher is not easy. Sometimes discipline is the only thing the sub has time to deal with, or at least tame.

There are ways to catch the students off guard however. If a substitute teacher enters the classroom with a firm demeanour, yet open to get to know students, students may be more willing to cooperate. If substitute teachers respect students, students will in turn respect the sub.

Here are a few quick activities a substitute teacher can play with their students during class time. It is important to intersperse activities, because students cannot get away without doing the required work and the permanent teacher will appreciate their laid out lesson plans being followed through.

Would You Rather?

This activity is enjoyed by elementary and high school students alike. The teacher can ask students "Would you rather...?" questions at the beginning or end of class, or throughout the class to give students mini breaks during their productive time. The sub should make sure that if he or she does facilitate this game that every student is asked a question so that each classmate feels included.

More"Would you rather...?" questions can be found by doing internet searches or the substitute teacher can come up with his/her own, keeping in mind the age group he/she will be teaching.

Unique Quirks

At the beginning of class, the substitute teacher can ask each student to write down something unique about himself on a small piece of paper. Subs can provide their own personal examples such as: "I like to eat pickles and peanut butter" or "I have sky dived three times".

Teachers then collect the pieces of paper and place them in a hat. Throughout the class time, the sub can pull out each piece of paper and read it out loud. Students should guess which unique quirk belongs to each classmate.

This activity is best done with older grades and can be used if there is time remaining at the end of class. It involves discussing the seven forms of intelligence that Howard Gardner has identified. The substitute teacher can write down the seven forms on the board, briefly discussing what they mean. It is important for teachers to say that each form of intelligence is valuable – those who may not be book or math smart will possess at least one of the other equally important form of smarts.

The sub can ask students which forms of intelligence reflect their abilities and either keep a tally or write student names down beside the intelligence categories on the board. The end goal is for students to realize their talents and to learn of the variety of intelligences that exist. They may also understand more deeply that students learn in different ways and career paths that relate to their intelligences.

Successful Substitute Teaching Day

If substitute teachers are able to have students complete required assignments, while facilitating a fun environment, they will have had a very successful day. If subs begin to form a rapport and trust with students, it will allow for more successful days when they return to that same school. School administrators will observe positive relationships between the substitute and students and will want that teacher to return to their school.

Further Resources for Substitutes

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