|
Hi;
Welcome to Dr. Bates' class-room helpers page. I have designed this site to help out other substitute
teachers who are faced with trying times in the class-room. You can find on this site information that can help you in difficult
times. Click on "Meet the Sub" to find out more information about my background. See below for quick ideas for the class-room.
Substitute Helpers
Are you NEW to subbing??
Well, perhaps I can be of some help. Now, I am not a teacher of several years; however, I do have a lot of experience
working around children, including 3+ terms as a Substitute Teacher. First let me say this: DON'T BE NERVOUS!!
That is the first step, trust me, they can sense you being nervous and scared and they WILL take advantage of
that.
Now here is some great advice for you...
The Road to Becoming a GREAT Substitute Teacher
By. Dr. Dennis L. Bates Jr., Ph.D.
Substitute Teacher
First things first; let’s look at the ‘big picture’ of substituting in a classroom,
when visiting a classroom for the first time as a guest/substitute teacher you will find that in most cases the students can
be, well, a little uncooperative. There are ways to avoid this problem, I have developed a method that has proven VERY successful.
I have prepared a list of things to do, in order, to make your first time in a classroom more enjoyable.
NOTE: Keep in mind that not every day in the classroom will be a 'peace
of cake'. There WILL be trying times, trust me.
-
MAKE YOUR PRESENCE KNOWN; Greet the children at the door when they come in the classroom. Greet them with
a smile and a good morning.
-
INTRODUCTIONS; Make yourself known to the class, introduce yourself to them and get to know them as well.
-
RULES & EXPECTATIONS; Make sure YOU know the class rules, and let them know you know them. Set forth
some ground rules of your own (i.e., Raising hand before speaking, etc.)
-
FIRM FOUNDATIONS; Do not show nervousness to the class, be firm in the rules, yet be courteous to their
nervousness of having a substitute.
-
REWARDS ARE GREAT; Rewards such as, candy (older groups), stickers (great for pre-k thru 2nd
or 3rd) However, check with the teachers prior to using rewards as some schools and / or teachers frown on candy
or sweets.
-
FUN ACTIVITIES; Have on hand some fun activities for ’down time’ upon finishing early with
class projects. (You can always have extra work available as well for those who can not handle free time).
Okay, now we have covered the basics to handling the classroom, it is time to move on to communicating with
the teacher you are covering for. Now, for myself I communicate in various ways; including email and notes. I have developed
a set of ‘Substitute Report Forms’ to which will be available on this site for download. These have proven excellent
in my communications with teachers. Great Communications can lead to “call backs” for those teachers. Another
thing is to be organized; be sure to leave all papers, class work, forms, notes, etc., neatly stacked on the desk or other
designated area so the teacher can locate them easily upon returning to the class.
Proper communication skills are a ++++PLUS++++
Be sure to use ‘Proper English’ when communicating. The worse thing you could do is leave a badly
written report for the teacher. You want teachers to know you are reliable in teaching their class during their absence. When
in doubt, USE A DICTIONARY!! The forms I have prepared will help a great deal in your reports. They can be saved to your computer
for FREE use; however, I ask that you please DO NOT alter the copyright information and please leave my contact
information intact for ordering additional copies. (these copies will be available online here soon, please keep check. Until
then you can order them FREE through my email.)
|
