If you have ever subbed, you know that classroom management for substitute teachers can be a struggle. I may train teachers now, but I started somewhere else.
From 2005 to 2007, I was a substitute. Both kinds. First, I was the “call me in the morning if you need me” kind…rolling out of bed at 5:30 AM, waiting for the phone to ring, and driving to whatever school, whatever grade level, whatever subject they threw at me. Then I became a full-time building sub, the one who shows up every day at the same school and gets placed wherever the need is greatest.
In 2007, I was hired for my first full-time teaching job. I spent over a decade as a classroom teacher before I began training teachers in 2018. That means I have sat in every chair: the substitute hoping for a job, the regular teacher returning to chaos, and the professional development facilitator telling others how to do it better.
Let me tell you something no teacher training ever taught me, and something I now repeat in every session I lead: classroom management for substitute teachers is not “teaching lite.” It is harder. You have no relationship, no history, no inside knowledge of who will push boundaries. The regular teacher might have a beautiful classroom management plan on paper, but the moment that teacher walks out the door, you become a stranger trying to support classroom routines you never helped create.
I learned this from both sides. When I finally started teaching full-time, I quickly understood the important role a guest teacher plays. One bad substitute can undo months of relationship building. One great substitute can leave your students more focused and more grateful than before you left. I have seen both extremes.
The worst experience I ever had was my second year teaching full-time. I had a family emergency and left detailed sub plans on my desk…three pages of step-by-step instructions, a seating chart, copies of everything my students would need, the works. The next morning, I found the neat pile of plans exactly how I had left them.
The substitute actually stopped by my classroom before the school day started and was extremely condescending. She stood at my door and yelled at me for not leaving her anything. I walked over to my teacher’s desk, picked up the stack of paper, and said, “You mean these?” She looked at the plans, then back at me, and said she didn’t see them. She didn’t apologize. She just left.
That day changed everything. After that, I put my sub plans in a bright blue folder labeled “SUB PLANS” in two-inch letters. The first thing I tell any guest teacher is exactly where to find that folder. I didn’t have a single “I did not see it” again.
The second-worst experience involved candy. I had a large tub of candy…rewards for positive behaviors, end-of-week celebrations, the sort of rewards that took me months to accumulate. The substitute that day decided to become everyone’s favorite sub. She opened the tub and handed out candy all day. By the end of the day, the tub was empty. Students were reportedly bouncing off the walls, and I had nothing left for the rest of the school year.
So yes. I have been the substitute waiting for the school to call at 6 AM. I have been the building sub sent to cover a middle school science class with no warning. I have been the classroom teacher coming back to chaos. Now I train other teachers to avoid the mistakes I made. These experiences taught me everything I know about effective classroom management. Let me share what actually works…from all three chairs.
Part One: What I Tell Substitute Teachers
I don’t currently sub, but I subbed long enough to learn what works. I have spent years since then helping substitutes and watching what actually holds up in real classrooms. Here’s what I tell them.
Start by Asking, Not Telling
The first thing you must do is admit you need the students’ help. My exact words became: “I am not your regular teacher. I don’t know your routines. Tell me two things: what usually helps this class run well and what makes things harder for your teacher?” The room always goes silent for a second. Then hands shoot up. Students tell you about the signal for quiet, how they line up for lunch, and that Mrs. Davis actually lets them stand while they work.
By asking, I gained more cooperation in two minutes than I ever did pretending to know everything. Students want to be seen as experts on their own classroom environment. They just hate being bossed by someone who clearly doesn’t understand their classroom.
Set a Shared Goal, Not a List of Commands
I stopped suggesting the use of raised-hand unison signals a few years back. Today’s students shut down when you demand compliance for its own sake. Instead, I suggest you say something like this: “Here’s the goal for our time together: we get through what your teacher left, everyone feels respected, and nobody leaves frustrated. I need your help to make that happen. What’s one thing that would help you focus today?”
Sometimes they say, “Give us a warning before time’s up.” Sometimes they say, “Let us listen to music quietly.” You can work with that. By naming the shared goal, you move from “authority figure” to “collaborator.” That works across every grade level…elementary school, middle school, high school.
For the first ten minutes of the class period, keep it simple. Say: “For now, let’s try this. If you need me, raise your hand so I can see you. If you need a break, just let me know so we can stay organized. That’s it. Any questions?” Then pause and actually listen. Setting clear expectations doesn’t mean controlling every move. It means naming the boundaries and then trusting students to work within them.
Bring a Bag of Tricks for Early Finishers…But Make It Choice-Driven
You will inevitably finish the lesson plans early. Free time is where negative behaviors explode. I carried a folder of simple activities: one-page puzzles, brain teasers, a picture book for elementary level, short writing prompts for older kids, and a few “challenge cards” with open-ended questions. Here’s the key: don’t assign them. Lay out three options on the board. “You can work on missing work for any class, try one of these puzzles, or read quietly. Your choice.” When students have autonomy, they don’t need to rebel.
One time, I subbed for a second class where the lesson only took twenty minutes of a forty-minute period. I pulled out a partner math game on scrap paper as an option, not an assignment. The teacher later emailed me saying she had never seen a substitute handle a transition so smoothly. That is the power of being prepared and trusting students to choose.
Give Genuine Choice, Not Fake Choice
When you say, “Would you like to do the worksheet or the vocab game?” students feel a sense of ownership. When you say, “What do you want to do now?” chaos follows. Choice works because it redirects potential power struggles into productive decisions.
When you see a student off-task on their cell phone, walk over quietly and say, “You have two choices. Put the phone on my desk and finish your work now, or take it to the office yourself. Which works for you?” They almost always pick the first option because you remove the third choice, arguing. That is behavior management that respects their agency while maintaining boundaries. I have seen this work wonders for student behavior, from the littles in different subjects to high school students.
Use Positive Reinforcement, But Keep It Specific and Private When Possible
Don’t say “good work” from across the room. Try to learn a few names and say quietly, “Jasmine, I love how you cited the page number…that took focus.” Don’t broadcast praise for basic expectations. I always carried sticky notes to write quick messages.”Marcus, thank you for helping your neighbor. That mattered.”
Positive notes home work the same way. “Great focus today. – Your sub.” Students keep those. When you notice a student who seems to struggle start to engage, lean in, and say it quietly: “I saw you raise your hand. That took courage. Thank you.” Public praise can embarrass some students. Private recognition lands differently. That student will likely show good behavior for the rest of the school day without having to perform for an audience.
If You Face a Power Struggle, Disengage Immediately and Offer a Reset
This is the most important thing I will tell you. You can’t win a power struggle in front of a whole class, especially when you don’t know the students well. The second a student realizes they can make you angry, they own you.
Lower your voice. Move closer. Say quietly, “We can talk about this after class. Right now, I need you to [simple instruction].” If they refuse, say, “Okay, I’m going to give you two minutes to reset. Let me know when you’re ready to join us.” Then walk away.
I used this with an eighth grader who refused to stop talking to anyone who would listen. He was waiting for a fight. When I didn’t give him one, he looked confused. Two minutes later, I came back. He had started looking over the work he had to do. No yelling. No office referral. No audience. That is classroom management for substitute teachers in the real world. The whole time, I kept my breathing steady. Calm is contagious.
Keep Your Cool…and Name the Emotion If You Have to
Students can smell fear and frustration. When one student tried to argue that “Mr. Johnson never makes us read silently,” I just smiled and said, “Well, Mr. Johnson isn’t here today. I am. Here’s my problem: I need you to read so I don’t have to leave a note saying you refused. Help me out here.” He laughed and opened his book. No power struggle. No raised voice. Just calm, honest redirection.
If you feel yourself getting frustrated, say it out loud: “I’m getting frustrated, so I’m going to take a breath. You can take one, too.” Modeling regulation works better than demanding it. I learned this lesson the hard way, and now it is the first tip I give to new substitutes.
Leave Detailed Notes
At the end of the school day, leave detailed notes…not just about student misbehavior, but also about what went well. Which individual students were helpful? Which parts of the sub plans worked? Which classroom procedures need clarification next time? The best thing you can do as a substitute is make the regular teacher’s return smoother than their absence was. If something went wrong, describe it without blame. “The timing on the math worksheet was too short” is useful. “The students were awful” is not.
Part Two: What I Tell Classroom Teachers (From Someone Who Has Been on Both Sides)
You are the one who sets the stage before you ever leave. Here is what I now train every classroom teacher to do.
Leave Sub Plans That Include Your Classroom Management Strategies, Not Just the Lesson
Most teachers write what to teach. Great teachers write about how to manage and how to offer choice. I would generally leave a one-page cheat sheet with my approach to student choice, my three most important classroom procedures, and guidance on handling common issues.
For example: “If a student refuses to work, don’t argue. Say, ‘You have two choices: start with question one, or take two minutes and then start. Let me know.’ If still no, leave me their name and I’ll follow up.” I also list two reliable student helpers and two who might need extra grace that day. I put this cheat sheet in the bright blue folder. Once I started doing this, the sub dynamic in my classroom changed.
Explain Your Classroom Routines, Including Where You Build in Autonomy
Don’t assume they know how your morning meeting works, where to find emergency procedures, or how you handle transitions between small groups….but also tell them what you don’t control. “Students can sit anywhere unless someone is being distracted.” “They can listen to music with one earbud during independent work.” “If someone needs a movement break, let them take two minutes.”
I suggest writing a timeline of the school day with specific notes. “8:15-8:30: Morning meeting. Students sit in a circle. You start with the question on the board. The first two minutes are quiet thinking time…don’t rush it.” “9:45-10:15: Reading small groups. I have four groups pre-assigned. Pull the blue group first. The other groups know they can choose between silent reading or a vocabulary app.” When you do this, substitutes follow your lesson plans more accurately because they understand the why, not just the what.
I would also suggest telling them which students might need extra patience and which ones will try to push boundaries, but frame it with empathy. “Alex will probably test you. He’s had a hard time with authority figures. Just say, ‘Your teacher told me you might do this, but I’m not here to fight. Let’s just get through the period.’ That usually works.”
And of course, lock up your personal items. Don’t leave anything open on your classroom computer. And for the love of all that is holy, hide the giant tub of candy.
Include Your Positive Reinforcement System, But Make It Intrinsic When Possible
Too many teachers leave only a list of punishments. “If students misbehave, send them to the office.” That is useless. What about the kid quietly doing great work? Try leaving a stack of “shout-out” slips. The substitute can write a quick note: “I saw great effort from Samir today.” Those go into a weekly drawing for a later reward.
Also, leave a very small jar of something if you can (stickers for elementary level, fancy pens for older kids) with a note: “Give one to any student you see showing leadership, kindness, or focus. They choose whether to take it now or save it for later.” That tiny act of choice builds intrinsic motivation better than a candy bar ever could. Positive consequences like these reshape a classroom environment faster than any list of negative consequences.
Create a Sub Tub for Last Minute Emergencies
My sub tub contained printed sub plans, a class roster with photos, a seating chart, emergency procedures (fire, lockdown, tornado), a list of helpful staff members and their extensions, a few age-appropriate side activities, basic supplies (pencils, sticky notes, a water bottle for the guest teacher), and a blank notebook for detailed notes.
I would also throw in a granola bar and a kind note that says, “Thank you for being here. I know this is hard work, and I trust you to make it your own.” The best thing about this system is that if I got the flu at 5 AM, my head teacher could pull the tub out of my closet and drop it off at the office. The substitute opens it and finds everything they need for a smooth day.
Part Three: What I Tell Full-Time Teachers Forced to Cover During Their Prep Period
Let me talk about a situation that almost no one prepares for. You are a full-time teacher. You just sat down during your prep period. You have coffee. You have papers to grade. You have fifteen minutes of blessed silence ahead of you. Then the assistant principal appears at your door. “Hey, I need you to cover Ms. Rivera’s third period. Her sub called out ten minutes ago.”
I’ve been there. As a classroom teacher, I was asked to cover at least once a week. It is a completely different experience from regular substitute teaching because you arrive already exhausted, already resentful, and already behind on your own work. The students know you are not a real sub. They know you are just the history teacher from down the hall. Some of them will absolutely test you.
Here is what I learned about surviving these last-minute assignments.
Lower Every Expectation for the Class Period
You are not going to deliver a brilliant lesson. You are not going to fix the classroom management problems that the regular teacher left behind. You are going to keep everyone safe, reasonably quiet, and prevent anyone from throwing anything. That is a successful period.
In a perfect world, the regular teacher would have left emergency sub plans. In the real world, especially when something happens at the last minute, there is often nothing. Accept this immediately. Resentment will make you short-tempered, and a short-tempered teacher is exactly what students showing inappropriate behavior want to see.
From here, be honest with the students who probably recognize you, but may not know you. Say something like, “Here’s the deal. You’ve got three options: work on the work you’re assigned (or homework from any class if nothing is left for you to give them), read something quietly, or sit and do nothing. Those are your choices. What you can’t do is be loud or rude, or record anything on your phone. That’s not a choice today. I have forty minutes. Help me out, and I’ll leave a boring note. Deal?”
Don’t get pulled into debates. When a student says, “But Ms. Rivera lets us listen to music during independent work,” just say, “I am not Ms. Rivera. You’ve got three choices. Music isn’t one of them today. Forty minutes.” Then walk to the next student. Don’t stop. Don’t justify. Don’t argue.
It is not elegant. It is not student-centered in a perfect-world way, but it works because it is honest, sets clear expectations, and gives them autonomy within boundaries
You are covering this class as a favor to your school district and to a colleague. You are not their regular teacher. You are a temporary body in a room. So when the bell rings, leave. Don’t stay to clean up a mess that existed before you arrived. Leave a single sentence on a sticky note: “Class was fine. Three students were off-task, but no major issues. – [Your name].” Then walk back to your classroom, shut the door, and take a minute to prepare for what you have to do next. You need that time to reset…your students can self-direct for a minute or two.
Have a Conversation with Your Administration If This Happens Repeatedly
Covering a colleague’s class during your prep period once or twice a semester is being a team player. Covering once a week means your school district has a bigger problem…a substitute shortage…that you are not responsible for solving.
I have coached teachers to say this exact line to their principal: “I am happy to help in emergencies. But when I lose my prep period every Tuesday, my own students suffer because I can’t get my lesson fully prepared/I am grading papers at midnight instead of sleeping/etc. Can we talk about a rotation system or a stipend?” Most administrators will not offer a solution until you name the problem. Name it.
Is it possible that school policies may not allow for anything different? Possibly, but it’s always a good idea to call out undesirable behavior within your own classroom experience. The administration might be oblivious for a long time about the effect this has on your own teaching, or they might only care that a class has active supervision and don’t care what that does for you in terms of time or having the mental capacity in terms of classroom management, or even just content delivery.
Either way, it’s important to voice these valuable insights and then determine your own next step from there.
Conclusion: The Most Important Thing I Have Learned
After two years as a substitute (2005–2007), more than 1,700 of my own students over a decade as a classroom teacher, and now nearly a decade training K-12 teachers (2018 to present), here is what I know:
Classroom management for substitute teachers is not about being tougher or stricter than the regular teacher. It is not about demanding compliance through hand-raising signals. It is about clarity, calm, and trust. You are not trying to become their favorite sub in a short amount of time. You are trying to create a smooth day where the learning process continues, students feel a sense of ownership, and you leave detailed notes that actually help the classroom teacher.
The best way to start any assignment is to put yourself on the right foot from the first time you meet the class. A positive attitude goes further than any punishment…but a positive attitude plus genuine student choice? That is unstoppable. Keep a few reliable brain breaks in your back pocket. Develop your own systems over time. Remember: students want structure, but they also want to be trusted. Give them both, whether you are there for one class period or one year, and you will be just fine.
The simple fact is this: a good substitute is not a lesser version of a classroom teacher. A good substitute is a different kind of professional altogether…one who knows how to step into a stranger’s room and build enough trust to get through the day. A good classroom teacher prepares for a substitute the same way they prepare for any other guest in their room: with respect, with clarity, with a bright blue folder on the front desk, and with a reward system that doesn’t require a candy tub.
Now go write those sub plans. Lock up the candy. Trust your students. If you get asked to cover during your prep, take a deep breath. You have done harder things than this.
Trust me. I know.
This article was originally published on October 25, 2021.
