Helpful tips

Establish yourself as a leader

It is important to look and act confident and capable to earn the respect of your students. In order to help your students view you as the authority figure, it is important to utilize certain practices such as remaining standing for the majority of the day, especially when you are teaching or leading an activity such as taking attendance. Your height advantage will automatically establish you as an authority figure to the students. Also, by making sure you are dressing appropriately and smiling confidently, you can take charge simply by acting as if you are in charge. Confidence is key; when students see you as a leader, they will respect your authority and discipline issues will be greatly reduced.

Stick to the Lesson Plans

There are some students that have a particularly hard time when it comes to changes in routine. Having a substitute teacher in the classroom can be enough of a change to trigger feelings of stress or anxiety, and some students will respond to those feelings by acting out. It is important to understand that their behavior is not necessarily a reflection of how well you are doing, but that you must address any misbehavior situations with patience while also maintaining the same expectations as the usual teacher. With this in mind, following the provided schedule and lesson plans is extremely important as it will help to minimize deviance from routine and therefore minimize potential misbehavior from students.

Use clear, assertive language when communicating

There will be instances in your day where you will experience push-back from students or you will need to confront someone about something. When this happens, it is important that you communicate clearly and in a way that establishes yourself as the leader.

The following are just a few of the many communication tools that you can utilize when you experience a conflict in the classroom:

Advice from Current and Past Substitutes

You will have rough days where students will like to test you. Remember to not give up even when it is challenging because this experience will help you grow and is ultimately getting you ready to have your own classroom someday.