Sub·mit·tal PLEASE leave a clue for when it's "due"

Teachers will often leave lesson plans without clearly indicating when assignment(s) are due (and preferably the same hour). Without a clue for when it's due, most (not some or many) will predictably blow-off or defer work.  It has the effect of announcing "recess"!  Having served in hundreds of classes with thousands of students over the span of 10 years, I have never seen an exception to this mishap. Sure there are always a handful of conscientious students who will make-haste in accomplishing the assignment in class -even without a clear due time made known, but they are the exception.  Most, will interpret absent or delayed due time as an invitation to play and is often the case, they want to "play the sub" before a captive audience. A lack of forethought or advanced, strategic planning will almost inevitably present ready-made opportunities for misbehavior. With the ever-decreasing attention span of adolescents today, it is imperative for teachers to clearly review with all students their expectations for a guest teacher's anticipated arrival (think of it as your own personal vacation insurance/assurance -foster a trust with a good sub as part of your emotional refueling or margin-setting goals) BEFORE they evacuate the building.  And among expectations of utmost importance is a teacher's expected due times for submitting work.  Without that clear directive from the teacher, I sometimes am left with having to summarily impose "due" or expected submission of work (competed or not)  for the duration of the sub-assignment. I realize that such an assumption may be risky, but  without a clue for when work is due, the hazards of "advancing the educational process" become manifold -fought with behavioral landmines throughout an entire day of classes. None of us (teachers, administrator, subs and especially good students) want to distress and already stress-charged dynamic when a sub is in the classroom. I fully understand that skillfully dealing with misbehavior should be an anticipated part of the job (and honestly it can be done positively when we know that administrators have our backs).  However, if we can prevent even some disruptions by practicing the discipline of making clear due times within our plans, then we might well avoid some of the behavioral melt-downs that far too many of us have encountered.  The old adage is true, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

Sub·simple Lesson Plans: Think "Script" not "Essay"

At an educators conference here in Phoenix, I heard  featured speaker, John Maxwell say, "Educators take what is simple and makes it complicated.  Communicators take what is complicated and makes it simple".  Response from the hundreds gathered that day was surprisingly affirming -applause, lots of demonstrative nods. Though it may have been a little difficult to hear, most of us knew that the insight from this world renown communicator rang stingingly true.  As a substitute teacher of nearly 10 years now (with hundreds of classroom assignment in public high schools), I have seen a broad array of, afterthought or sometime nonexistent lesson plans.  Often, in attempt to create a document that reflects an intellect commensurate with higher education training, a teacher will leave a lesson plan that more closely resembles a research paper or beautifully crafted, MLA-formatted essay.  Keep in mind, that there is a good chance this substitute has never stepped into your classroom before -never met your students and in many cases, is unfamiliar with attendance systems which can sometimes require the micromanagement of 3-to-4 separate entries.  Imagine you as a teacher, walking into another business-context, that you're unfamiliar with and then being required to micro-manage literally hundreds of expected duties in one day (parking, campus, restrooms, attendance, keys, fire-drills, etc, etc.) and then be expected to politely interact with hundreds of students (I had an assignment last week with over 200 students).  I know it sounds crazy, but this archaic subsystem that teachers think of as a "necessary evil" is not likely to change anytime soon.

Now, we don't want you to be fuzzy (which is more often than not the result of a lack of forethought or planning), nor do we want you to write unnecessary verbiage (I once saw a lesson plan that was 5 pages long --most of which was the repetition of what was written on the first page).  Just BE CLEAR.  The goal is not longevity or brevity, but CLARITY.  BE CLEAR.  And if you create a single page, "at-a-glance", script-like lesson plan (a plan that can also be a practical utensil/script throughout the day) you will be considered a hero by most subs and a "genius" by yours truly.  Also, don't write-up a lesson plan and then rewrite another version on the board (often the two conflict creating further fuzziness).  Do one or the other, but don't create two copies.  I once saw 4 separate lesson plan notes for one teacher and none of them agreed --insanity.  Keep it simple and the best way to do that is to plan strategically for sub-days on your off days -when creativity will be at it's peek.

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