There are scores of internet sites available to assist substitute teachers in carrying out their duties and responsibilities. You are encouraged to search for yourselves, but some of the best sites are annotated and included here for your ease of use, including General Information, Succeeding with Special Needs Students, Filler or "Sponge" Activities and Effective Teaching Practices for Substitutes.
- STEDI, The Substitute Teaching Institute at Utah State University (STI/USU) is the nationwide leader in training substitute teachers with the skills they need to succeed in the classroom. Founded in 1995 at Utah State University, STEDI (formerly STI) conducts research in the best practices for substitute teaching and provides live and online training resources as well as the Substitute Teacher Handbook and the SubInstructor CD. Their latest service is the SUB STATION, which includes FAQ's about substitute teaching, additional internet links, a chat line, sample lesson plans, and many other features which bring dignity and professionalism to substitute teaching.
- Sub Hub: Tips, Tricks and Techniques to be a SUBstantial Teacher The Sub Hub Online offers everything you need to be a SUBstantial teacher. There is advice on teaching strategies, classroom management, and eve how to get more jobs as a substitute. PLUS lots of free activities, time fillers, and emergency lesson plans are available. Sub Hub provides you with the tools you need to be the best substitute teacher around!
- I Love that Teaching Idea: In addition to lesson plan ideas, this site also includes tips and instructions for your first day with the students, classroom management ideas, field trips, teacher tips, and a special section for substitute teachers.
- ProTeacher provides both the regular and the substitute teacher an endless supply of information and suggestions for successful teaching. It lists numerous articles on topics including child development, classroom management, special needs students, teaching practices, and lesson plans. The site provides excellent resources for teaching specific subject areas from kindergarten to high school. A "chat room" is also available for substitute teachers to share their frustrations and successes.
Succeeding with Special Needs Students
- NISD Special Education: This is the website for special education in NISD. Particularly useful to substitutes are the sections which include the Glossary of Terms, Acronyms, the Continuum of Instruction, and People First Language. A MUST for all substitutes--not just those who signed up to work with special needs students.
- Misunderstood Minds Provides substitutes with a fascinating and instructive look inside the minds of special needs students, particularly those considered to have "learning disabilities," including students lacking success in reading, writing, and mathematics. The site is a companion to the PBS special on learning differences and disabilities.
Additional Teaching Resources
There are too many internet sites to list here that provide effective teaching practices and other assistance to Substitute Teachers, but here are a few:
- A to Z Teacher Stuff - Several ideas to use during those tricky times of moving from one activity to another.
- Proteacher - This site offers resources such as effective teaching practices, research-based activities, thinking strategies, active learning, & specific strategies for substitutes
- Education World - This site has an educational search engine, links to education-related sites, sample lesson plans, and curriculum ideas.
- Graphic Organizers - Terrific site with printable venn diagrams, story maps, concepts maps, KWL charts and more
- School Express - great source for worksheet, lesson ideas, and more.
- TeachersFirst - Classroom Resources & Lesson plans
- Teachnet.com - Teachnet.com educator services include lesson plans, Web links, interactive forums, mailing lists, and a weekly e-mail newsletter.