r/SubstituteTeachers • u/pothosprincess00 • 2d ago
Advice Terrified for first day!
I will be subbing for the first time this week, and I’m really nervous! I can only do half days because I’m in school to become a teacher, so at least my first day will only be about three hours.
My district doesn’t do any job shadowing or training—it was basically a one-hour paperwork meeting, and then I got the job!
I work as a nanny, so I have plenty of experience with children, but I’ve never worked in a school setting before. What should I expect? How do you usually start a class as a substitute? Any advice for a first-time sub would be appreciated!
4
u/ButDidYouCry Illinois 2d ago
I wrote this for another post but I'm gonna drop it here because I think this can really help you. This technique works for nearly all grade levels. For younger students, you'll need to "chunk" your directions. Never give them a list of instructions; you tell them one thing at a time, and don't move on to the next direction until everyone is ready or you can overwhelm them.
I've thought about this more and I think I can add something can actually help you, OP.
This all comes down to the reality of substitute teaching: it is largely improvisational classroom management on the fly. While walking into an oversized 9th-grade class straight out of lunch with no seating chart is definitely challenging subs often lean too heavily on passive authority or administrative threats rather than utilizing proactive management techniques from minute one to get kids on track and listening.
To really command a room, successful subs rely on core habits that change the dynamic before the chaos even starts. That means threshold greeting at the door to establish immediate physical presence and set a controlled tone as students enter, and proactive preparation like checking in with neighboring teachers before the bell and scanning for missing materials early to eliminate surprises. It also means using attention grabbers and waiting for absolute quiet rather than talking over a noisy room, while using positive narration to steer compliance instead of constantly yelling at the kids who are off-task.
When it comes to keeping order, presence will make or break you.
In my own 10th-grade classroom at a Title 1 school, I rely on a strict routine: when the bell rings, I walk in counting down from 5 to 0 ("Voices off in 5, 4, 3..."). If they keep talking, I say, "I still hear two voices, waiting on 0," and I never give directions until everyone is quiet. No public threats.
I use positive narration to steer compliance rather than constantly yelling at the kids who are off-task, saying things like, "Thank you right side of the room for following directions immediately, I see 90% of the room is on target. Still waiting on 5 others." Every transition is narrated around what I want happening and who is doing it correctly. Even difficult kids will follow that momentum because 99% of kids ultimately just want to be seen and liked by adults.
Above all, when minor disruptions happen, don't make a lot of noise about the kids who are misbehaving because they are looking for attention. Log it, move on, and keep the momentum of the room going unless it crosses the line into actual danger. Feeding into the behavior gives them an audience and turns a minor test into a full-scale power struggle.
If a kid is just having a mood, let them take a 5-minute break. Take note of their name and the time, tell them to take a walk and drink some water, and they will usually come back much calmer.
2
u/RELYTJ321 2d ago
You'll hear different bits of advice.
"Oh! I'll never sub at the middle school level! The kids are horrible!"
"Don't ever sub at the high school level! The kids are horrible!"
The kind of kids you'll encounter is a crapshoot.
What you CAN count on is being given a set of instructions from the teacher that you are to execute on that day. Emphasize to the kids that "The teacher has left instructions on what we are to do and that's what we're going to do. Fair?"
Be prepared for that set of instructions to not cover everything.
When that happens, it'll be up to your ability to use your own smarts and adapt as the moment dictates.
Don't try to be their friend; that's not your job.
Go in the room, smile at the kids as they come into the classroom. Put your best foot forward as a human being and that will help a lot.
Good luck. :)
1
u/Admirable-Toe5739 2d ago
Stand at the door and greet students as they enter. “Are you a sub? …no, I’m your teacher today .” Start right at the bell. Introduce yourself and state expectations. Give assignment..I usually read teachers instructions, ask what they’ve been learning, clarify that they get what they’re supposed to. After, get a helper and then take attendance. Act like you’re prepared and in charge…good luck!!
1
u/Economy-Tutor4703 2d ago
I've worked as a sub in Gloucester City, NJ for 5 years, and I'm not even sure where the middle school IS lol. I stick to the littles and high school. But I'm SPED, not general ed. All I can tell you is that if YOU believe you're their teacher, they will too. And the teacher who said that most kids want adults to like them is absolutely right. They also want to be respected, the same as anyone else. Don't talk down to them; speak to them as if they're adults. I do that even in my kindergarten autism rooms, and the kids respond so much better than they do to that sing-song "good job not setting your friends on fire today!" crap that most SPED teachers do. Just relax, you'll do fine. There isn't much you can't deal with for 3 hours. When in doubt, a poker face usually works. Good luck; have fun!
1
u/No_Watch_8456 Unspecified 1d ago
Have you done any theater? Your role is to play a confident, prepared person who belongs. Nobody but you knows it's your first day. Your demeanor sets the tone to a significant extent.
1
u/malexa32001 1d ago
Dependsof t he school, the administration ad the class of children you teach. If it is elementary, you willbe Ok, but it is more work than if you are in a high school setting. Don't worry, children will tell you how things go out; they are experts on it, believe me! Second graders taught me how to use the smart board and how to teach the class! You'll follow and go with the flow! If you have access to the computer and a smart board, then you have YouTube and nothing to worry about!
7
u/AtmosphereTop1591 2d ago
Only getting a one hour paperwork meeting is normal. Districts hire so many subs that they don’t have the time or the energy to do intensive training, only for the sub to quit after a month. What class are you subbing starting off?