Tips for creating emergency sub-lessons

Educators recognize the importance of being available to their students, but there may be occasions when they are unable to attend school due to various reasons such as illness, professional development, personal well-being, or family emergencies. In these instances, it becomes imperative for teachers to ensure that substitute teachers or fellow colleagues can seamlessly conduct engaging lessons in their absence. Moreover, even a single day without instruction can have detrimental effects on student learning and progress. Therefore, it is essential for educators to diligently prepare meaningful and student-centered sub-lessons that allow students to continue receiving a high-quality education during any temporary absence from school.

Here are some tips for creating your emergency sub-lesson plans

Avoid "emergency lesson plans for planned absences". To maximize instructional continuity and minimize disruptions in student learning, it is highly recommended that planned absences are accompanied by a carefully designed sub-lesson. This sub-lesson should seamlessly align with the current unit of study, ensuring that students stay on track and thoroughly understand the content. By strategically integrating this continuation lesson into the curriculum, teachers can effectively bridge any potential gaps in knowledge and guarantee a smooth flow of instruction for all students involved.

Emergency sub-lessons should be general in topic. They should be flexible enough for any substitute teacher to implement, regardless of their subject area expertise.

Include clear and concise instructions for the substitute teacher. Instructions should include any student helpers, attendance requirements, seating charts (as applicable), how to distribute and collect the work, and any specific classroom management strategies that may be necessary.

Provide clear directions for students on the assignment. If necessary, avoid students feeling overwhelmed or confused by the sub-lesson by providing step-by-step instructions and examples. Students should know they are required to complete the assignment independently and to the best of their ability. They should also know that the assignment must be turned in at the end of class because students will not complete the work if they know they can just "finish for homework".

Provide independent and adequately timed assignments. Sub-work should require students to work independently and should be sufficient enough to cover the entire class period. In the absence of the regular classroom teacher, there should be very little to no "downtime" as students will use this gap to become disengaged and off-task.

Provide a "mini-lesson" and aligned task. The sub-lesson should include a brief overview of the topic or concept being covered and provide students with guided practice or a task that reinforces their understanding of the material.

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