The Day I Stopped Writing Emergency Sub Plans at 5:30 in the Morning
Have you ever noticed that emergencies never happen at convenient times? They seem to show up when your child wakes up with a fever. They happen the day you wake up with a migraine. Sometimes life simply throws you something unexpected and your classroom is the last thing you have time to think about. Except… it isn’t. If you’re a teacher, your first thought is usually, “Who is going to teach my class?” Then comes the race to throw together your first grade emergency sub plans while you’re sick or worried about someone you love. I have done it sitting on the couch with a blanket wrapped around me, and I have done it before the sun came up. I have even wondered if it would be easier just to go to school instead. That isn’t the way it should be.
Last year, I decided I never wanted to feel that way again. I also didn’t want another teacher to feel that way either. So I started creating emergency substitute plans that I would actually be happy to leave for my own class. Not filler. Not worksheets that simply keep everyone busy until dismissal. Real lessons that keep first graders learning while giving the substitute everything needed to feel confident.
See the Year Round First Grade Emergency Sub Plans Bundle
Why purchase these plans?
One of the things that makes this bundle different is that it was designed the same way I plan lessons for my own classroom. The reading, writing, and phonics lessons are all connected through a Science of Reading approach. Each day focuses on a single phoneme grapheme correspondence so students practice the same decoding skill throughout the lesson. They read decodable text that matches the phonics pattern. They answer comprehension questions about what they read. Then they apply that same skill in their writing.
Math lessons go far beyond simple worksheets. Students solve addition and subtraction problems. They build number sense. They explore place value and measure with nonstandard units. Students collect data and create graphs while practicing first grade standards.
Science lessons encourage students to think like young scientists. They investigate magnets and learn about weather. Students explore plants and soil while making predictions and recording observations.
Social studies lessons help students understand the world around them through topics such as maps, community helpers, American symbols, and seasonal traditions.
Every lesson was created with the same goal in mind. If I had to be away from my classroom, I wanted my students to spend the day learning instead of simply staying busy.
One of my favorite features is the teaching slides that are incuded in every set of first grade emergency sub plans.
The slides walk substitutes through the entire day from beginning to end. They include activities, teaching slides, guided practice, videos, and screenshots of every student activity so the work can be displayed on the board while the substitute models each step. Students know exactly what to do because they can see the activity as it is being explained. Add in built in brain breaks and read aloud videos, and the day runs just as smoothly as it would with their classroom teacher.
The bundle includes 30 fully planned school days from August through May. Right now it is on sale for $30. That works out to about one dollar for each day of ready to teach lessons.
Grab the Bundle While It’s on Sale
I honestly can’t promise your alarm clock won’t go off at the worst possible time, or promise your own children won’t bring home every bug from school. I definitely can’t promise life won’t surprise you, but I can promise this. The next time you need to stay home, writing sub plans won’t be the hardest part of your day.
Your students will continue learning. Your substitute will have everything needed to feel successful.And you can focus on getting well or taking care of the people who need you most. That peace of mind is worth far more than a dollar a day.
