Tips when substitute teaching for an English teacher.

As a substitute teacher, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to teach English classes. That’s because English teachers work at every grade level—building skills in reading, writing, grammar, spelling, semantics, critical thinking, and communication. 

If English isn’t your strong suit, you might be nervous to diagram a sentence, teach metaphors, or dive into an important literary work by a famous author. Don’t let that stop you from substitute teaching for a language arts or English teacher. 

While a passion for the language is helpful for an English class substitute teaching job, it’s much more important that you love teaching and want to have a positive impact on your students. So don’t shy away from accepting those English teacher jobs! Here are a few tips to set you up for success. 

Follow the lesson plan. 

In most cases, the teacher will provide you with a lesson plan. Even if it’s a last-minute absence, many experienced teachers have ready-to-go lesson plans for such an occasion. 

So, your job is to simply execute the lesson plan. It may be a reading or writing assignment, test, quiz, or class discussion. The students may be working on a long-term project, and the teacher has directed that class time be devoted to that. Perhaps the students have a textbook or workbook, and the lesson plan is for them to read specific pages or do certain exercises. 

Whatever the English teacher has left you, it’s important to stick to it. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel or get creative here. Why? Because each lesson is a building block designed to help students learn progressively, improve in a certain skill, or achieve a specific goal. While you see only one piece of the puzzle—the day or two you’re in the class—the regular teacher sees the whole picture and has given you the next steps. So, respect the teacher by adhering to what they’ve given you. 

Take initiative. 

Arrive a few minutes early to review lesson plans left by the teacher. Seek clarification by neighboring teachers or administrators if something seems confusing. If there isn’t a lesson plan, you can pivot to a backup or devise a game plan for the day.   

What if there isn’t a lesson plan? 

As a substitute teacher, you must be prepared for the day you walk into a classroom and find there is no lesson plan. Experienced substitute teachers often have backup activities in reserve, just in case. In other words, they have a Plan B. Here’s a few ideas to get you started: 

Ask other teachers for suggestions. In any school, there are neighboring teachers, and there are likely other English teachers on the faculty. They are your best resource when lesson plans are not available. These teachers probably have an idea of the curriculum for your class, so ask for information or suggestions.  

Read a story. For young students, read in an animated way, and change your voice a little for each character. Don’t just stand in front of the class, but walk around the classroom as you read. Make it interesting and exciting. Pause periodically while reading to check for understanding and clarify challenging words. If they are old enough to read on their own, they can read a simple story found in classroom materials.   

Vocabulary-building exercise. Write a word on the blackboard/whiteboard, and have the students come up with as many synonyms, antonyms, or related words as possible. They can do this as a class, in groups, or individually. Whichever group or student comes up with the most is the winner. They could just be random words, or you can choose words related to a book they’re reading in class or something in the news. 

Find the misspelling. Write five or six words on the whiteboard/blackboard, with one misspelled. Then, ask the students to identify the misspelled word and spell it correctly. 

Create a story. Older students may enjoy coming up with a story of their own. Divide the class into groups of 5-7 students, and assign one student in each group as the secretary and another as the spokesperson. As each group formulates its story, the secretary writes it, either with pen and paper or digitally. Allow enough time at the end of class for each spokesperson to read their group’s story to the class. 

Read the next chapter. If the class is currently reading a certain book, have them read the next chapter to themselves, or you can have students take turns reading aloud to a partner or small group. If the passage you’re reading includes dialogue between characters, you can assign a different student for each character and another as the narrator. As a best practice, give the students a chance to practice before reading aloud. Many students are shy or have performance anxiety. You should be mindful of that.  

Learn about the author. If the class is reading a novel by a famous author, you can show a video about the author. There are plenty of free documentaries on YouTube and various streaming services. You could also choose a documentary related to something in the novel, such as the time period or country in which it takes place, or an important historical event covered in the novel. Never play anything that you have not previewed. 

Short essay. Students can choose a specific character from a book they’re reading — either on their own or one assigned in class — and write a short essay about that character, exploring their personality, motivations, and difficult challenges or decisions they face in the story. They can explain what they admire or dislike about the character. You could suggest these essays be written in the first person from the character’s perspective. 

Keep in mind that you shouldn’t assign extra homework—if it’s not in the lesson plan. Check with a neighboring teacher if you have a question. 

Be the best you can be. 

Of course, you want to do your best for all your substitute teacher jobs. Strive to create a relaxed, but respectful and dignified atmosphere in the classroom. Be sure you know the class rules and policies related to cell phones and technology. Let students know your expectations at the very outset. 

Leave a good impression on the teacher, school administration, and other teachers.  

• Dress appropriately and arrive on time. 

• Be friendly and respectful to faculty members. Ask for their help and suggestions.  

• Leave a brief, written report for the teacher you’re filling in for, noting what was covered and any questions or issues that came up during class.  

• Don’t forget to thank you for the opportunity to teach the class. 

These small gestures could lead the English teacher, other teachers, or school administration to request you the next time a substitute teacher is needed. 

Kelly Education has a library of career advice for new substitute teachers, including substitute teacher dress codes, what to bring on your first day, and how to introduce yourself to the class. We want you to be successful on every assignment! 

Work with Kelly Education as a substitute teacher. 

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