How detailed should my lesson plans be for my sub during my maternity leave, which will be the first 5 weeks of school? Should I come up with EVERYTHING, including ways to intro the topic, cutesy anticipatory sets, etc., or just list basic objectives, page numbers, and homework assignments? NOTE: The sub for the first 2 weeks is a retired elementary teacher, after that it is a retired coach.
I wouldn't actually write out the lesson plans word for word. I'm assuming a retired teacher knows that. I would seriously focus on rules and expectations..... and reinforcing them to death.... because as we all know, Harry Wong says these are critical. As far as lesson planning.... I would right an outline of topics and general lessons......objectives to focus on but beyond that I think you should also review alot from the previous year in the beginning.
I would worry about procedures, rules, expectations, routines etc...... I would not worry so much about acutual lessons.....
Do you know these subs personally? If you don't know them very well, I would leave very detailed lesson plans with your expectations for procedures and class rules. When you go back, it'll be like the first day of school again but anything the sub can do to make that easier would be worth it!
Yes, I do know the subs. The first sub is the teacher who taught next to me before she retired, she used to teach 4th. The second sub is married to our title 1 teacher, so I know she will help him out. I would just like to get my lessons turned in to the office within the next couple of weeks, that way I can mark one more thing off of my "to do" list. I guess it will probably take more time to write out my classroom procedures and rules than lessons! So you all think I should not worry with writing out ways to introduce the topics? What about describing what kind of modeling and practice they should do? I don't want to be unclear, but I don't want to insult anyone, either, by making it sound like I don't think they know what they are doing!
Maybe you could write something like suggestions for ---(introducing, modeling, practice): and then write a short overview in a list format. If you know them well enough, call and ask them what they would prefer
when we have long-term subs, the teachers on that grade level "adopt" them to share lessons and ideas. will your team help this sub out?
When I was on maternity leave I had to plan like 2 weeks & then the sub pretty much planned the work after that. You aren't going to know where everything was left off and what not...I think I would talk to your principal and see what they have in mind. I did that and she said to plan a week, maybe 2 & the sub will take it from there!!!
I would definately focus on rules and procedures more than the lesson plans themselves. You want your classroom to be just as it would be if you were there as far as discipline is concerned. I would write down what it is you want them to do as far as academics and give a guideline/timeline but we all know that it is very difficult to stick to that timeline. I don't think I have ever completed everything I have wanted to in one day.
I would focus on rules and procedures you want to use. Make them practise them a lot. Also, give them topics and a roughdraft of what the topics should contain but see if you can make sure that their topics end on the Friday before you come back. Then you can start off at the beginning with a topic you plan for yourself but with kids that allready know the rules and procedures you want to use. (Oh - and maybe it is a good idea to do a little repetition of their first topic at the end of the school year -just to see that they learned what they should have)
Before I went on leave, I met with her in person and told her which parts of the curr I would like her to cover (and which ones the kids already covered). I just told her what stories to cover, unit in all subjects, and where we were in spelling, phonics, etc. I gave her all my current procedures to read on her own. I guess I wanted her to follow the topics I would cover yet teach the way she felt most comfortable.
