Lesson planner · classroom toolsEmergency Sub Plans
For the morning you wake up sick: an emergency sub plan with any-day lessons, plus procedures and contacts. Fill it in once, print it and keep it in the office.
Type straight onto the page. It saves in this browser only and is never sent anywhere. Don't enter students' personal details.
Emergency sub plan
Lessons that work on any day of the year, without knowing where the class is in the curriculum.
| Time | Activity (any-day lesson) | Materials and where they are |
|---|---|---|
Go-to activities if there is extra time
Where the emergency folder and copies are kept
Procedures and safety
Arrival and attendance
Lunch, recess and dismissal
Fire drill / evacuation
Lockdown / shelter in place
Medical needs and allergies
| Contact | Room / extension |
|---|---|
Tip: empty boxes print as lines to write on, so you can also print this blank and fill it in by hand.
What makes a good emergency sub plan?
Emergency sub plans must work on any day of the year, without the substitute knowing what the class did yesterday. Choose lessons that review skills, use materials already in the room, and can be done by any adult.
Any-day lesson ideas
- Read-aloud and response: a picture book or short story from the class library, with a response sheet (favorite part, a new word, a question for the author).
- Math review stations: fact practice, a number of the day, a problem-solving card set.
- Journal writing: three prompts that work any time ("If I could invent a holiday…").
- Vocabulary or spelling games with words already on the wall.
- Drawing and labeling: a diagram of something studied this year.
- Quiet class game: see the would you rather questions and brain breaks.
Keep it ready
Print two copies with copies of every handout: one in a labeled folder on your desk, one in the office. Update it at the start of each semester.
Keep student information out of sub plans
Sub plans get left on desks and passed around. Instead of writing names, medical conditions or IEP details, say where the confidential information is kept ("health plans are in the red folder in the top drawer") and who to ask. What you type here stays in your browser only.
Frequently asked questions
What are emergency sub plans?
A set of lesson plans and information kept ready for an unplanned absence, designed to work on any day without the substitute needing to know the current unit.
How many days of emergency sub plans should I have?
Most teachers keep one to three days ready, with all copies made.
Where should emergency sub plans be kept?
In a clearly labeled folder in the classroom and a copy in the school office, so they can be found even if your room is locked.