There’s nothing quite like that moment when you stand outside your classroom after being out. Will you walk into calm or chaos? In this episode, we’re sharing six simple strategies to get your classroom back on track after a sub day, whether you’ve been gone for a few hours or a few weeks. You’ll learn a step-by-step approach for resetting routines, reconnecting with students, and addressing behavior concerns in a way that restores calm and strengthens your classroom community. Walk away ready to confidently transition from substitute chaos to smooth sailing...no matter what you find when you open that door!

Prefer to read? Grab the episode transcript and resources in the show notes here: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/podcast/resetting-after-a-substitute-teacher/

Resources:

• Joshua Radin: One Day Home
• Join the Teacher Approved Club!
• Connect with us on Instagram @2ndstorywindow.
• Shop our teacher-approved resources.
• Join our Facebook group, Teacher Approved
• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
• Leave a comment or rating on Spotify.

Related Episodes to Enjoy:

• Episode 165, Keeping Students Engaged All Year Long, No Matter the Season
• Episode 219, How to Build a Classroom Community That Lasts All Year
• Episode 223, The Core 4 Routines Every Classroom Needs to Run Like Clockwork
• Episode 226, The October Reset Every Teacher Needs

This is episode 228 of Teacher Approved.

You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping

educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm

Heidi.

And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story

Window, where we give research based and teacher approved

strategies that make teaching less stressful and more

effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from

each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to

the show.

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's

episode, we are sharing six strategies for getting your

classroom back on track after you've had a substitute teacher.

Plus, we have a teacher approved tip for setting your students up

for success on future sub days.

But let's start with a try it tomorrow, where we share

a quick win that you can try in your classroom right away.

Emily, what's our suggestion this week?

This week, try referring to substitute teachers as guest

teachers when you talk with your students. This simple language

shift helps drive home the point that this person should be

respected the same way you are respected. Instead of saying,

we'll have a sub tomorrow, try we'll have a guest teacher

visiting our classroom tomorrow.

I love this. It sets a completely different tone. When

we call someone a guest teacher, it implies that they are someone

special that we are welcoming into our space, not just a

placeholder until the real teacher gets back.

If you like this idea or anything else we share her on

the podcast, we would love it if you would take a moment and give

us a five star rating and review on your podcast app.

So here we are in early October, and if you haven't been out sick

yet this year, you probably will be soon.

And even if you haven't had to call in the substitute

for a training or a meeting so far, there's likely one on your

calendar in the near future.

Being away from school, it's a huge stress from start to

finish, because first there's the scramble to get sub plans

ready when you're already feeling awful or rushing to

prepare for a last minute meeting. Then there's the worry

about how things are going while you're away, and finally,

there's walking back into your classroom wondering what you're

going to find.

Whether you have been out for half a day or for two weeks,

coming back is always a heavy moment. Standing outside your

door, it's like Schrodinger's classroom. In that moment,

there's still a chance that everything went great. The sub

taught all your material, the children were golden angels, and

inside you will find everything neat and tidy and waiting for

your return.

But there's also the chance that it did not go great.

The sub taught nothing. The children were out of control,

and your classroom now qualifies for FEMA emergency response

funds. But until you unlock that door, you don't know how it all

played out.

No, I can't look. We should just hang out in the

hallway for a while.

Sorry, we're gonna have to go in there and see what

happened.

Oh, this is such a cruel way to start the day. I remember

coming back from a training once to find a three page handwritten

note, chronicling everything that had gone wrong. This was

from a retired teacher who had subbed over 100 days that year,

and she said my class was the hardest she had ever

encountered.

Wow, that is just not the award you're looking to win as a

teacher.

No, no, definitely not. And I saved that note for

posterity. I mean, on the one hand, it was validating, because

those kids were tough, and I did warn her up front that they were

kind of like a pack of puppies, so she had a little heads up.

But on the other hand, what do you do with that? How do you

even begin to get back on track?

Oh, so rough. One time, I came back to find that the sub

hadn't used any of the plans I'd prepared, but had gone through

all of my cupboards and gotten out random supplies for the

kids. They played with math games that I was saving for

later in the year. He,, no surprise, it was a he dug out my

treasure box and gave everyone a prize. He helped himself to the

candy that was in that week's estimation jar. And my room was

a complete disaster.

Oh, that's so frustrating, because there's

nothing you can do after you have put all of that time and

energy into writing well thought out plans and preparing all

those materials, only to have it just all be ignored.

And of course, we have also had amazing subs over the

years, the ones that the kids can't wait to tell you about,

and who left everything better than they found it.

Yes, that's so true. Some subs are just magic. It's like

having Mary Poppins fill in for the day. But whether you return

to find that everything is practically perfect or a perfect

nightmare, there is still that moment when you walk back in and

think, Okay, how do I get my classroom feeling like my

classroom again?

And that's exactly what we're talking about today, how

to smoothly get everyone back on track, whether you're dealing

with the aftermath of chaos or just the general disruption that

comes with having someone else in your space.

If you remember our favorite analogy of student

engagement, our goal is to keep the forces of structure and

novelty in balance. If you have too much structure, the kids are

bored and causing problems. If have too much novelty, the kids

are overwhelmed and causing problems. Having a sub is a

guarantee of increased novelty. Even now that you're back, they

are still coming down from that high energy.

That's why they need you to step in to help them

regulate. And we do that by leaning into structure. It gives

your students space to shift their energy from unregulated

excitement to focused engagement. So today we've got

six strategies to help you do just that.

And the good news is that most of these strategies really

don't require a lot of extra work. It's more about a

framework for how to be intentional with the time and

the energy that you would already be spending.

Right. Because there's a very real chance you might still

be recovering from whatever kept you out in the first place. The

last thing you need is a complicated plan that requires

you to overhaul your whole system while you're recovering

from a stomach bug. So let's dive into our six simple

strategies for resetting your classroom after you've been out.

The first thing, and this is vital, because it makes

everything else easier, it's to get to school early if you

possibly can. And I know, I hate the mornings, and I know that

this is the last thing you want to do, especially if you're

still not feeling great. But even just 15 or 20 minutes can

make such a difference in how the day unfolds.

And it is so unfair that you have to jump right back into

the thick of things the second you walk in the door. But that

is teacher life, unfortunately. So let's do what we can to make

this a smooth transition, and you can start that by taking a

second to pause.

That pause is important. As you walk into your classroom

the first morning back, take a moment to look around before you

do anything else. Sometimes the state of your classroom tells

you more than any note ever could. Are the desks where you

left them? Is your board still organized the way you like? Are

there mysterious art projects hanging out that you definitely

did not assign?

Like when I found the treasure box I had left in the

back of the closet lying open on the counter, the visual scan

told me way more than any note could have.

He probably didn't leave much of a note anyway, it

doesn't seem like that type of sub.

Yeah, no.

Arriving early also gives you a few minutes to check in

with the teacher next door. They probably heard everything, and

they are just waiting to fill you in on what really happened.

Oh, gosh, you know they've got tons to tell you.

And once you get that debrief, you can go over the sub note, if

they haven't emailed you already, tidy any mess, and get

your materials ready for the day.

The goal is to get all of the prep work out of the way

before the kids arrive. That way, you're free to be present

with them, instead of scrambling around trying to figure out

where everything is.

Once you've done the prep work for the day, take a couple

minutes to create an atmosphere that says we're back to normal.

And that is our second strategy for recovering your class after

a sub, and that is to set a welcome tone.

I always tried to have something that felt like home,

maybe familiar music playing, or a welcome back message on the

board, just a signal that your classroom is your classroom

again.

Plus a calm atmosphere helps you feel ready too. Kids

pick up on your energy immediately, and if you're

frazzled and still figuring things out, they will notice,

and they will be frazzled too. But if you have time to say,

Hey, I'm glad to see you, I missed you, it sets a completely

different tone.

It's that presence that makes all the difference, and

this is why it's so important to get there early, so that you're

not stuck making copies as the kids arrive. When you can

actually be there, physically and emotionally, it helps the

kids get back on track.

Think of it like bumpers on a bowling lane. Your calm,

grounding presence on that first morning back is a gentle nudge

to keep the energy of the day rolling in the right direction.

Without it, you might end up with a gutter ball.

Which in a classroom means you'll have hyper kids. If

you are not in the room as they arrive, they're going to be

amped up wondering if you're going to be there, and if not,

who is. That means you will have to spend a bunch of energy to

keep that bowling ball rolling down the lane.

I wonder how far we can stretch this bowling metaphor.

What, you don't think that was a strike?

It's really more of a homerun, but let's not mix

metaphors.

Well anyway, that sets us up for our third strategy for

recovering after a sub. Once you've taken a breath and the

classroom is ready for a fresh start, the next priority is

reconnection.

This step is so important. Don't just launch

into math like nothing happened. When kids have had a day, or

even just half a day with a substitute, it's like the

emotional tether between you and the class has stretched a

little. Before you dive into math facts or reading groups,

just take a few minutes to relax some of that tension.

This really doesn't have to be a big production. If you

do morning meeting, this is the perfect time to just add in a

moment of connection. If you don't do morning meeting, just

gather everyone together for a few minutes.

A nice place to start is with gratitude. Thank everyone

for welcoming the guest teacher and doing their best. It sets a

positive tone right from the start.

And then you could do a quick temperature check. Have

everyone share one word for how they're feeling today, or keep

it even quicker with a signal. Ask everyone to show a thumbs up

or a thumbs down or a thumbs sideways, just to see where

everyone's at emotionally.

You may even want to include a little we're back

together moment. So maybe your class cheer or a favorite song

that feels distinctly like your classroom.

This is also a great time for something playful, a silly

movement song, a two minute dance break, or a read aloud of

a funny picture book. This really can be quick, but the

point is to send the message, I see you, we're back together,

and we are a team again. Those few minutes do more for the

day's learning than any frantic rush to get straight to the

lesson plan could.

And bonus, while you're reconnecting, you can casually

take the emotional temperature of the class. You'll notice

who's still a little keyed up from yesterday, who needs a

private check in later and who's ready to roll. It's a small

investment of time that pays off with a smoother, calmer reset

for everyone.

You might want to close out this reconnection time with

our fourth strategy, which is to ask students to share their

perspective of how things went with the sub.

Oh, yeah, they have insights you won't get anywhere

else.

And we don't want this time to feel like a punishment

or a lecture, so try framing it as a chance to notice what went

well and what could be smoother next time.

And you can totally keep this simple and short. Maybe

during morning meeting, you ask a few open ended questions,

like, what was something you enjoyed about yesterday? What

helped the day go smoothly? What's one thing we could all do

better when we have a guest teacher next time?

If you prefer a quieter start, try a quick written

reflection. Give students a sticky note or a half sheet with

prompts like two stars and a wish, which is two things that

went well and one thing that could be better next time. Or,

what would you want to tell our next guest teacher about our

class? That gets them thinking about your classroom culture

from an outsider perspective.

Sometimes kids surprise you with what they notice. They

might point out things that worked really well that you

hadn't thought of.

Plus, it gives them a voice in the process, instead of

just having things done to them.

Okay, so you've arrived early, you set a peaceful,

welcoming tone, you set aside time for reconnection, and

invited students to reflect on how things went. Now it's time

for our fifth strategy, and this is the moment you've been

waiting for, getting back to your regularly scheduled

programming.

Yes, remember how we want to lean into structure to reset

the class? After reconnecting, the fastest way to help everyone

feel secure again is to just get back to your normal routine.

Kids thrive on predictability, and having a

guest teacher no matter how wonderful they are, disrupts

that, so the sooner you can return to your regular schedule,

the better. Obviously, we want to schedule time to reconnect

and reflect. But besides that necessary detour, do what you

can to follow as normal a routine as possible.

If you find that things still feel a little shaky as you

go through your regular routines, you can lightly touch

on expectations. Hey, let's remember how we stand in line

without talking, or, who can show me our hand signal for the

bathroom.

And we really do want this to feel light, because

you're not re teaching everything or lecturing. You're

just gently reinforcing how your classroom works, reminding them

that you have boundaries and you're going to keep them.

Yeah, that's the real key. If there are bigger issues,

like if the sub noted problems with noise or transitions,

invite the class to help problem solve. I heard transitions were

tricky yesterday. What ideas do you have for making those

smoother when we have a guest teacher?

Of course, if things went really, really poorly with the

sub, you may want to spend some time today clearly re-teaching

your expectations, but you can save that for any worst case

scenario situations. You don't have to do it every time.

Yeah, hopefully you never need to use it. But you know

that you've got that tool handy if you need it. Those Tell Try

Tally Talk slides you set up for the start of the school year

work just as well in October as they did in September. So get

those out if they're needed, and you can go back to Episode 75 if

you need a refresher on the tell, try, tally, talk method.

Addressing things that didn't go well while you're out

can be tricky, but it's important, and that's our sixth

strategy for resetting your class. Thoughtfully handle

behavior issues.

Yeah, this can feel so tricky, but remember, you don't

have to launch into detective mode the minute the bell rings.

Start by calmly reviewing any notes the sub left or any

feedback you received. If there were issues, give yourself a

moment to separate the facts from any strong emotions.

If you offered a reward for good behavior during your

absence, follow through. If they earned it, celebrate. If not,

talk about why and what they can do differently next time.

And during that discussion, it's important to

keep the tone very matter of fact. Start with a reminder that

expectations are the same no matter who is teaching. You

aren't angry, you're just clarifying,

Yeah, so you might say something like, I heard that

yesterday, there were some challenges with following

directions during science. Let's talk about how we can handle

that better next time. Framing it as a shared problem to solve

rather than a list of punishments, helps students stay

engaged instead of defensive.

And depending on what happened, you could add this

discussion to your reconnection time. Ask, what worked well when

the guest teacher was here? Where did we slip? Let students

suggest solutions or ways to make the next sub day smoother.

The key is reframing it as a learning opportunity. Every

time we have a sub, we get a little better at it. That

mindset helps students own their role in creating a respectful,

welcoming classroom for any sub, and it plants the seeds for an

even smoother experience the next time you're out.

The goal here isn't to shame anyone, it's to rebuild

trust and clarify expectations. End the conversation by

restating the positive. I know we can handle it even better

next time, and here is how we'll do it. Wrapping up with a

forward looking focus lets everyone reset and move on

without lingering tension.

When kids help create the solutions, they're way more

likely to follow through. Plus, it shifts from you were bad to

how can we be successful.

Now there will probably be some occasions when there

have been specific incidents that you need to address. So

handle those privately, so that the conversation can stay

respectful and constructive. Playing out the drama in front

of the whole group just never ends well.

Yeah, and if things were really rough when you were gone,

remind students that you can always take the Fresh Start

approach. Today we get to show what we're really about.

So to recap, when you're coming back after having a guest

teacher, get to school early, if possible, so that you can feel

prepared and ready for the day to start.

Then set the tone for a welcoming reentry by tidying

your space and being present to greet your students.

Take time to reconnect before jumping into academics,

and get your students perspective on how things went

with the guest teacher.

Get back to your regular routine as quickly as possible,

and address any behavior issues thoughtfully.

The nice thing is that these strategies aren't just

about fixing problems, they're about strengthening your

classroom community and helping students become more successful

when you're not there, so that hopefully the next time you come

back after an absence, you do find that everything was

practically perfect while you were away.

The teacher's dream. We would love to hear about your

substitute teacher stories, The Good, the Bad and the You won't

believe what I found when I got back stories. Come join the

conversation in our Teacher Approved Facebook group.

Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where we share an

actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and

simplify the rest. This week's tip is to use your first

substitute experience of the year as a foundation for

preparing students for future guest teachers. So tell us more

about it, Heidi.

Okay, this is a tip that will pay off every single time

you need a sub again. Use your most recent experience of having

a sub to start preparing your students for the next one. Once

you have reconnected and reflected, take a few minutes to

talk about what worked well and what could be even better the

next time that you're out. Keep it positive and collaborative,

something like, you did a great job getting your work done

yesterday. What else should we definitely remember to do

whenever we have a guest teacher? And what could we tweak

so that the next guest teacher feels even more welcome? Make

sure to capture those ideas. Maybe it's a chart that you

could post, or a digital doc you project. You can even have

students write their responses that you gather to share with

the class.

Some classes even create a when we have a guest teacher

agreement that they all sign, things like we will follow all

classroom rules and we will be helpful and kind. Having it

written down and signed makes it feel more important.

And once you've written down your expectations, here's

the magic. Refer back to your list or your chart, often not

just when you're planning to be absent. If you walk by another

class that has a sub, pause and say, Hey, remember our sub plan?

How should you come to the carpet when I'm not here? Yep,

quickly and quietly without touching anybody else.

Those quick reminders keep expectations fresh and they

normalize the idea that a smooth sub day is just part of your

classroom culture, and you have confidence in their ability to

represent your classroom well.

Even if you are lucky enough never to get sick, you're

still going to have a sub day or two during the year. By

preparing students now, it makes the whole experience less

stressful for everyone, including you. That way the next

time you have to be out, whether it's a planned PD day or an

unexpected sick day, your students already know exactly

what to do.

And that means your guest teacher walks into a class

To wrap up the show, we're sharing what we're giving

that's calm, welcoming and self managing, and you come back to a

extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra

room that doesn't feel like it's been through a tornado. Future

you will thank present you for laying that ground work now.

credit?

I'm giving extra credit to my old lady habit of my

favorite show, which is CBS Sunday Morning.

I love CBS Sunday Morning.

I picked this up for my parents because this was always

on on Sundays at our house, and so I just started watching it

myself, and it is just my favorite little button to the

start of ,the end of the week, start of the week, whichever you

want to call Sundays. I like it because it is technically a news

show, so you will get a little bit of news. But it's not like

Meet the Press or something, where you're just going to get

like a fire hose to the face of all the news. We're already all

getting that. This is more gonna just hit the big stuff, and

might have, like a story that dives into an aspect of the big

stories, but otherwise it really is just a collection of

interesting stories.

Like, I love learning about like these interesting places in the

world where they like do an interesting deep dive about

some, or an occupation I've never heard of, or they have a

lot of like, human interest stories where there's some guy

that always does this, I can't remember his name now, Steve,

maybe Steve something, where he's just, like, highlighting

the story of, like, the cute kid who, like, made a stand to offer

free hugs to people. And he goes and interviews the kid and oh,

gosh, it's so feel good. It just is calming. And I feel like it

helps me stay informed, but also I just, I love that it teaches

me random things that I didn't know I didn't know. Like, I

always like, I feel like a lot of the weird things I know about

the world I learned from CBS Sunday Morning.

Like Dutch canal jumping or random roadside attractions,

or an artist that you've never heard of, or an artist you know

a ton about, but here's that whole new look at their past

history that you haven't thought about before. It's just always

eye opening.

Yeah, sometimes it'll be like a deep dive into like some

historical person that you just never knew this whole thing

about their background, or they'll often do like a

celebrity interview as well. But it's not, it's not like the

typical celebrity interview. It's usually a much more

interesting personal conversation, which I

appreciate, too. So anyways, if you want a new old lady habit,

start watching CBS Sunday Morning.

They should sponsor us. We love them so much.

Seriously, my kids all know the little trumpet sounds.

That little blurb, until our trumpet sounds again or

something.

Yep. What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

I'm giving extra credit to Joshua Radin's new album one day

home, which is just perfect fall chill vibes, if you're in the

mood for that. It's like peak Joshua Radin, if, if you were a

fan back in like 2006, this is all those right points. But it

also, there's a second version of the album that, instead of

guitar, is piano and vocal. And I think I almost like that

better. It's kind of reminding me of like, vintage Billy Joel

stuff. Like, very, it's the exact same songs, just different

arrangements, and either way, both a win.

I'm excited to check that out, because Joshua Radin is

quintessentially acoustic guitar. So, hearing it with

piano, that sounds exciting.

Very different.

I heard a Joshua Radin song on like a random commercial

the other day, and I was like, whoa, this is weird. It always

reminds me of how I think I was 22 when we went and saw that

concert that he did. And I remember at the time thinking, I

am too old for concerts. And I was 22.

We had to stand the whole time. We're like, no.

We are not cut out for this life. As much as we love

music, we are not cut out for standing in bars for concerts.

I know, I think at the time, we were complaining, like,

by the time, like you had to get there an hour early. No wonder

we like a CBS Sunday mornings.

I know, I think we've always been middle aged, it

turns out.

Or we're just not dumb.

No, we know what we like.

Nobody wants to be standing around for four hours

on a concrete floor. No, it's not fun. Does not make the music

any better.

Amen. But I will check out his new album, so I'm

excited.

Much more enjoyable than standing around.

Amen.

That is it for today's episode. Whether you're dealing

with your first sub day of the year, or you're a seasoned pro

at this, remember that every experience is a chance to

strengthen your classroom community.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm Heidi.

And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow

or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an

episode.

You can connect with us and other teachers in the

Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.

Bye for now.

Bye.