Last Minute Substitutes

Are you lucky enough to have a person on your Primary board whose calling is to be a substitute teacher?  Especially for that last minute we-don’t-have-a-teacher-for that-class-today panic moments?  Or, if you don’t have that luxury, do you find yourself hurrying down to the gospel doctrine class to plead for some last minute help when you need to be setting up for sharing time?  Either way, when the no-teacher-today emergency hits, a little preparation ahead of time can help the substitute teacher be more effective.  Here are a few ideas, which any Primary presidency could do.

§  Along with the lesson manual and lesson number, a list of the children’s names is beneficial.  Perhaps a few lists of each class could be prepared ahead and kept in the Primary closet near the extra manuals.

§  The classroom number is also good information for a sub to have.  It could be on the same list as the children’s names.

§  The time schedule is needed.  A few instructions, such as “class time is from 9:20 – 10:00, then the class goes to sharing time in the Primary Meeting Room” could also be on the information page for the substitute teacher.  Trying to teach without the time schedule is an unnecessary challenge to the person who is helping you out in this situation.

§  A couple of simple activity props and ideas for using them would be nice as well.  As an example, pompoms made from yarn can be passed around the circle of children to get them to respond to a question, or to tell what they have learned, or to share a lesson related experience. 

§  Having chalk, eraser, paper, colored pencils, crayons, scissors, etc. readily available may help the substitute teacher keep the children occupied while he/she glances over the lesson material.

It’s never ideal to have to scramble at the last minute to teach a lesson, and I sincerely hope you NEVER have the need for these emergency preparations.  But just in case, these suggestions could make the situation better, certainly for the impromptu teacher.  May the Lord bless you for your many efforts to teach the children.