The Best Sub Binder for Middle School
You need a sub binder for middle school in order to avoid this. Have you ever woken up and felt AWFUL? But, you still went to work because you didn’t have the energy to plan for a sub? Yeah, same. My school was 45 minutes away at one point and I drove all the way to school just to prepare my sub plans and go back home and lay down. 10 out of 10 do not recommend.
In this blog post, I will walk you through how to write sub plans, and at the end, I will tell you all about my favorite emergency sub plan!
There are lots of ideas out there for preparing sub plans but my favorite for my middle school classroom is using a substitute binder!
I usually set up my substitute binder for the year around October. Technically, I would recommend doing this sooner just in case an emergency happens.
After graduating college, I spent some time as a substitute and since the substitute shortage started, I’ve had even more “opportunities” to experience good and bad substitute plans!
Some substitute plans include WAY more information and fluff than you need, while others only include one page of instructions.
As a result, I have updated my substitute binder over the years only to include the information that a substitute will need. And let’s be honest, most substitutes don’t have the time to read a ton of stuff in a sub tub or sub binder!
Don’t wait until you need a sub to prepare for a sub!
Materials Needed to Set Up Your Sub Binder For Middle School: (includes some affiliate links)
- 1 inch binder (choose a bright color so it’s easy to spot!)
- 5 tab dividers
- Sheet protectors (optional)
- Paper
- Editable Sub Binder Template (you can use my done-for-you pages in this template or create your own!)
- Seating Charts
What to Include In Sub Plans
- Note for the substitute (from you)
- Schedule
- Lesson Plan for each Prep
- Class Roster
- Seating Chart
- Helpful Students
- Space for a substitute to leave class notes (feedback about the day)
- Procedures
- Emergency Information
The FIVE sections of my Sub Binder for Middle School
- Lesson Plans
- Class Rosters + Seating Charts
- Class Notes
- Things to Know & Procedures
- Emergency Information
Each section is separated with a divider and inside of a sheet protector!
Before getting to the sections of the binder, the first thing the substitute will see is a note from me! The note briefly outlines what they can find inside the binder and any other pertinent details.
Section 1: Lesson Plans
I like to keep my lesson plans as simple as possible. I plan my days off around test days so students can work on study guides whenever possible.
That way I can leave a packet, but now that each student has a laptop, I also leave computer activities! Two of my favorite digital sub plans are Desmos and NearPod.
Desmos is great for self-checking math activities AND you can easily see if they completed their work or not.
Nearpod is excellent for any subject especially if your students have headphones and you don’t want to sacrifice a day of instruction. I like to work smarter not harder so I use the Nearpod library to find the content that I need and then look for the self-paced option.
Section 2: Class Rosters + Seating Charts
The toughest part about class rosters is remembering to update them when your roster inevitably changes! Try to update this before a planned sub day.
I also suggest including a list of helpful students along with each class roster. Think of the students that always have your back. Students that willingly assist others (and you!) by repeating the directions.
Including a seating chart is a total substitute hack! The substitute can quickly address students by their names and catch those students who try to sit next to their friends when you’re out (middle school probs).
Section 3: Class Notes
One of the most important sections of your substitute binder! This is where the substitute can leave feedback to let you know how each class period did. This can include behavior, absences, and any other details they’d like to leave.
I always get a little nervous when I return from a day off. No one wants to hear that their class was less than spectacular. Otherwise, the substitute will likely not want to sub for your class again (trust me! 😭)
It may be frowned upon but I also like to tell the substitute to let my students know that I will reward them when I return if their class period gets a positive report!
Section 4: Things to Know & Procedures
The “things to know” section of my sub binder for middle school is mainly for our daily class procedures including:
- Morning announcements (The Pledge, Moment of Silence, etc…)
- Restroom (How many at a time? How do they sign out?)
- Sharpening/getting pencils
- Turning in papers
- Lunch (Do the kids walk on their own?)
- Dismissal
It’s best to be as clear here as possible but also make sure you chose helpful students that can assist as well!
Section 5: Emergency Information
Hopefully, this section doesn’t need to be used, but you never know! I just include fire drills and lockdowns. We rarely have anything else in my area.
Bonus: Include this Super Simple Emergency Sub Plan in Your Sub Binder for Middle School
In order for this to work, your students will need to have laptops and access to some type of LMS like Canvas, Blackboard, Schoology or Google Classroom.
You could either have a page/module dedicated to sub plans or you can just have a daily page. For example, last year, I had a special module of sub plans (see photo).
But now, my modules are separated by days. Each day has a to-do list (see photo). This is actually from when I had COVID and was out for multiple days, it was really easy to plan!
Therefore my emergency sub plan simply says, “Students will complete the assignments in Canvas for today’s date!”
My students know where to go (because we use it every single day) AND I can quickly pop in some assignments for them really quickly!
I hope this helps! If you’d like to write your sub plans with ease, you may be interested in my editable sub binder for middle school template. It is perfect for any secondary classroom and you can prepare it in MINUTES!