Good substitute teacher plans for high school do two jobs at once: they keep students learning, and they make the day easy for someone who has never met your class. When plans are vague, the sub improvises, students test limits, and you come back to a pile of incomplete work and a note about third period.
This guide gives you a one-page sub plan template, a checklist for an emergency sub folder, and 12 activities that a substitute can run without subject expertise. Winter is peak season for sick days, so it is worth building your folder before you need it.
In this guide7 sections
What every sub plan needs
A substitute reads your plans quickly, often minutes before the first bell. Put the most important information first and keep the language plain.
- Bell schedule with room changes, lunch duty, and any early release.
- Class rosters and seating charts, with photos if your system allows it.
- Two or three helpful students per period who can explain routines.
- Your key procedures: attendance, restroom passes, phones, and dismissal. Link to or print your classroom rules.
- Who to call: a neighboring teacher, the front office, and the nurse.
- The lesson itself, step by step, with times.
- What to collect and where to leave it.
One-page sub plan template
| Section | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up (5 min) | A short task on the board | “Answer the question on the board in your notebook.” |
| Main task (25–30 min) | Clear instructions and materials location | “Worksheets are in the blue tray. Students work in pairs.” |
| Early finishers | A backup task | “Logic puzzle packet in the gray folder.” |
| Closing (5–10 min) | A quick check that shows work happened | “Collect the exit slip at the door.” |
| Collect and leave | Where work goes | “Put papers by period in the top drawer.” |
| Notes for me | What the sub should report | “Who was absent, who helped, any problems.” |
Start every period with a familiar routine. If students already do one of your bell ringers each day, they will settle faster for a stranger.
12 sub-proof activities for high school
Review and practice
- Review question stations. Four task cards around the room; groups rotate every eight minutes.
- Study guide with a partner. Students complete a unit study guide, then compare answers with a partner and mark disagreements.
- Vocabulary four-square. For each term: definition, example, non-example, and a drawing.
- Low-key review game. Choose a game with simple rules from our review games for high school; avoid anything that needs a teacher to judge answers.
Reading and writing
- Article and response. A short article related to your unit with five questions and one written reflection.
- Read, annotate, summarize. Students annotate a text and write a three-sentence summary.
- Letter to a future student. Students explain the hardest idea in the current unit for someone taking the class next year.
Subject-flexible tasks
- Simulation lab. A browser-based lab with a data table, such as our PhET Projectile Motion lab, works well when students have devices.
- Logic puzzles. A packet of logic puzzles for teens makes a strong early-finisher or emergency task.
- Documentary or video with a viewing guide. Only with questions to answer while watching, and only if your school allows it.
- Create a quiz. Students write ten test questions on the current unit, with an answer key. You can use the best ones later.
- Goal check-in. Students review their grades or recent work and write two goals for the rest of the term.
Building an emergency sub folder
Emergency plans are for days when you can’t write anything new. Keep them general enough to work any week of the year.
- Three days of standalone lessons that don’t depend on the current unit.
- Copies already made, labeled by class, with extras.
- Current rosters, seating charts, and the bell schedule (update after schedule changes).
- A list of school procedures for fire drills and lockdowns.
- A short “about this class” note for each period.
- A feedback form for the substitute.
Review the folder at the start of each semester. It fits naturally alongside your classroom management plan.
Prepare students for a sub
- Tell students in advance when you know you’ll be out, and tell them what you expect.
- Explain that the sub will leave a report, including names of helpful students.
- Make the work count. If it never gets checked, students learn that sub days don’t matter.
- Follow up the next day: thank the class or address problems calmly.
Frequently asked questions
How detailed should sub plans be?
Detailed enough that someone with no knowledge of your subject could run the period. Include times, materials locations, and what to collect. One clear page per class is usually enough.
Should substitutes teach new material?
Usually not. Review, practice, and reading tasks are safer. If the sub is certified in your subject, you can plan more, but always have a backup task.
How many emergency sub plans should I have?
Three days is a common target. That covers a short illness while you or a colleague prepare regular plans.
What if students misbehave with a sub?
Read the sub’s notes, speak with the students involved privately, and apply your normal consequences. Thank the students who helped, and adjust plans if a task was too loose.
Final thoughts
Strong substitute teacher plans take an hour to build once and save you stress all year. Keep the plan short, put routines first, choose activities that don’t need your expertise, and keep an emergency folder ready. For more structured activities that work any day, browse our 101 free classroom games.
