It is now ten minutes before class starts. Either you are in the hallway, waiting for the class that was in before you to wrap up, or are already in the classroom. Regardless, there are a few things you should do. As soon as you have the chance to be in the classroom, familiarize yourself with the environment and find where the teacher keeps their chalk/marker to write on the blackboard/whiteboard. Write your name and the date. Afterwards, write down “Task” and then list what the teacher has written for the students to do. Below, you will see an example of what your board would look like:
Tuesday, February 4th, 2020 Mr. Morizio Task: - Read Ch. 8-9 of “To Kill a Mockingbird” - Complete questions on Ch. 8-9 - Hand them in to me - Work on individual projects
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That is all you need to write. It might look simple, but just doing that prevents a lot of fuss. When the students walk in, they know exactly what they will be doing. None will have to ask. When it comes time to share the task with them, it would only serve as a confirmation rather than an announcement. No student will be confused about their task for that period. They will also know how to address you. Furthermore, they will never need to ask what the day’s date is, which otherwise could cause many unnecessary interruptions.
Notice the “Hand them in to me” detail. While that statement might not directly be part of the task, it clarifies what the students are expected to do for the period. With that detail mentioned, students will be less likely to ask, “Is it for homework?” or “What do we do when we are finished?” Additional details are therefore good to mention only if they serve to clarify while still keeping the overall task simple. The whole purpose is to provide students with structure from the outset. The more students know what is expected of them, the less the odds are that they will cause interruptions and prevent the period from having a good flow.
Source:
Morizio, J. (2020). Substitute teaching in the 2020s: A simple guide. Self-Published on Amazon.
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