How To Never Panic On Sick Days Again!

Transform your 5 AM sick day panic into peaceful confidence with this foolproof emergency substitute plan system!

Are you tired of frantically texting lesson plans from your phone while running a fever? In this episode of Schoolutions Teaching Strategies, I'll show you how to create a comprehensive emergency sub plan system that works for any grade level or subject - even when you can't think clearly.

What You'll Learn: 
✅ How to create self-contained activities that pass the "substitute success test" 
✅ Three types of backup plans: Any Day, Subject Continuation, and Fun Friday plans 
✅ Perfect substitute instructions that set subs up for success 
✅ Organization systems for quick access when you're sick 
✅ Summer action plan to prep everything before school starts

Perfect for: teachers, education coaches, new teachers, mentor teachers, school administrators, and anyone involved in lesson planning and instructional strategies.

This practical teaching tip will save you hours of stress and help you maintain effective teaching even when you're absent. No more classroom management nightmares or worried thoughts about student engagement while you're home sick!

Time Investment: Just 3-4 hours this summer eliminates 5 AM panic forever!

Chapters
0:00 - Introduction: The 5 AM Sick Day Panic 
1:00 - Why You Need an Emergency Sub Plan System 
2:00 - The Reality of Teacher Sick Days 
3:00 - Welcome to Summer Series 
4:00 - Step 1: Create Your Emergency Kit Foundation 
5:00 - Step 2: Design Self-Contained Activities 
6:00 - Elementary Activity Ideas 
7:00 - Step 3: Create Perfect Sub Instructions 
8:00 - Golden Rules for Sub Instructions 
9:00 - Step 4: Organize for Quick Access 
10:00 - Step 5: Your Summer Action Plan 
11:00 - Wrap-up and Challenge

🎧 Schoolutions Teaching Strategies Podcast New episodes every Monday & Friday this summer!
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🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl

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When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Hi there. Today we are going to work together to create your emergency substitute plan system. By the end of this episode, you will be able to transform a 5:00 AM sick day panic, into a peaceful confidence with a foolproof substitute plan system. Picture this, it's October, you wake up with the blue and you realize you have zero sub plans ready.

You're supposed to call in by 6:00 AM but your laptop won't start and your carefully planned science experiment can't happen without you there. Sound familiar? The secret isn't creating perfect lesson plans for every possible absence. It's building self-contained activities that pass the substitute success test and can work any day of the year.

Let's face it, most teachers either wing it with hastily written plans or spend precious sick time frantically texting [00:01:00] lesson plans from their phones while running a fever. Today I will show you how to build a five-step emergency sub-plan system with three types of backup plans: self-contained activities, crystal clear instructions, and foolproof organization that works even when you're not thinking clearly.

Here are three benefits you'll leave the episode with. You'll eliminate your 5:00 AM panic with plans that work regardless of your curriculum timing, you will create reusable activities you can adapt year after year as an investment in future sanity, and you will set up substitutes for success with instructions so clear, a complete stranger could execute them flawlessly.

We have all been there. Frantically texting lesson plans from your phone while running a fever, knowing your substitute is walking into chaos because you didn't have time to prepare properly [00:02:00] and feeling guilty about being sick when you should be focused on getting better. Having an emergency sub plan system is like having a well-stocked first aid kit. You hope to never need it, but when you do, you'll be incredibly grateful it's there and ready to go. Let's dive in.

This is Schoolutions Teaching Strategies, the podcast that extends education beyond the classroom. A show that isn't just theory, but practical try-it-tomorrow approaches for educators and caregivers to ensure every student finds their spark and receives the support they need to thrive. 

Welcome to Schoolutions Teaching Strategies summer series. I'm your host, Olivia Wahl, and today we are tackling one of the most stressful parts of teaching - those unexpected sick days when you need a substitute plan [00:03:00] at 5:00 AM. If you've ever frantically texted lesson plans from your phone while running a fever, this episode is for you. We're going to spend the next 10 minutes creating a system that will save your sanity come September.

Picture this, it's October. You wake up with the flu and you realize you have zero sub plans ready. You're supposed to call in by 6:00 AM but your laptop won't start and your carefully planned science experiment can't happen without you there. Sound familiar? Here's the reality. The average teacher calls in sick four to six times per year and emergencies don't wait for convenient planning periods. 

But what if I told you that spending just three to four hours this summer could eliminate that 5:00 AM panic forever? I am here to offer you the emergency sub plan system. I will break it down step by step. [00:04:00] 

Step one, we will create your emergency kit foundation. You'll need three types of backup plans. The any day plan: this will work regardless of where you are in your curriculum. Think reading comprehension with a short story or math review packets or creative writing prompts. You'll also need the subject continuation plan. These will loosely follow your normal routine, but don't require specific materials.

For example, if you usually do math first period, have a problem-solving challenge ready. I would also include what I call the FUN Friday plan. These will be educational and engaging activities when you need something special. I would create one folder for each grade level or subject you teach, label them clearly: Emergency sub plans, grade three or emergency sub plans, biology, for example. 

Step two, design self-contained [00:05:00] activities. Now for the activities themselves, each activity must pass the substitute success test. What I mean by that is could a complete stranger walk into your classroom and execute this flawlessly? Here are some awesome ideas. For elementary: reading. detective provide a two page mystery story with comprehension questions and a solve the case writing prompt. You could also include Math Olympics: create stations with different math challenges, estimation jars, pattern puzzles, and word problems. For elementary, I also love the time capsule project. Students write letters to their future selves, draw current favorite things, and predict the future. 

For middle school, you could try classroom court students debate age-appropriate topics like should homework be banned with structured roles and evident sheets. You could [00:06:00] also include scientific method mystery. Present a classroom crime scene, missing pencils, move desks, and have students use scientific method to solve it. For middle school I also love historical headlines. Students create newspaper front pages for historical events you've studied.

For high school, try a mini documentary students research and create a five minute presentation on any topic related to your subject. You could also create an activity around Socratic seminar. Prepare thought-provoking questions around current events or literature with discussion guidelines. Also, don't forget problem-based learning. Present real world scenarios that require your subject knowledge to solve. Remember, each activity should include clear instructions, all necessary materials, time estimates, and extension activities for fast finishers.

Step three, create the perfect sub instructions. Your instructions are [00:07:00] crucial. You'll want to create a template that includes essential information like class rosters, with photos if possible, bell schedule and location changes, emergency procedures and important contacts, even classroom management strategies that work for you and your children.

Within the perfect sub instructions you also need to make sure that the sub is aware of your daily structure. I would let them know how you start each period with kids. You could leave a sentence starter that they could write on the board, like, Good morning, I'm your substitute teacher. Your teacher left very specific instructions for today.

I would make sure to provide a backup plan if technology fails - that's always difficult if they don't have your password. Make sure to include transition activities between subjects that you usually use, and also include cleanup procedures that you use at the end of the day. 

Here are some golden rules for substitute instructions. Write like you're explaining [00:08:00] to someone that has never stepped foot in a classroom before. Include page numbers and time estimates. Highlight the most important information. Always have more activities than you think you need, and leave contact information for a reliable teacher colleague. 

Step four, organize for quick access. Organization is everything when you're sick and thinking clearly isn't always happening. Make sure to create both physical and digital copies. Your physical emergency kit should live in an obvious place in your classroom. A bright folder on your desk labeled emergency Sub plans - start here. 

Digital copies should be saved in multiple locations: Google Drive, school server, personal computer. They could be shared with your administrator or a trusted colleague. They need to be easily accessible from your phone and they have to be updated at the beginning of each semester, each quarter. You may consider [00:09:00] creating a simple email template, like emergency sub plans with your name and the date with all necessary attachments. And when you're sick, you just update the date and hit send. 

Here's step five: your summer action plan. First, create your folder system and gather the materials. Second design activities for each subject or grade level. Third, write detailed sub instructions and test them with a colleague. Fourth, organize everything and create your backup systems. The time you spend doing this, you will thank yourself all year long. 

So to wrap this episode, let's recap your emergency sub plan system. You'll need self-contained activities that work any day. Detailed instruction that set your substitute up for success and an organization system that works even when you're not thinking clearly. And here's the best part, once you create these [00:10:00] plans, you can reuse them and adapt them year after year. Think of it as an investment in your future sanity. 

So here's your challenge. Before the end of August, create at least one complete emergency sub plan for each subject or grade level you teach. Start with just one, success builds momentum. And remember, the goal isn't perfection. The goal is having something ready that's better than panicking at 5:00 AM. Your substitute doesn't need to be you. They just need clear directions and engaging activities for your children. Thank you for tuning into this episode of Schoolutions Teaching Strategies summer series. Until next time, prep smart and help your substitute teacher teach with confidence.

Schoolutions Teaching Strategies is created, produced, and edited by me, Olivia Wahl. Thank you always to my older son Benjamin, who created the music [00:11:00] playing in the background. You can follow and listen to solutions wherever you get your podcasts or subscribe to never miss an episode and watch on YouTube. Now, I'd love to hear from you. Send me an email at schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com. Let me know what you love to include in your emergency substitute plans. Today and Friday's episodes will be the last two in my Schoolutions summer series. 

Season five will release on September 1st with a phenomenal guest lineup. Make sure to catch the last summer series episode this Friday and still rest and rejuvenate this summer. There's still time to enjoy that sunshine and make sure you're taking care of yourself. See you soon.