It happens all the time. A sick child. A family emergency. The stomach flu. A 102 fever. A car accident.

Things come up at the last minute either before school or during the school day. We may need to rush out of the classroom but worry how the sub can carry on the same lesson you’ve been teaching all day. Stuck at home, you wonder what you can plan that a sub can carry out.

Especially with Spanish, where it is difficult to find a sub that understands the language, we must make our sub plans do-able for anyone to step in and lead the class. Many times this leads to students working by themselves either writing or doing worksheets. Hopefully we can eliminate any plans that are just “time wasting”. We want to fill our sub folder with activities that are meaningful and engaging to our students.

This stress free (and otherwise free) lesson is something that, can be played off a computer, or burned to a CD that a sub can play on a cd player.

http://www.racebridgesforschools.com/olga_tracks/nepantla.html

9 mp3 files that can be played off the site or saved to your computer or burned onto a CD. Includes a pdf lesson plan that you can print off for a sub to help them lead discussion.

For more ready to use lesson plans….

Facebook Profile Project – Students create a profile page describing themselves and their interests and hobbies. #descriptions, #activities,

Magic Square Game – Match verb form to english meaning. #verbs, #conjugations #irregular_yo_forms

Animal Project – If the students have learned animals, (or if not, this unit includes the vocabulary to teach them) have the students work on a description of an animal or a combination of two animals. #review of descriptions, #animals

Vocabulary Practice – Over 15 different ways for students to practice new vocabulary while you are out. Students choose any combination from categories of 5, 10, and 15 points to equal a total of 20 points. Very engaging and will fill the whole period. Allows the students to practice their vocabulary and hopefully see value in doing this so that in the future they do something similar to study/practice additional vocabulary.

In the past, I have put up a picture and have the students describe the picture in a paragraph. Of course, with early level students, they will try to translate what they would say in English and get stuck and then rely on the dictionary (and thus make many mistakes). Some subs do not understand the directions “Do not let them use dictionaries”

Any lessons you rely on when you are out sick or are having a sub? Please share your ideas in the comment section!