What do you do when you get negative substitute feedback, such as kids behaving out of control?

It’s a lot of trouble when you’re a teacher, and you must be out of the class for any reason. Setting up for a sub, prepping the materials, and leaving class lists and notes is not unlike leaving your children with a babysitter. Then, there is the moment you unlock your classroom door and face the aftermath. What are your next steps when a day with a sub goes wrong despite all the preparations you made? And how can you prevent a repeat?

My solution: Address it if you must, but move on quickly
My answer might surprise you because I recommend limiting your involvement and reaction to a poor sub-report. Why? Because you weren’t there. How the school- and your students- manage while you are gone should not be your problem. What can be your problem might be how the room was left. I vividly recall attending a mandatory Professional Development and returning to my classroom the next day to find yarn strung everywhere. The yarn was wound around chairs neatly placed on the table tops at day’s end, and the yarn wound around the classroom flag and onward to the paper drying racks- an endless spiderweb of yarn. What did the sub think when they closed and locked the door at the end of the day? How could they leave the room in that condition? For sure, I addressed the waste of my time and supplies with the last-period class that was using yarn, but it was brief and to the point.

Identify the Problems
I often hear of art teachers who take punitive measures with their classes after a bad substitute report. They launch inquisitions to discover what happened and who the leaders were. This was an approach I steered away from over time as it seemed to overfocus on one bad period. Instead, I focused on establishing good relationships and routines that I hoped perpetuate even in my absence. Subbing can be perilous work, but the substitute can sometimes contribute to the problem. For example, I would never want a teacher to walk into a mess when returning to work like I experienced. I can’t imagine what that sub was thinking beyond escaping what must have been a wild day. I was fortunate that my school had a sub-evaluation form that teachers were required to fill out after an absence, and if the reports came back consistently negative, the sub was not invited to return. In this post-COVID world, I know that subs are not always easy for a school to find, and they may not be able to be as selective as they once were. Having done some long-term subbing, I can testify schools do not treat substitutes well, pay them adequately, or provide the support they should. A poor sub-report can be the result of many components. Art teachers often express frustration that plans weren’t followed, students used media they shouldn’t have used, or clean-up wasn’t adequately supervised.

The Options
However, my hands-off approach does not fit everyone and every situation. What other strategies can we art teachers use after a sub? Teachers commonly punish students called out by name in a substitute report. Those punishments can include after-school or lunch detentions and/or contacting parents. Some teachers have a class, or specific students write apology letters to the substitutes they had wronged. Another common strategy is to ask students to write what happened during class. This can provide insight into what happened during your absence in a confidential manner so you can follow up with the class or specific individuals. Art teachers often award a grade for being on-task daily and cleaning up. This might be a class participation or studio grade; a teacher may opt to strike points from a student’s daily grade if they receive a poor substitute report or their work isn’t completed or stored at the end of class.

Art Teacher Yvonne Arzola started what she calls IAS (in art suspension). Students face writing art vocabulary and definitions 5 times each if they receive a poor sub-report.

I started this 2 years ago. It’s been working. I was out last week for 3 days. I told them ahead of time. I threatened them with IAS. Not one complaint from sub and there was plenty of work done.

She also shares that former students drive the point home by letting other students know it will happen since they experienced IAS.

Set Your Substitute Up for Success
I am fond of saying, “Sometimes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Some classes have poor group dynamics. Students may be apathetic to art, have bad attitudes, or mix poorly with each other. I’ve had classes that made the year seem very, very long. If I don’t have reasonable control over my class, I think carefully about what to leave when I am out. If we are in the middle of a painting lesson, that is put on hold, and an art game is left instead. Or maybe some classes are fine as long as they have plenty to do. Whatever you feel your class needs, provide it and provide enough to keep them busy. If a class is social and they don’t get a lot done but behave OK, that can be OK too.

Most teachers who know about an absence in advance will review the day’s plans, expectations, and consequences if a substitute’s report is poor. Other tried and true advice when preparing for a substitute?

  • Create a general substitute guide: This can include the bell schedule, classroom rules, and rosters for each class. You can also include names and room numbers of neighboring teachers who can assist.
  • Select student helpers: Choose responsible and honest students and ask them in advance if they would be willing to help a sub.
  • Lock up material you don’t want students to use.
  • Update your emergency plans early and often. This includes when they have been used, when class lists change, when a semester changes, when you may have new classes, etc.
  • Keep plans simple, but keep the students busy.
  • Have an early finisher folder a substitute teacher can point students towards if they have completed the assignment.
  • Make sure sub-lessons receive a grade so it doesn’t feel like busy work that students can ignore.

Check out all the free substitute plans available at My Art Lesson, and type sub-lesson in the search field! Tell us your favorite hack to ensure a successful sub day in the comment section.