Creating Emergency Lesson Plans
Meaningful Activities When a Spontaneous Absence Occurs
Mar 26, 2009
Every teacher should have one or more “emergency” lesson plan kits available. While most teacher absences are planned well in advance, enabling the classroom teacher to leave meaningful work for a substitute teacher, some absences are spontaneous. Sudden illness or a family emergency might force a teacher to “call in sick” in the hours before the school day begins. All too often, substitute teachers, or even “in-house” class coverage, may be nothing more than house-sitting. The emergency lesson plan eliminates those situations by having in place a meaningful activity relevant to the overall unit under study.
Creating Emergency Lesson Plans
Everything that the substitute teacher will need to fulfill the day’s plan should be included in the packet. The teacher cannot assume that the substitute will have class access to the school library, media center, or computer rooms. This may include the use of technology in the classroom. These emergency plans do not have to be elaborate but they should be relevant. A last minute assignment to “read sections three and four and outline them” is nothing more than busy work and is resented by students.
In an American History class or a Civics class, the plan can be as simple as:
- Dividing the class into small groups
- Ask each group to focus on 2 or 3 Amendments in the Bill of Rights
- Identify specific rights and liberties in each Amendment assigned
- Develop contemporary examples illustrating those rights
- Report as a group to the entire class
This is a rich activity that complements almost any unit under study, incorporates current events, and enables the substitute teacher to actively lead in the classroom. Even if the substitute’s background is Science or Math, the general nature of the assignment will ensure that any adult can effectively guide and lead student observations and conclusions.
When Emergency Absences Last Longer than One Day
Longer absences can be handled in similar ways as the one-day emergency lesson plan. Several options exist:
- Extend the one-day plan to two days, especially if discussion was good
- Prepare long in advance several one or two-day emergency lesson plans
- Include a video or DVD in one of the emergency plans
- Enlist the assistance (if possible) of the media center professional (assuming the center can be used)
In the example given above, a substitute teacher that knows the absence will carry over to the next day can instruct students to research internet sites for examples of the rights and liberties they discussed in class as homework. This information can then be used in the classroom for further discussion.
Long Term Preparation
Emergency lessons plans should be constructed at the start of each semester. They should become an on-going expectation for all teachers. Copies of these plans can be stored with department heads, coordinators, or administration. Ideally, if a school has a staff member responsible for recruiting substitute teachers, the plans can be part of the substitute process.
Although it helps if substitute teachers have expertise in the field that they are asked to cover, emergency lesson plans should be tailored to the leadership of substitutes in all fields of study. Well crafted emergency lesson plans provide peace of mind and ensure that classroom time is not wasted.
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