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Emergency Lesson Plans, Real Lifesaving Tools |
Everyone gets those situations in life where an emergency has come up,
and you don't have the time (or sometimes the ability) to get a good
lesson plan in to school for your students. Maybe you have a family
emergency or a disrupted travel plan and you just cannot get into
school to leave detailed lessons.
That is why it is essential for you to have an emergency lesson plan available and handy.
The
emergency lesson plan should be able to be used at ANY point in the
year. It doesn't have to fit in with what you're currently doing (nor
should it - it is to be used when you cannot leave normal sub plans).
The lesson should be related to your normal curriculum, but it could be
a supplement or an enrichment activity.
Get a folder (or a
three-ring binder), and label it appropriately on the outside cover.
There are even folders you can purchase (some schools even make these
available to teachers) labeled 'sub folder' or 'emergency plans'. Also
make sure you have an appropriate spot for your emergency folder on or
in your desk area. Some schools will ask you to keep an emergency plan
in the office. In either case, make sure it is easily accessible by a
substitute teacher.
Think
about keeping class activities to 10 to 15 minute increments. This way
the sub will have better control of your kids. Students have
difficulties adjusting to changes in their routines, and you don't want
to have to return to discipline referrals.
Keep the information
organized and easily accessible for a sub. Remember, the sub won't know
where you normally keep things, and they can't read your mind. Spell
out exactly what you want done, where it can be found, and what you
want done with it when they're finished.
Make sure you have made
enough copies of any worksheets so the sub doesn't have to. And be sure
to leave answer keys. Many subs will actually even grade your
assignments for you if you ask them in your plans.
Get this
done early in the year, and you can save yourself many headaches later,
not to mention worries about what will happen in your room if you are
unable to be there.
EMERGENCY LESSON PLAN IDEAS:
Language
Arts: Include short writing activities involving students opinions.
Thus they don't have to have 'background' information, and they can
write from their own experiences. Parts of speech review can include
mad-libs or easy, fun worksheets.
Math: Leave a calculator activity. These could even be puzzles or partner games. Or give review problems.
Science:
Copy a science article and have students read carefully and answer
questions. Make speculations and use the scientific method. Or have
students create the plans for a lab activity.
Reading: Leave
students a copy of a short story or article, and questions to answer.
You could even set up a 'test-taking' exercise, and discuss appropriate
answers and strategies.
Social Studies: Map activities are great
for emergency plans. You can even set up a one-day unit on any
area/region of the world, including your own town or city.
Everyone
gets those situations in life where an emergency has come up, and you
don't have the time (or sometimes the ability) to get a good lesson
plan in to school for your students. Maybe you have a family emergency
or a disrupted travel plan and you just cannot get into school to leave
detailed lessons. That is why it is essential for you to have an
emergency lesson plan available and handy.
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For this article, and more on teaching and education, be sure to check out our website:
http://www.starteaching.com
Frank
Holes, Jr. is the editor of the StarTeaching website and the bi-monthly
newsletter, Features for Teachers. You can contact Frank at:
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Article Source: http://www.EzinePlug.com
Frank Holes
Hi I'm Frank Holes, a middle school teacher in Michigan, and I publish
a FREE e-zine called StarTeaching, with articles and products on
teaching, techniques, stories, e-books, lesson plans, and other
resources aimed at new teachers, student teachers, teacher-interns, and
of course veteran teachers.
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Tags: lesson planning teacher preparation professional development |
