Thousands of Teacher-reviewed Resources!
Sub Survival KitThis week we celebrate the flexible, resilient, and endlessly adaptable people who step into unfamiliar classrooms and make learning happen—often with little notice and a lot of heart. In honor of National Substitute Teachers Day (November 20), we’ve gathered classroom management strategies, quick brain breaks, brain teasers, and ready-to-go games and activities for substitutes and the educators who prepare their lessons. Whether you’re walking into a new room tomorrow or planning a lesson for someone else to teach, we hope these tools make the day smoother, keep students engaged, and help everyone feel supported.
Grades K-12Professional Learning Unit: Ready On Day One - A Substitute Teacher's Guide to Confidence in Any ClassroomThis brand-new self-paced unit helps subs build rapport with unfamiliar classes, adapt to any lesson plan, support students with IEPs and 504 plans, and respond calmly to disruptions, all while developing a toolkit of no-prep activities. Check it out! Grades K-12Professional Learning Unit: Substitutes, Solved - Building a Classroom That Runs Without YouThis brand-new unit will help you keep your students learning on the days you can’t be in the classroom. Build a substitute folder in under an hour, write backup lesson plans that last the whole day, and prepare students to work well with a guest teacher. Grades K-12TeachersFirst Collection: Classroom Management ResourcesThese classroom management resources help subs set expectations, manage transitions, and handle behavior constructively. Find brain breaks, quick routines, and tools to keep students engaged from the first bell. Grades K-12TeachersFirst Collection: Brain Breaks for StudentsNeed a quick reset in an unfamiliar classroom? These brain breaks help subs reenergize restless students and refocus their attention. Find easy ideas that get kids moving, laughing, and ready to learn—no prep required. Grades K-8TeachersFirst Ready To Go: Brain TwistersDiscover the perfect ready-to-go filler activity. TeachersFirst’s weekly Brain Twisters offer ten fresh questions for elementary or middle school students every week—no prep needed. Just open the page and let students compete to earn points! Grades K-12TeachersFirst Ready To Go: Reading TreksPrepping for an ELA or social studies sub? TeachersFirst Reading Treks pair popular K-12 books with interactive maps and downloadable guides packed with activity ideas. Grab a ready-made guide to turn a book discussion into a meaningful, low-prep lesson. Grades 5-12TeachersFirst Ready To Go: Dates that MatterAre you looking for a quick, no-prep warmup or time filler? TeachersFirst’s Dates That Matter offers a daily quiz on a historical event that happened on today’s date. Click Start for an instant, engaging history activity students can tackle together. Grades K-1255 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Substitute TeachersAre you heading into a new sub assignment? This collection offers 55 practical tips for taking attendance, managing behavior, and packing a supply bag. It also includes ideas for filling extra time with sponge activities, games, and read-alouds. Grades K-12Substitute Teachers LoungeLooking for advice from someone who’s been there? The Substitute Teachers Lounge podcast has 300+ episodes with real stories and practical tips for handling student behavior, new grade levels, and teacher plans. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon. Grades K-12NearpodNeed help planning for a sub? Build interactive lessons from Nearpod’s library of 22,000+ ready-made options or create new ones with AI. Subs can launch the lesson and keep students engaged and learning while you’re away. Grades K-6Classroom ZenPromote a calm, easy-to-run classroom with Classroom Zen’s free noise monitors, attendance tools, timers, trivia games, and guided breathing exercises. Most don’t require prep or a login, so subs can open them on the big screen and use them right away. Grades K-12Insta~LessonIf you’re short on prep time, you can type in a topic, grade level, and time length on Insta~Lesson to get an editable Google Doc with worksheets, slides, and answer keys. It’s a fast way to create sub plans, and single lessons are free! This Week at TeachersFirstJoin us this Tuesday for our next free OK2Ask virtual workshop! Visit our blog and our special topics collection for more insights and fresh classroom ideas for substitute teachers. We're also looking for a part-time consultant, so keep reading to learn more about joining our team!
Brought to You by TeachersFirstEditorial About TeachersFirst |
