Teachers Preparing For Uncertainty
Posted by PLB Blogger · 1 Comment
They say that the only thing certain in life is uncertainty. In this past week, we faced some unexpected situations hare at PLB. It reminded me of the need to be prepared with a back-up plan for situations that are important.
It’s the same at school. Unexpected circumstances can come up any time and it’s worthwhile to plan for times when you may need to be away from the classroom. Being prepared makes sure that work and more importantly, learning, is not stalled even when you are not present in the classroom.
Having a back-up plan can be as simple as preparing some notes and tips for a substitute teacher. These should include mentioning and arranging for any students with special needs in your classroom. You might also consider preparing a box of activities with prepared instructions, worksheets and materials that are ready to use.
How do you prepare for unexpected emergencies where you may not be able to teach your class?
I was always super organized. When I had little children, I never knew when one would get sick in the middle of the night and I would have to stay home. I had five multi-colored folders on my desk. Each folder had the name of one day in the week. Inside, I put in the assignments that I knew the students would be working on. Before I left school, I updated the schedule on the board for the next day and wrote a new Morning Message to the students.
I also left a substitute folder with the schedule of the week, classroom rules, list of names, etc.
There is nothing worse than the panicky feeling of being out unexpectedly. The more teachers prep for these unexpected days, the less panic there will be.