Substitute Teacher Plan Template: The Complete Guide (+ Free Template)

The Sub Plan Nobody Wants to Write

Nobody plans to be sick. But every teacher knows the dread of waking up at 5 AM with a fever and realizing they need sub plans — right now. The alternative is dragging yourself to school, infecting everyone, and teaching through a fog.

The solution is having a sub plan system that's ready before you need it. This guide gives you a complete template, plus tips for writing plans that a substitute can actually follow without texting you 14 questions.

The Complete Sub Plan Template

Print this out, fill it in at the start of the year, and keep it updated. When you're sick, you update the day-specific sections and email it. Five minutes, done.

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SUBSTITUTE TEACHER PLANS

Teacher: [Your name]

Date: [Date of absence]

School: [School name]

Room: [Room number]

Grade/Subject: [Grade level and/or subject]

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SECTION 1: ARRIVAL AND BASICS

School hours: [Start time – End time]

Your arrival time: [When the sub should arrive]

Where to find the key/badge: [Location or office procedure]

WiFi password: [If applicable]

Computer login: [Username and password, if the sub needs it for attendance, slides, etc.]

Daily Schedule:

| Time | Subject/Period | Notes |

|------|---------------|-------|

| [Time] | [Subject] | [Any notes] |

| [Time] | [Subject] | [Any notes] |

| [Time] | Lunch | [Duty or free] |

| [Time] | [Specials/Prep] | [Where students go] |

| [Time] | [Subject] | [Any notes] |

| [Time] | Dismissal | [Procedure] |

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SECTION 2: PROCEDURES — THE STUFF THEY WON'T ASK ABOUT

Attendance: [How to take it — paper, online system, send to office? Include login if needed.]

Lunch count: [Is this needed? How and when?]

Bathroom policy: [Sign out? Hall pass? Buddy system? Limit of how many at a time?]

Transitions: [How do students move between classes/activities? Line up? Walk independently?]

Dismissal procedure: [Bus riders, car riders, walkers, after-school program — how does it work? Who goes where?]

Emergency procedures: [Where is the emergency folder? Evacuation route? Where to take students?]

Cell phone/device policy: [If applicable]

Early finishers: [What should students do when they finish early? Read? Work on another assignment? Specific activity?]

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SECTION 3: STUDENTS TO KNOW ABOUT

This section is critical. A sub walking in blind will struggle with situations you navigate on autopilot.

Student helpers / reliable kids:

• [Name] — [Why they're helpful — can show the sub routines, collect papers, etc.]
• [Name] — [Role]

Students who leave the classroom:

• [Name] leaves at [time] for [speech/resource/counseling/etc.]. [He/She/They] knows the routine.
• [Name] leaves at [time] for [service].

Students with medical needs:

• [Name] — [Brief description: e.g., has an inhaler in backpack, epipen in nurse's office, diabetic and checks blood sugar at 10:00]

Students with behavioral considerations:

• [Name] — [Brief strategy: e.g., needs to sit away from Student B, benefits from a check-in at the start of class, may need a break pass]
• [Name] — [Brief strategy]

Students with IEPs/504s the sub should know about:

• [Name] — [Key accommodation: e.g., extended time, preferential seating, needs directions repeated, uses text-to-speech]

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SECTION 4: LESSON PLANS FOR THE DAY

For each subject or period, include:

[Subject/Period 1]: [Time]

Objective: [What students should learn or practice — keep it simple]

Materials: [Where to find them — be specific: "copies are in the blue folder on my desk," not "worksheets"]

Instructions:

1. [Step-by-step what the sub should do and say. Number each step.]
2. [Be explicit: "Read the directions on the worksheet aloud to students before they begin."]
3. [Include timing: "Give students 15 minutes to work independently."]
4. [Include what to do when they finish.]

Answer key: [Where to find it, or "No answer key needed — collect and I'll grade."]

If they finish early: [Specific activity]

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[Subject/Period 2]: [Time]

[Same structure as above]

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[Subject/Period 3]: [Time]

[Same structure as above]

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SECTION 5: EMERGENCY / BACKUP PLANS

Sometimes technology fails, copies are missing, or a lesson falls apart. Include one or two backup activities that require no prep and can fill 20-45 minutes.

Backup Activity 1: [Describe — e.g., "Students write and illustrate a story about [topic]. Paper is in the supply closet."]

Backup Activity 2: [Describe — e.g., "Silent reading. Students have independent reading books in their desks. If they don't, the classroom library is open."]

Backup Activity 3: [Describe — e.g., "Math fact practice sheets are in the red folder in the top drawer of my filing cabinet."]

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SECTION 6: IMPORTANT CONTACTS

| Who | Name | Room/Extension |

|-----|------|---------------|

| Next-door teacher | [Name] | [Room/Ext] |

| Grade-level lead | [Name] | [Room/Ext] |

| Front office | [Name] | [Ext] |

| Assistant principal | [Name] | [Ext] |

| Nurse | [Name] | [Ext] |

| Your phone (emergencies only) | [Your number] | Text preferred |

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SECTION 7: END OF DAY

Please leave me a note about:

• How the day went overall
• Which students were helpful
• Any behavior issues (names and what happened)
• What you got through and what you didn't
• Any questions or concerns

Before you leave:

• [Stack papers in this location]
• [Chairs up / desks in rows / specific cleanup]
• [Lock the door / return the key to the office]

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Tips for Writing Sub Plans That Actually Work

Be absurdly specific. You know that the copies are "in the usual place." The sub does not. Write "copies are in the blue folder labeled 'Sub Plans' on the left side of my desk."

Number your instructions. A numbered list is infinitely easier to follow than paragraphs of text. "1. Take attendance. 2. Read page 45 aloud. 3. Hand out the worksheet from the red folder." Clear. Sequential. No guessing.

Don't over-plan. A sub with a class they don't know will move slower than you. Plan for 70% of what you'd normally cover. One solid, well-explained activity per period beats three rushed ones.

Keep the routine. Students behave better when the day feels normal. If you normally start with a warm-up, write one for the sub. If you normally read aloud after lunch, tell the sub which book and where you left off.

Pre-make emergency sub plans. At the start of the year, prepare a generic set of plans that work for any day — review activities, independent reading, creative writing prompts, math practice. Keep them in a labeled folder on your desk and a digital copy accessible to your team lead. When you wake up sick, you can send the day-specific version or just say "use the emergency plans."

Tell the sub what matters and what doesn't. "Don't worry if you don't finish the science activity. The math worksheet is the priority." This single sentence saves a sub from panic when they're running behind.

Label everything. Folders, binders, drawers. If it's not labeled, a sub won't find it.

The Sunday Night Panic Solution

If you're scrambling for sub plans at the last minute, LessonDraft can generate structured lesson plans in minutes based on the subject, grade, and topic you need covered. You add the classroom-specific details (student info, procedures, locations) and you've got a complete set of sub plans faster than you could write them from scratch.

The best sub plan is one that lets a substitute teacher walk into your room, read a document, and run your class without calling you. Invest the time once, keep it updated, and never dread a sick day again.