Help! Emergency Lesson Plans For the Everyday Teacher!

Teachers are hired to be present in the classroomquestions!
throughout the semester. As we all know teacher# 2 - Worksheets that are self-inclusive
conferences and even illness can happen where theMake as many copies ahead of time as possible as
teacher have to leave the students in the hands of,you may not have time later. Don't forget to leave
well a substitute.yourself (or sub) access to an answer key! For math
During these times, teachers who are aware of theiryou can leave a fun calculator activity. Students can
absence can plan in advance by providing folders andperform these individually or with partners. Limit the
lesson plans to assist the substitute throughout the day.activity to 15 minutes as it will leave time you (or your
But what about the last minute unexpectedsubstitute) to maintain control of the classroom.
emergencies such as surprise fire drills, power outages,# 3 - Teacher-created worksheets that might be
incidents of school violence and school-lock downs toconsidered fun
name a few?These are usually your average crossword puzzles
Though many of your teaching days are and will beand word searches. You can also map activities of the
fairly normal, there is the probability that a disruptedworld, events within your town or a region of the
day can and will occur. If and when the situation doesworld.
present itself, it is important for you to be calm and try# 4 - Outside readings that have questions
to allow the day to function as normal as possible.These are good for stimulating the brain and is also
It is important to create an emergency lesson plan thatconsidered busy-work. Consider getting a science
can be used by both you and an unforeseenrelated article and have students speculate and utilize
substitute. Create a lesson plan that does not directlythe scientific method. This is a great application for their
relate to what you are teaching. Here are a few ideas:thinking and can set them up for a lab activity.
# 1 - Questions from a chapter in the book that youRemember to try and get this done early in the year
are not planning to coveras you may not have the time later. Not to mention, it's
Make sure the information is kept organized. Studentsa great last minute save! Though these situations are
can create a self-opinionated essay or review anrare, they are plausible. They also serve as a great
article. Writing from experiences or setting up asave for an unexpected leave of absence where you
'how-to' are great ways to implement test-takingwill be fully prepared for a substitute. Be prepared and
strategies. As an added bonus, you can even utilizeget your emergency lesson plan together today!
these essays later and create peer or teacher related