A good sub plan is written for a stranger. Everything that feels obvious to you, from the bell schedule to where the hall pass hangs, has to be on the page. Here is the template, the order to write it in, and the emergency binder that covers the days you wake up sick.
Key takeaways
- Every sub plan needs the same 8 parts. The schedule, the lesson steps and the student support notes matter most.
- Write the schedule first, then the lesson as if to someone who has never seen your room.
- Keep an emergency sub binder with generic activities for each period, and refresh it at the start of each unit.
- Leave independent, paper-based work. Avoid new concepts, group projects and anything that needs your login.
- Use first names and last initials for student notes, and keep passwords and health details off anything you type into AI.
Why a good sub plan matters more than you think
Absences are a normal part of the job, and many of them come without warning. What happens in your classroom on those days depends almost entirely on what you left behind. A vague plan, or no plan, means lost instructional time and a class that has lost its momentum when you get back.
Your sub is often working in a subject they haven't taught, with students they don't know, inside a classroom management system they've never seen. The clearer and more organized your plan, the better the day goes for the sub, for your students and for you when you return.
A good plan also protects students with IEPs, students with medical needs and students who rely on routine to feel safe. An absent teacher doesn't have to mean an absent learning environment, but it takes planning to make that true.
The numbers show why. In a National Council on Teacher Quality study of more than 234,000 teachers, teachers were in school 94 percent of the time on average, and 16 percent missed 18 or more days in a year. Meanwhile, Education Week has reported on a long-running substitute shortage, so the person covering your class may be an inexperienced fill-in or a colleague giving up a planning period. The quality of your plan decides how much of that day is still real learning.
Writing for yourself instead of for a stranger. Everything that is "obvious" to you has to be written out: the bell schedule, where the bathroom pass is, how to turn on the projector. Every single thing.
The 8-part sub plan template
Include all eight parts every time. Leaving one out creates the kind of gap that can derail the whole day. If you are short on time, start with the three marked "must have."
Class schedule with exact timing (must have)
List every period with start and end times. Include passing periods, lunch and anything scheduled that day, like an assembly or a pull-out service. The sub should never have to guess what happens next.
Example: "8:05-8:10 Students arrive, bell work is on the board. 8:10-8:30 Independent reading. 8:30-9:15 Math lesson (instructions below). 9:15-9:20 Line up for specials."
Attendance procedure and seating chart
Explain exactly how attendance is taken (paper form, online system) and where the seating chart is. If attendance is digital, include the login steps and the web address.
Example: "The seating chart is in the red folder on my desk. Take attendance by 8:15 on the paper form in the same folder and leave it on my desk."
Main lesson activity, step by step (must have)
Write it for someone who has never been in your room. Say what materials are needed, where they are, what the sub says to introduce the activity and what students do on their own. Add a visual anchor if you can.
Example: "Worksheets are in the blue bin on the left side table. Students complete both sides. If a student is stuck, tell them to circle the problem and keep going. Please do not give answers."
If-finished activities
Always leave at least two options for early finishers. This heads off the "I'm done, now what?" moment that can derail a sub's day. Keep them independent and low-prep.
Example: "If finished: (1) read a book from the classroom library, or (2) make flashcards from the vocabulary packet on their desk."
Bathroom and emergency procedures
Explain your bathroom pass system and where students sign out. Add the fire exit route, where to go during a lockdown and which neighboring teacher to ask for help.
Example: "One student at a time with the hall pass hanging by the door. Fire drill meeting spot: the blacktop past the gym. Neighbor teacher: Ms. Jones, Room 14."
Student support notes (IEPs, allergies, behavior) (must have)
List the accommodations the sub must provide (extended time, preferential seating), any life-threatening allergies and the few behavior notes that matter. Keep it short and practical, and use first names with a last initial.
Example: "Alex S.: extended time on all written work. Maria T.: severe nut allergy, EpiPen is in the nurse's office. Tyler W.: may need a quiet redirect; move him near the front if needed."
Technology access
If the lesson needs the projector, student devices or an app, explain step by step how to get in. Assume the sub has never used your setup.
Example: "The projector remote is on the right side of my desk. The computer login is on a card in the sub folder. YouTube is blocked, so use the videos saved in the browser bookmarks."
End-of-day notes for the sub to leave you
Ask the sub to leave a short note: overall behavior, any incidents, which activities got done and which students you should follow up with. This closes the loop for your return.
Example: "Please leave a note on my desk with: (1) overall behavior from 1 to 5, (2) any students I should talk to, (3) which activities were completed."
How to write a sub plan in 5 steps
Whether you are writing for a planned absence or building your emergency binder, this is the most efficient order to write it in.
Start with your schedule skeleton
Open a document and fill in the exact times for every period or activity block. This is the frame everything hangs on. Do it first so you never skip a period.
Write the lesson activity as if to a stranger
This is the most important part. Walk through every step: what materials to hand out, what to say to introduce it, what students do and how long each phase takes. Have a colleague read it. If they have questions, add more detail.
Add student support notes (IEPs, behavior, allergies)
Go down your class list and flag the students the sub needs to know about. Focus on what the sub needs to do, not on labels: "Jordan gets extended time" is more useful than "Jordan has an IEP."
Prepare if-finished activities and materials
Put every material in one organized spot. A bin or folder labeled "Sub Materials" works best because it is obvious the moment someone walks in. Staple or paperclip anything that goes together.
Leave a welcome note for the substitute
Put a short, personal note at the top of your plan. Thank them in advance, tell them one thing about your class that will help them connect, and reassure them that your class is wonderful (even if that is aspirational).
Student support notes belong on paper in your sub folder, not in a shared drive and not in an AI chat. Use first names and last initials, keep logins on a card in the folder, and never paste diagnoses, health details or passwords into an AI tool.
How to build your emergency sub binder
A regular sub plan is written for one planned absence. An emergency sub binder is different: a standing document that is always current, always printed and always in your desk. It is what the office hands a sub at 7 a.m. after you call in sick, and it gives any sub enough structure to get through the day.
Most absences are unplanned, so this binder does a lot of work. Expect it to take about two hours to build and about twenty minutes to refresh at the start of each unit. That time pays you back on every unplanned absence for the rest of the year. Here is what goes in it:
A "Dear Substitute" welcome letter
One warm, practical paragraph that introduces the class, thanks the sub and shares one detail that helps them connect. "My students love to talk about sports" goes further than a behavior chart.
A class roster with photos
A seating chart with names and small photos (from a class photo or the school ID sheet) is one of the most useful pages in the binder. A sub who can call students by name has a much easier day. If you can't print photos, a seating chart with names still helps.
The daily schedule with exact times
One page with every period, transition and regular pull-out (speech, reading intervention, PE). It rarely changes, so laminate it and update it only when the master schedule changes.
Generic activities for each period
Curriculum-relevant but not curriculum-dependent: a reading response that works with any classroom book, a math review for the current unit, a journal prompt on a broad theme. Pre-copy everything and keep one labeled envelope per period or class.
A one-page student support summary
First names and last initials only. For each student who needs a note, one action the sub must take: "Extended time on written work." "Sits near the front." "May use a fidget." "Severe peanut allergy, EpiPen is with the nurse." Nothing more detailed than what the sub needs to act on.
A one-paragraph classroom management overview
Your system in plain language: "Students raise hands to speak. The hall pass is by the door, one at a time. If a student is disruptive, start with a private redirect. If it escalates, send a note to Room 12 (Ms. Turner) and she will come."
Technology instructions
If the sub needs your computer or projector, include one page of printed instructions and a note about what is blocked. Better still, make the default emergency activity one that needs no technology at all.
An end-of-day debrief form
A simple printed form: overall behavior (1 to 5), activities completed (checkboxes), incidents or students to follow up with, and one thing that went well. It tells you exactly where to pick up when you return.
Emergency vs. planned sub plan at a glance
| Emergency sub plan | Planned sub plan | |
|---|---|---|
| When it is written | In advance, not for a specific absence | 48 to 72 hours before a specific absence |
| What it contains | Generic activities that stay relevant to the curriculum | The actual lesson, or a suitable replacement |
| Detail | Works with no context about the current unit | Detailed instructions for current unit content |
| Where it lives | Printed, always in your desk | Left out for the sub that day |
| How often you update it | Every 3 to 4 weeks, at the start of each unit | Written fresh each time |
If your school follows a Science of Reading approach, put one aligned activity in the binder: a phonics review, a vocabulary activity or a structured reading response. Our guide to Science of Reading AI tools covers materials you can generate and print ahead. For warm-ups that work on sub days, see these bell ringer ideas, including sub-friendly options.
8 sub plan tips from experienced teachers
Keep an emergency plan current at all times
Illness doesn't give notice. Keep a dated emergency plan in a labeled folder in your desk and refresh it at the start of each unit. Generic activities tied to your current topic work best.
Copy materials the day before
The copier always breaks on the morning you need it most. Prep sub materials the afternoon before, and keep your emergency kit pre-copied for the days you can't.
Write for someone who doesn't know your subject
Your sub may be a retired PE teacher covering chemistry. Use plain language with no acronyms, curriculum jargon or inside references. Explain everything.
Plan more than you think you need
A 45-minute activity often takes a class 30 minutes with a sub. Account for every minute, then add extra if-finished work so there is no dead time.
Leave a way to reach someone
If something goes seriously wrong, the sub needs a name and number: yours or a trusted colleague's. Even if you'd rather not be interrupted, it beats the alternative.
Ask for a written debrief every time
The debrief note is how you find out what actually happened. Ask for a behavior score, incidents and what got done, then use it to improve your next sub plan.
Be kind in the welcome note
Subs are people, not lesson-dispensing machines. A friendly thank-you sets a tone of respect and usually means a better day for everyone.
Let AI write the first draft
Tell an AI tool your grade, subject, schedule and what students are working on, and ask for a sub plan in the 8-part format above. Then edit it, add your student notes by hand and print it.
Sub days are one piece of the workload puzzle. For the rest, see how to reduce teacher workload.
Sub plan FAQ
What should I include in a sub plan?
A complete sub plan has eight parts: (1) the class schedule with exact times, (2) the attendance procedure and where the seating chart is, (3) the main lesson activity with step-by-step instructions, (4) if-finished activities, (5) bathroom and emergency procedures, (6) student support notes for IEPs, allergies and behavior, (7) technology access instructions, and (8) a request for end-of-day notes from the sub.
How long should a sub plan be?
About 1 to 2 pages for a half day and 2 to 3 pages for a full day. Every minute of class time should be accounted for, including transitions. Remember that the sub may not know your subject, your classroom management system or your students' names, so the more explicit the instructions, the smoother the day.
What is the difference between an emergency sub plan and a regular sub plan?
A regular sub plan is written 48 to 72 hours ahead for a specific absence and contains the lesson you meant to teach, or a suitable replacement. An emergency sub plan is a standing document you prepare in advance for unexpected absences. It holds generic, low-prep activities for each period (a reading response, a review worksheet for the current unit, a journal prompt, a stack of bell ringers) that any sub can run at any point in the year. Most experienced teachers keep both.
How often should I update my emergency sub plan?
At the start of each new unit, which for most teachers is every 3 to 4 weeks. That keeps the generic activities relevant to what students are learning. For planned absences, write a specific plan 48 to 72 hours ahead so you have time to copy materials.
How do I handle IEP and 504 accommodations in a sub plan?
Summarize them in plain language as classroom actions. For each student, list their first name and last initial, the one or two things the sub must do (extended time, preferential seating, fewer problems, movement breaks) and who to ask with questions. Do not include diagnoses, disability categories or full IEP documents, which are confidential and belong in the student's file. A short line such as "Please keep this information private" is appropriate.
What activities work best when the sub does not know the subject?
Independent work with self-contained instructions: a reading with guided note-taking questions on the same sheet, a worksheet with worked examples at the top and practice below, a vocabulary activity where students define and illustrate terms, a viewing guide for a curriculum video you have already chosen, or a writing prompt with sentence frames. Avoid anything that asks the sub to teach a new concept, demonstrate, grade on the spot, run a lab or manage group work. The best sub activity can be explained in one sentence: "Read the directions on the sheet, complete both sides and put your name on top."
What makes a good bell ringer for a sub day?
It needs to explain itself and be visible when students walk in. Write the prompt on the board the night before, or keep a stack of printed bell ringer cards in your sub folder for emergencies. Good options are a journal prompt, a word problem with all the numbers and context written out, or a fix-the-sentences grammar task. Anything that depends on a slide deck, a projector login or other technology the sub may not know is likely to fail, so paper and the whiteboard are safest.
Can AI write a sub plan for me?
Yes. In an AI chat like EasyClass you can describe your grade, subject, schedule and what students are working on, and ask for a sub plan with a schedule, step-by-step lesson instructions, if-finished activities and classroom reminders. It also makes the matching worksheet or reading passage. Review and edit the draft, add student support notes yourself, and never type student names, health details or passwords into an AI tool.
