5 Secrets to Becoming a Sought After Substitute Teacher
Want schools to start requesting you by name as a substitute teacher? After 23 years of teaching, I've seen what separates great substitutes from everyone else. These six simple habits can help you manage students, earn teachers' trust, build a strong reputation, and get called back.
9/15/2026
Being a substitute teacher may be one of the hardest jobs in education.
You're walking into somebody else's classroom. You don't know the students. You didn't create the lesson. You may not know where anything is.
And somehow you're supposed to make the whole thing work.
After 23 years of teaching, I've seen plenty of substitutes come through schools.
Here's something substitutes should understand:
Teachers talk.
Your reputation can start forming after one day.
So how do you become the substitute teachers actually want back?
Follow the Lesson Plan
This seems obvious, but it doesn't always happen.
The regular teacher created that lesson for a reason. It's probably part of something larger they're teaching.
If you skip it and do something completely different, the teacher comes back and has to figure out how to catch everyone up.
Follow the plan as closely as you can.
Don't Try to Be the Cool Substitute
Bring your personality.
Be yourself.
Have fun with the students.
But your goal isn't to make everyone like you.
Students will test substitutes. That's what kids do.
You don't need to be mean, but you do need to enforce expectations.
Protect the Classroom
Remember that you're working in someone else's space.
Keep students out of areas where they shouldn't be. Protect classroom equipment, textbooks, Chromebooks, supplies, and especially the teacher's personal belongings.
I can't tell you how much teachers appreciate returning to a classroom that hasn't been destroyed.
Leave Useful Notes
Tell the teacher what happened.
What got finished?
What didn't?
Who did a great job?
Who caused problems?
Did anything unusual happen?
Give the teacher enough information to know what happened while they were gone.
Do the Little Things
This is where you can really separate yourself.
🧹 Pick up some trash.
📋 Organize the papers students turned in.
🖊️ Clean the whiteboard or straighten the teacher's desk.
You aren't being asked to become the custodian.
You're simply leaving the room a little better than you found it.
Teachers notice that.
Arrive Early
Give yourself some breathing room.
You may need to check in, get keys, find the classroom, read the lesson plans, turn on equipment, and figure out how everything works.
You don't want the first bell ringing while you're still trying to figure out where the lesson plan is.
And here's one final piece people sometimes overlook:
Get to know the person coordinating substitutes.
At many schools, that person knows exactly which substitutes have good reputations.
Be friendly. Be reliable. Arrive early. Let people know you're happy to be there.
Because becoming the substitute everyone requests isn't about doing one incredible thing.
It's about doing a lot of little things well.
Make the teacher's return easier.
Do that consistently, and they'll remember you.
If you'd like to watch the full video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjhKdSeVuLo&list=UULFQOIbqNhb_gseSVU6bE3uUA