Substitute teacher survival guide

The Substitute Teacher Toolbox from the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education's Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center (CIMC) is a collection of materials, guidelines, classroom tips and activities for substitute teachers.

It is designed to help administrators who are

faced with filling unexpected voids in classrooms and assist substitutes who find themselves in unfamiliar areas or without lesson plans. The toolbox includes a workbook and a CD and features more than 200 activities. It covers areas such as careers, citizenship/government, communications, study skills, time management, volunteerism, math and ecology.

According to CIMC Coordinator Kimberly Sadler, CIMC decided to create the toolbox in response to constant requests for instructional materials for substitute teachers.

"An average of 14 days per year are taught by a substitute," says Sadler, "so over a student's school career, they'll be taught about 187 days by a substitute. That's almost a full school year."

She also notes that, "More and more subs are not professional teachers."

The Oklahoma CareerTech CIMC is marketing the Substitute Teacher Toolbox nationwide to school districts, administrators, state education departments and freelance teachers.

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Teacher's Toolbox is designed to provide teachers with useful information, including helpful hints and links to beneficial Web sites.

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For more information, call 800-654-4502 or visit http://www.okcareertech.org/cimc/sample.htm.