
Being away from the classroom is inevitable. Whether you are sick, have an appointment, get to attend professional development, or something else comes up – there will be a day when you are not able to be in the classroom. That’s when you need to have a supply teacher handbook on-hand to make the day run smoothly for whoever is guest-teaching in your classroom.

146 – Supply Plans – Creative Kindergarten
Here is what I have included in mine:
School Information for Supply Teacher
The book’s first page has all the information a supply educator will need about the school: address, phone number, administrators’ names, secretary’s name, etc.
In an emergency, having this info on hand can be crucial.
Student Information

I like to add any information about students that would be useful to help the day run smoothly. This might be students who use a visual schedule, have a modified schedule, use a communication device, etc.
I keep these pages asset-based and provide information that will help the students be successful with their guest teacher.
Fire Drill/Lockdown Information
I also like to include information about any emergency procedures that might occur during the school day. This helps to ensure that the educators are prepared in case something happens or a drill occurs.
Dismissal Routines
At my school, students can be picked up in our kiss-and-ride (vehicles) or walking. Some schools also have buses.
It’s important to clearly explain how students get home so that the end of the day runs smoothly for everyone!
Schedule
I include 2 types of schedules for the guest teacher: their schedule (breaks, lunch, etc.) and the flow of the day (what students are doing throughout the day).
This makes it easy for the supply educator to figure out what happens throughout the school day.
Supply Teacher Handbook
I put all the pages together in one folder so I can easily pull it out and have it ready when I need to be away. I picked a bright colour for the cover because I wanted it to be easily found in the classroom if I was not there to take it out.
Make sure you keep it up-to-date throughout the school year as things change!
Want to use my template to create your own supply teacher handbook? You can download it now in my Resource Library!
What do you include in your supply teacher handbook? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments!