Sick Days and Subs.....

Well it has been a lot longer than I had anticipated between posts here, but I was out sick with strep throat for 2 days, and through the weekend, and then I had my annual family camping trip to Yosemite the following Friday through Monday!  What a whirlwind.  As any teacher can tell you, it is so much harder to take a day off, be sick, etc... than it is to just be at work sick!  I was out for  Friday and a Monday with  strep throat as I stated, and that was rough.  I am so grateful for an amazing team that I work with and that they were able to help get things together for the Monday I was out. 

At the end of last year, I put together a "Sub Box."  I know many teachers use them, and they come in great handy!  I was out for six unexpected weeks of jury duty last year, and was only able to work on Friday's - AWFUL!  Teachers should NOT have to have jury duty in my opinion, it was so difficult for my kids to have a sub for so long, as well as plan properly for someone you know nothing about.  Anyway, at the end of last year, I created a sub binder and box.  It has come in GREAT handy!  I have plans set up for each day of the week - multiple plans that anyone could go in and teach.  Things the kids would know how to do, along with new things that a substitute would be able to easily handle teaching.  The binder has many different tabs and sections making it easy for the substitute to find what is needed for emergency's, classroom management, seating charts, etc....  I will post pictures tomorrow.  A coworker of mine had shared the pinterest site with us last year, and I decided it was just what I needed.

What are some things that you have stashed away for the days that you are unexpectedly out of the class room?  I am always looking for ways to better the systems that I have in place, and for new fresh ideas!  Please feel free to share in the comments section below.  I will post pictures of what I use here tomorrow.