The Maine DOE (Department of Education) makes it possible for you to apply as a substitute teacher, taking you through each of the steps. (They use the label “Guest Teacher.) You may also want to check with the superintendent’s office of the district you plan to work in.

Getting Fingerprinted

I wrote this updated (2022) one-page guide to help first-time substitutes get through the hiring process, which is now managed by the Maine DOE (Department of Education).

Amateur or Professional?

While not specifically about substituting, this article on the Farnham Street Blog is a personal favorite. Understand the difference, and maybe you’ll stop thinking of yourself as “just a sub” and start thinking of yourself as a teacher!

Suicide Awareness Training

As a reminder, LD 609 requires that all school employees receive Suicide Awareness and Prevention Training. This may be provided by your school district.

Edutopia provides a great list of resources to fight bullying... very diverse and inclusive.

Edutopia provides a great list of resources to help us help kids cope with tragedy, trauma, and grief. The American Psychological Association offers some tips for parents.

Mandated Reporter Information

Those who have attended the Substitute Teacher Workshop know that I strongly recommend working with and through your school resources if you expect child abuse. An obvious exception to this is if there is a clear threat of imminent harm to the child.

DHHS does offer training and information for mandated reporters.  You can also read the actual statute.

For Further Study 

If you have a resource to share with your subbing colleagues, please post a comment or send an email!

CAUTION: I strongly urge you not to use handouts, worksheets, videos, etc. of your own choosing while subbing. Some districts have this as a formal policy but if not, you are assuming more risk than you realize if you start choosing content.  Ask a neighboring teacher of the office for help.

All Education Schools is an interesting site with a page that not only describes the job of a substitute teacher, it lists educational requirements by state as well as some resources.

Edutopia is a personal favorite. You can start with this article: 5 Quick Classroom Management Tips. While many of the articles are written for “regular” teachers, we must remember that we are not just “substitutes.” We are substitute teachers. They’ve recently introduced some “Sixty Second Strategy” videos worthy of consideration–just remember the caution: you should not be introducing new materials–you are a substitute teacher.

One of the challenges subs face is “learning the lingo.” For a glossary of terms related to “proficiency-based learning,” visit the Maine Department of Education Website. I can’t promise it won’t make your eyes glaze over.

The NEA (National Education Association) maintains a list of substitute teacher requirements by state, including some editorial comments about supply and status. I sense that one should confirm the information on a more local level–in some cases, the information is not current.

How about over 60,000 videos about teaching?! WatchKnowLearn is a true potpourri of information… most videos are less than ten minutes and cover a wide variety of topics, from how to give “brain breaks” to ideas for enhancing “Daily Five” routines.

Special thanks to 14-year-old Chloe’s Mom from the UK (yes, we’ve gone global!) for sharing a great math resource… Maths Doctor is a site for middle and high school students and adult substitute teachers who need some “brushing up.” Short videos are listed by category, and you’ll see some promotion of Math Doctor’s paid tutoring program, but the videos are straightforward and well illustrated.

---

This website may include links to other websites and resources, including those of third parties. We do not control and are not responsible for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any such websites or resources. We do not endorse the content of any linked websites, nor do we make any representations regarding them; you access them at your own risk. You agree that we do not have any liability whatsoever arising from your use of our website or your reliance upon any information contained therein or obtained from such use