The process for becoming a substitute teacher seems to change frequently! It is shared by the Maine DOE (Department of Education), the local District, and a company called Identigo for fingerprinting.
I now recommend that substitute teacher candidates contact the district superintendent’s office of the district in which they want to work. Districts may have their own requirements and preferred process. At a minimum, you’ll need:
- A high school education or equivalent.
- A background check and fingerprinting, which is often referred to as a CHRC (Criminal Records History Check). These are handled by the Maine DOE and a company called Identigo for fingerprinting. The local district office will help you navigate the process. The fact that you have been fingerprinted won’t be sufficient.
(This page was updated in October 2025. Please let us know if any links are broken.)
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. Your school district may provide this. In RSU 19, we offer it in conjunction with the Substitute Teacher Workshop.
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 suspect 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 or the office for help.
All Education Schools is an interesting site with a page that describes the job of a substitute teacher in very broad terms.
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. I sense that it is not always current and includes some “editorializing.”
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.
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