"Must Haves" for Guest Teaching

While I was contemplating becoming a substitute teacher, one of my considerations was whether or not I had enough "stuff" to do the job right. In the end, I found I had basically over-prepared for the average daily assignment--although much of my extra material has ended up being useful on some of my long-term sub jobs (and from my perspective, a long-term assignment is anything at or beyond one week).

A year into the job, I still have some "necessities" that I just have never used, or have only used once or twice and will probably never use them again. So, hoping to save some of you who are new to the guest teaching arena some aggravation, here is my list of things I absolutely would not want to do without. Almost everything can be found in the US at dollar stores everywhere. Where prices are mentioned, they are in US dollars.

What would I ever do without my...

* Softsided briefcase. Of course, choose your own style. I like mine because it is flexible, so I can overstuff it if necessary (like when I'm on a job that requires moving myself and my supplies from class to class throughout the day). Mine is navy blue with a leather handle; it's durable, easy to clean, holds a lot but isn't too cumbersome when I'm carrying very little. A good tote bag would work just as well, but I'm not a fan of hardsided briefcases. My case cost less about $20.

* Zipper-style plastic freezer bags. Actually, I don't keep empty bags in my briefcase. Rather, anything I carry that can be kept in these little baggies, gets put in a bag. They're waterproof, tougher than sandwich bags, see-through, and take up no extra room. And, best of all, the store-brands are dirt cheap.

* Pack of my favorite cheap pens. I prefer medium-point blue ink, plain ol' Papermate sticks will do just fine (the ones that are roughly 10 for a buck). I bought a couple of my favorite costlier pens, thinking they would be less likely to disappear on me. Wrong! So now I stick with cheap ones that right just smoothly enough that they won't drive me crazy; it's a lot less frustrating to lose a pen that cost a dime than one that cost several dollars or more.

* Two red pens. For correcting, of course. But I also use them to mark "done" and "incomplete" on the lesson planning notes most teachers leave for me. Of course, I'd never use pen in their "official" lesson planning book, but if instructions are on loose paper, I write away. The red ink obviously catches their attention better than black or blue would.

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