Every teacher has experienced it: you wake up in the middle of the night with a sore throat, a sick child, or that dreaded stomach bug. (For me, it was always waking up early with a migraine!) Maybe it’s not illness at all, but a last-minute professional development training you forgot about or an unexpected emergency absence. Whatever the case, you find yourself frantically Googling “emergency lesson plans for substitute teachers” and sorting through crappy worksheets.

It doesn’t take long as a classroom teacher to realize that it’s way smarter to have emergency lesson plans for substitute teachers ready before school starts.

When your sub binder is full of ready-to-go sub plans, you can head back to bed (or head out the door) with peace of mind knowing your students will be productive in your absence.

In this post, I’ll explain how to build meaningful, emergency substitute plans that don’t just feel like busy work. (I’ve broken these lesson plans down into “year-round” and “seasonal” categories.)

All of these are designed for high school students. But you can easily adapt most for middle school students or even younger students when needed.

The worst thing about feeling terrible is how much work it is to take a day off as a teacher. I can’t tell you how many times I went to work feeling crummy because it sounded like less work than submitting sub plans.

But I want better for you! So it’s a good idea to have at least one of these emergency plans sitting ready in your classroom.

Setting Up for Substitute Success: The Sub Binder

Before diving into lesson ideas, let’s talk about preparation. 

Even the best emergency plans won’t work if your guest teacher can’t find them or doesn’t know what to do. The most important thing you can do is create a substitute binder (sometimes called a sub tub or sub folder) that has easy access to everything a substitute needs.

My school actually required these. We had to have them done by the second week of school. We also had to submit links to important online learning spaces like our Google Classroom. If your school has a similar system, follow their directions.

Inside your sub binder, include a seating chart, a daily schedule, and clear notes about classroom routines. (This might have to be updated every quarter or semester, depending on your class schedule.)

If you work with special education teachers, add specific instructions for students with accommodations or other special needs. 

Sub Binder Tips

If you’re leaving worksheets in your binder, don’t forget to include answer keys. Substitutes will try and help your students while you’re away. Make sure they have the tools to keep your kids on track!

Another tip? Avoid technology-heavy plans. If you can, avoid leaving a YouTube video or Google Doc link.

Sometimes leaving a digital lesson is the easiest way to go. I understand it can be unavoidable. But every link or digital document is an opportunity for a problem. How many times have you had issues playing a YouTube video? Your sub will run into the same issues. But he or she won’t have the same know-how to get the class back on track.

Sticking to paper-based plans saves a lot of stress. Make enough student packets ahead of time, so you don’t need to worry about last-minute copies.

Finally, remember to leave more work than you think is necessary. The most important thing is that your substitute never runs out of things to do with students. If there’s extra time, having backup educational activities like word searches, short brain breaks, or quick discussion questions ensures that students stay on task.

Year-Round Emergency Lesson Plans For High School English

If you only have space in your binder for a few activities, make sure they work year-round and with any unit!

I’ll share some ideas that you can use at any time of the school year!

The Best Emergency Lesson Plan

Many times, you’ll need a sub at the last minute. But sometimes, you’ll know in advance when you’re going to be gone–a vacation, a doctor’s appointment, etc. 

If you can plan your absence, that’s obviously ideal. For these days, I always tried to leave my students work to continue on. This would be a project we had started, and I had reviewed and shown examples of. Or a worksheet reviewing a lesson I had taught the day before. Maybe an essay we were in the middle of writing. 

In my experience, work time on something students were already comfortable with was always the best lesson plan. 

Missing work days are great, too.

If my classes had lots of missing work, I would print off a list of missing assignments for each student. The sub could then pass these out and supervise while students got caught up.

Students who didn’t need the time could do extra credit or work on missing work for another class. (Sometimes, I would print off a list of missing work for a colleague for the sub to pass out, too!).

Don’t Forget Materials

Make sure to leave necessary materials–handouts with important information, markers for poster projects, etc.

Basically, if you have a heads up about your absence, make the most of the time and avoid having a sub introduce new material.

Also, be realistic when you’re leaving sub plans. Unless your students are very responsible or motivated, some kids just won’t do work when you’re not there.

Don’t leave anything for students to do that absolutely must be done–because it probably won’t be. Your sub is also not a miracle worker. They won’t have the same relationships with the students that you do, so don’t expect them to get the same amount of work out of your students. 

Your goal should be to leave enough work to keep students engaged in their ELA skills. The sub’s goal is to make sure everyone is safe. 

Reading-Based Emergency Lesson Plans

One of the easiest categories of emergency lesson plans for substitute teachers is reading. 

Reading activities work across many subject areas—not just language arts—and require minimal prep for both you and your substitute teacher.

Now, unless your classes are full of strong, motivated readers, I don’t recommend having them continue a class novel without you.

So many students just won’t do the reading. When you come back, your schedule will be all over the place because some students will have done it while others didn’t. 

But you could have students review what they’ve read. Maybe you have them answer comprehension questions, analyze characters, or write a summary.

If it’s late enough in the year that students have read a few books or had lots of time for independent reading, I recommend this Instagram-inspired Activity!

Students choose a book they’ve read and then create (draw) a faux Instagram post for it. This resource includes an example, so the sub can show students exactly what their final product should look like.

Best of all, this activity works with any piece of literature! It’s a perfect emergency lesson to keep copies of in your sub binder. (And hanging them up makes for a great bulletin board, too!)

You could also leave an article for students to read that’s not required for your current novel unit, but which would enrich their understanding. For example, if you’re reading a holocaust novel, you could leave students a nonfiction article about WWII to read. If you’re reading a historical novel, have students take notes on an article about the time period. 

This way, students who do the activity will benefit, but students who slack off won’t be too behind when you come back to the classroom.

Writing-Based Emergency Lesson Plans

When you can’t be there, writing is another reliable category for sub work. Writing assignments require little explanation from the regular teacher, but can fill an entire class period. They also give students a chance to stretch their creativity while still practicing skills.

If you’re studying a type of writing, offer students a way to review.

For example, you can have students complete this CER Review Worksheet to review claim, evidence, and reasoning writing. Or, use this Label the Essay Worksheet if students have just learned the five-paragraph essay format.

If your students are working on poetry, try giving them a Poem of the Week activity.

These activities consist of two parts: in the first, students read and analyze a poem. In the second, they write their own poem using the one they just read as a mentor text. The worksheets include all of the necessary directions and the resource includes answer keys for subs. 

For a graphic novel unit, you could add some enrichment by having students complete these fill-in-the-blank comic book pages.

This resource includes three different pages with blanked-out speech bubbles. Students try to make a cohesive story by filling in the bubbles with text that makes sense. This quick activity doesn’t take too much time, so pair it with another activity or leave it as enrichment for early finishers. (My Fill-in-the-blank Comic Book Activity is free right here!)

Grammar-Based Emergency Lesson Plans

Grammar often gets overlooked when building emergency substitute plans, but it’s one of the most useful tools in your sub binder.

Unlike some projects, grammar worksheets are straightforward and require minimal explanation. They’re perfect for a guest teacher who may not have a language arts background.

I keep a variety of grammar review worksheets in my sub tub. Because they include answer keys and detailed instructions, they are easy for a substitute to pass out and collect. They also work as independent practice, in small groups, or even as a timed challenge at the end of a class period.

If you want some high-quality grammar review worksheets that will be perfect regardless of the time of year, grab my Seasonal Grammar Review Worksheets here. Keep a few of these ready to go at all times, and save yourself hours of last-minute sub prep.

Some teachers worry grammar feels like busy work, but with the right student packets, it can be a strong form of reinforcement. 

Seasonal Emergency Lesson Plans

While reading, writing, and grammar activities can work any time of year, sometimes it’s helpful to tie your emergency substitute plans to the season. This makes assignments feel timely and relevant, which helps prevent the dreaded “Why are we doing this?” chorus that subs often hear.

Back-to-School Plans

At the beginning of the year, it’s especially important to have emergency plans in place. Falling ill during the first week or two of school is especially stressful. You don’t know your students that well, classroom routines haven’t been established, and students aren’t in the middle of any big projects.

Assignments like a Life Map work perfectly here. 

Students can create a visual representation of important events, people, and dreams for their future. This doubles as an icebreaker if a guest teacher has to step in on the first day or early in the year.

Another great option for the first week of the school year is to have students put together a World Literature Passport.

This requires more paper than a single worksheet, but students assemble their own reading “passport.” As students read during the year, they can record and map out all of the global voices they encounter.

As a sub plan, you can have students assemble their passports for the year and fill out the page with their personal information and “photo.”

Lastly, if you have to miss a day during the first week of the year, you could have students write an “I Am” poem.

It’s a fill-in-the-blank style poem, so no teaching is required. Complete your own “I Am” poem as an example and a way for students to get to know you; then, have them complete their own.

Get your “I Am” Poem activity for free below!

Fall Plans

In October, creative writing shines. The two-sentence horror story is a classic because it’s short, accessible, and fun. Students can share theirs aloud or post them on a classroom wall. 

You can grab a free worksheet for this activity right here.

In November, gratitude writing or letters of thanks to school staff make excellent sub activities. Not only do they keep students busy, but they also create meaningful connections within the school community.

(If you know you’re going to be out, you can use this Letter Writing and Envelope Addressing Lesson. Teach the lesson the day before you’re out and have students write the actual letter while you’re gone.)

If your students desperately need grammar review, you can grab some Fall Grammar Review Worksheets that fit the season while reviewing grammar essentials. 

Winter Plans

Winter can be tricky since illnesses spike and sick days pile up. Having multiple emergency substitute plans ready for this season is a lifesaver.

Reflective writing works especially well: have students set goals for the next school year, think about challenges they’ve overcome, or write about traditions their families celebrate. 

For a quick writing activity, grab this “Nicholas Was…” Christmas Creative Writing Activity and have students write their own 100-word story. This is the perfect way to fill up those short class periods after holiday assemblies.

These Winter Grammar Review Worksheets will make grammar feel a little more festive. They’re especially useful on those days when students might be absent, too!

When Valentine’s Day rolls around, you can leave students a romantic poem to analyze (like “To My Dear and Loving Husband”) or even have them write an ode to something they love themselves!

Spring Plans

By spring, students are often restless, which means your emergency lesson plans need to hold their attention.

If your classes are reasonably responsible, you can let your sub take them outside to do some creative writing. Sitting outside while writing some nature-inspired haikus is a perfect activity for a spring day. 

Since spring is also testing season, grammar worksheets double as review and filler when a substitute is covering multiple classes in a single day. You can get Spring-themed Grammar Review Worksheets right here. 

End-of-the-Year Plans

The last days of school perfect for reflection. You might ask students to write letters with advice for younger students, reflect on the hard work they’ve done, or brainstorm goals for the summer.

If your students are seniors, have them create a Goal Map for their plans beyond high school. 

Why You Need Emergency Lesson Plans

School districts often emphasize the importance of long-term sub plans for planned absences, but it’s the unexpected sub days that catch teachers off guard. Even if you’re a veteran teacher, writing sub plans in the middle of the night while you’re sick is exhausting. Having a fun substitute packet or two stored in your sub binder is the best insurance you can give yourself.

The truth is, the most important thing isn’t whether your students move forward in the curriculum that day. It’s that they are safe, engaged, and practicing meaningful skills in your absence. With these emergency lesson plans for substitute teachers, you’ll have exactly that—plans that provide structure, keep students learning, and allow you to rest or recover without guilt.