THE CRISMAN SCHOOL

SUBSTITUTE TEACHER

HANDBOOK

2017-2018

Our Mission: Teaching Bright Students with Learning Differences to be Successful Academically, Socially and Emotionally

STAFF

2017 - 2018

TEACHER______EMAIL ADDRESS

Pat Adams…………………………….…. …

Laura Lea Blanks...... ………………………….…

Robin Hightower…..………………….…

Jessica Hudson ………………….…………

Ryley Parker……………………………..……

Marti Stricklin…………………………….…

Nick Sweet……………………………………

Shelly Gordy…………………………………

Sara Young………………………….………

Cafeteria…………………………………………

Substitute Teacher Qualifications

All substitute teachers at The Crisman School will have:

  • Tax withholding form on file
  • Criminal record background check on file
  • Must have previous classroom teaching experience (student teaching or equivalent experience is desirable)
  • Desire to work with children
  • Be self confident
  • Be a good problem solver
  • Be able to follow directions
  • Keep student information confidential

Application Process

Individuals interested in substitute teaching must submit a resume to

Pay Rates

The pay structure effective for the 2017-2018 school year for substitute employees is $50 per day for full day subs (up to 8 hours) and $25 a day for half day subs (up to 4 hours).

School Hours

Working Hours: 7:30-3:30

Other duties may apply.

Calling Procedures

Substitutes are called to replace a staff member who is to be absent from his/her duties for at least one-half day. Substitutes are engaged as deemed necessary by the Head of School.

Our Administrative Assistant phones substitutes in the evening and, when necessary, early inthe morning. An attempt is made to give as much advance notice as possible. Substitutes are called based upon their area(s) of specialization and their familiaritywith the given assignment. In the event that a teacher has noted a specific preferencefor a substitute, every effort is made to honor that request.

Placement on the Substitute List does not entitle or guarantee an individualemployment as a substitute teacher. The district’s substitute caller will contactsubstitute teachers at the earliest possible time. The school will try to give substitutesas much time as possible to prepare. If the substitute is to return to the same classroom, the school will make every reasonable effort to notify the substitute prior to the end of theschool day.

The substitute callersare Laura Lea Blanks. She can be reached at 903-780-5505 or . Marti Stricklin and she can be reached at 214-695-1063 or

No School Procedures

In the event the decision is made to postpone or cancel the school day due to weather emergencies, the Head of School will contact local TV and radio stations. The Phone Tree will also be used. If emergency weather conditions occur during the school day, the main building is considered the safest location for students.

Confidentiality

By law (Family Education Rights to Privacy Act) substituteteachers have access tostudent educational records without parentalconsent. This places substitutes in theunique position of seeing countless notes, grades, reports and anecdotal records that areconfidential in nature and protected by the FamilyEducation Rights and Privacy Act.Each individual functioning in the role of substitute

teacher is urged to review the strictconfidentiality guidelines contained in the district’sStudent Records policy and torespect the general rights to privacy that are accorded students and staff in the dailybusiness of keeping school. Administrators would be glad to answer any specificquestions you might have about these issues. All Crisman students have Individual Education Plans. It is criticalthat information remain confidential. Additionally, Crisman students may have an ADA Section 504 Plan for accommodations to provideaccess to learning for a disability. Again, these are confidential plans and references tothem should be limited only to school personnel who have contact with that child andonly in an effort to provide services or assess need. Inmany cases the students themselves understand their needs and will help you meet them, however, in such cases it is important that substitutes make sure theseconversations are done in a way that notice is not brought to the students.

If it is believed by the Head of School that student privacy has been violated, Crisman will seek other substitutes for the future.

Allergy Friendly School

You must review the substitute folder for student’s individual health care plan. Theschool nurse will provide further consultation about any student in your class with lifethreatening allergies.Many people in this school have allergies to scents, foods and other allergens.

  • Please check with teachers before bringing foods in for children.
  • Please do not wear perfumes, colognes, scented lotions, or hairsprays in the building.

Responsibilities and Guidelines for Substitute Teachers

At the beginning of the school day, the substitute teacher shall:

  • Report to the office and meet with the Head of School for orientation to school policies and procedures such as attendance, discipline, class schedules and lesson plans
  • Sign in at the office
  • Check on medical issues of students in class(es) to which you are assigned.
  • Ask about the building’s Emergency Plan
  • Become familiar with the school layout, classroom procedures and the emergency exit route from the assigned classroom(s)

In the classroom, the substitute teacher shall:

  • Assume all duties of the regular classroom teacher promptly and in accordance with school rules. This will include lunchroom, playground, hall duty or other duties assigned by the Head of School.
  • Follow the instructions left by the teacher or alert the Head of School if there are no lesson plans and instructions to follow.
  • Check to ensure that there are sufficient supplies in the classroom to carry out lesson plans.
  • Maintain normal classroom routines and discipline procedures
  • Spend the entire assignment working with and for the students. No personal work of any kind should be done. The substitute teacher is expected to carry out the instructions of the regular teacher, including grading daily papers and leaving a summary of work covered.
  • Remain in the classroom if a student teacher of intern is teaching.
  • Maintain a positive learning atmosphere in the classroom. Disruptive student conduct in class isnot acceptable. If serious student behavior problems occur, assistance should be sought from a neighboring teacher.

The substitute teacher shall inform the Head of School in cases of

  • Personal injury to students or staff
  • Serious illness of any student
  • Damage to school property
  • Serious discipline problems or infractions of school rules

It is not the substitute teacher’s responsibility to:

  • Grant permission for a student to leave school before the regular dismissal time
  • Detain a student after dismissal time
  • Communicate information about a student or staff member with anyone but the Head of School

At the close of the school day, the substitute teacher shall:

  • Leave the classroom as neat as possible with things approximately in the same place where they were found
  • Be sure all windows and doors are locked.
  • Leave the teacher a report about how the day went; work that was completed and workthat was not.
  • Sign out at the school office.

Under no circumstances shall the substitute teacher:

  • Release a student from his/her jurisdiction during school hours without permission from the school office
  • Use corporal punishment. It is recommended that substitute teachers not touch students at all.
  • Leave money or valuables in the classroom
  • Criticize the teacher about her/his materials or methods
  • Leave students unsupervised at any time during the day
  • Make comments about any student, teacher, Head of School or parent that will reflect negatively upon that person or upon the teaching profession. Observations made and conversations held during the school day should be considered confidential and discussed only with the Head of School.
  • Review student records without the permission of the Head of School. Records are legally designated as confidential and should be treated as such at all times.

What the substitute teacher can do for the regular classroom teacher:

  • Follow the lesson plans. Do not allow the students to have a free day.
  • Leave detailed notes about which students were helpful, disciplined, etc.
  • Correct work completed by students during the day (when appropriate)
  • Be consistent with existing classroom procedures
  • Leave student work in organized piles/files/folders for the teacher
  • Monitor classroom supplies
  • Leave the room neat and orderly
  • Leave a note for the teacher stating something positive about his/her class.

APPENDIX

Classroom Management Scenarios

Scenario 1: “The Interrupter”

When asking the class a question, a student answers without raising their hand or speaks out of turn when a student response is not called for.

Strategy:Reinforce the behavior you desire, ignoring the inappropriate behavior.

  • Do not respond to the disruptive student. Call on a student that has a raised hand saying, “Thank you for raising your hand.”
  • If the student continues to speak out of turn, move closer to the student but do not acknowledge that they have answered, continue to reinforce the students who are be having appropriately.
  • It is important that you call on them as soon as they raise their hand, reinforcing them
  • verbally for the appropriate behavior.

Scenario 2: “Refusal To Do Work”

After giving the assignment, a student refuses todo their work. When you encourage them to complete the assignment, they make a response such as, “You can’t make me.”

Strategy: Agree and disarm

  • Disarm the student by agreeing with them and then restate your expectations and consequences if they are not met.
  • Example: “You are right, I can not make you complete this assignment but I can expect you to have it completed before recess (or the end of class). If it is not finished by then, I will need to inform your teacher of your unwillingness to do the class assignment. I also expect you to remain quiet and not disrupt the others who are choosing to complete the assignment.”
  • Note: sometimes a refusal to do work is an indication that the student doesn’t know how to complete the assignment. If you feel this might be the case, you may need to re-teach the concept.

Scenario 3: “Not following Instructions”

You have given instructions to the class to start work. Two students are talking and laughing - not following your directions.

Strategy A:Reinforce the Behaviors you expect

  • Repeat the instructions focusing on the students who are following your directions, “Thank you for following the directions, Andy,” or “I appreciate John, Mary, and Joe for following my

directions so quickly.”

  • Give points or tickets to the students who are following directions.

Strategy B: Proximity

  • You can also use proximity, by moving toward the students who are not following directions while repeating the instructions.

Scenario 4: “The Class That Won’t Be Quiet”

After giving a “no talking” assignment, class members are talking to one another and won’t be quiet.

Strategy:Re-evaluate the situation

  • The class might not understand the assignment or maybe something has happened before class or at lunch that needs to be dealt with.
  • Restate the expected behavior, motivators, and consequences. You may not have been clear in communicating your behavior expectations for the activity. Example, “Many of you are not behaving appropriately. Let me explain what I expect. You should have your feet on the floor, facing forward, and absolutely no talking. If you have questions, please raise your hand and I
  • will come to your desk. Students who follow these directions will receive a ticket (or other motivator). Students who choose not to follow these directions will be assigned the consequences outlined in the classroom rules.

Scenario 5: “Transitions”

Students are taking more than one or two minutesto make the transition from one activity to another.

Strategy: Make it a Step by Step Process

  • Often instructions that seem simple such as, “get ready for math” will seem vague to the students. Students need to know five specific things to make a quick transition from one activity to another.
  1. What to do about the activity they are currently engaged in.
  2. What to do with the materials they are using.
  3. What new materials they will need.
  4. What to do with these new materials.
  5. How much time they will have to make the transition.
  • Example, “Stop reading and put your reading book away. Get out your math book and paper. Open your book to page 116. You have one minute to do this. Please begin.”

Scenario 6: “Wrong Names / Wrong Seats”

You are using a seating chart and you notice some of the students are not answering to their names. This can mean they have switched seats and names.

Strategy: State the Facts

  • Let the class know that it is better for everyone involved if you know the students’ correct name. This information could be vital in case of emergency and will also help to insure the wrong student doesn’t get into trouble when you write your report to the teacher.

Scenario 7: “You vs. Them”

You get the feeling the whole class,or at least several of the students, have planned to be as difficult as possible for you.

Strategy: Work together

  • Take the initiative early in the day to do a teacher and student interactive activity. Interacting with the students let them see you have a sense of humor. Chances are, once you break the ice, the rest of the day will go smoothly.

Scenario 8: “Inappropriate Language / Derogatory Remarks”

A student uses profanity or makes a derogatory remark about you, another student, or the permanent teacher.

Strategy: You choose to break the rule

  • Hopefully, the classroom rules and consequences, established at the beginning of the day, have provisions for dealing with this challenging situation. Implement them! You might say something like, “Tom, you chose to break classroom rule number three. The consequence for doing so is that you will not be allowed to participate in the end of the day drawing.”
  • Do not ask the student why they said what they did (you really don’t want to know), just acknowledge that the student chose to break a rule and state the consequence. Try not to take the remarks personally. Concentrate on dealing professionally with the behavior and not letting your feelings towards the student cause you to behave inappropriately.

Scenario 9: “A Fight”

You are supervising students when you see two students yelling at each other, poised for a fight.

Strategy: Quick and Decisively

  • Verbal jousting can be extinguished by a firm command from you as you move toward the problem saying, “I need both of you to take a quiet seat,” or “Stop this right now and take a quiet seat against the wall.” Your voice and the authority it represents convey your message.

Strategy: Firm, but not demeaning

  • If students are engaged physically you must quickly, and with authority, tell them to step back away from each other. Placing yourself between the students stops the engagement but can be dangerous for you. Do not get angry, excited, or show much emotion, this will compound the situation. By giving firm and positive directions consistently, the students will respond and comply as requested.
  • Note: Permanent teachers understand the difficulty of substitute teaching and will assist you in these circumstances. Respond quickly and decisively; do not hesitate to get help from another teacher or the administration when needed.

Scenario 10: “Threats”

A student threatens you or another student. Threats are a very challenging scenario, and the best strategy and response will vary with each situation. The most important things you as the teacher must do are to stay calm and emotionally detached so you can realistically evaluate and professionally deal with the situation.

Strategy: Diffuse the situation, then redirect the student’s actions

  • Threats are often the results of an emotional response. Ignoring the student will probably invoke more threats, and perhaps even aggression. Responding with threats of your own may accelerate the confrontation. The sooner the threat is acknowledged and the situation diffused the better. Example, “I understand you are very angry right now; however, I need you to sit down and begin completing page 124 in your math book. We can discuss this situation after lunch.”

Strategy: Get Help

  • If you feel you or any of the students are in danger of physical harm, stay calm and immediately send a student to get help from a next door teacher or an assistant principal. After help has arrived and the situation is under control, document the occurrence. Record what happened prior to the threat, what you said and did, what the student said and did, as well as the involvement or actions of anyone else in the situation.

Techniques for Presenting Lesson Plans