10+ Substitute Teacher Activities To Engage Any Classroom

Essential Substitute Teacher Activities + Tips for K-8 Class

Establish Presence and Routine (First 5 Minutes)

• The “Attention Grabber”: Use a single, consistent method to get silence (e.g., “Clap once if you hear me, clap twice if you’re ready”). This effective tactic is useful at the start of class.
• Seating Chart Hack: If no seating chart is available, assign students to seats quickly or let them choose, then draw a quick, simple diagram of their positions and names. A quick seating chart gives you immediate reference to help guide the class efficiently.
• The “Need to Know”: Ask one student (a helper if possible) for the three most important class rules, the location of the restroom, and the emergency plan. Having a student help empowers them and gives you crucial information fast.

Time-Filler Secrets (Last 10 Minutes)

• The “Silent Finish”: Always have a quiet activity ready for when the main lesson finishes early. Having a plan in place, like an activity, helps prevent end-of-class chaos. Simple options include drawing, silent reading, or reflecting on one thing they learned.
• Classroom Tidy-Up Competition: Turn the final minutes into a game where students compete (in groups or by table) to have the cleanest area before dismissal. Learners love games, which naturally leverages their competitive nature for classroom management.

Grade K-2 Substitute Teacher Activities: Engaging Little Learners

“Roll-a-Story” could be played more than once, using different themes, characters, and settings. Kids could even work collaboratively in groups to create a group story. This helps boost student collaboration and classroom engagement.

Grade 3-5 Substitute Teacher Activities: Collaborative Explorers

The Group Jigsaw Details

• Set up: Divide the assigned reading material into 3-4 sections. Divide the class into “Expert Groups,” with each group reading only one section.
• Execution: After 10 minutes of reading, reconfigure the students into “Sharing Groups,” ensuring each new group has one “expert” from each section. The experts then teach their section to the rest of the group. This holds every student accountable for a portion of the content.

Grade 6-8 Substitute Teacher Activities: Creative Thinkers

Would You Rather? Debate Details

• Setup: Choose debate prompts that are non-controversial but require justification (e.g., “Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible?”).
• Execution: Students pick a side and move to the designated areas of the room. They must discuss their reasoning with their team for 5 minutes, then select 2 speakers to present their best arguments to the class. This blends movement with intellectual engagement, which is essential for this age group.

Simple substitute teacher activities for grades 3-8

Substitute Teacher Activities: Subject-Specific Math & Problem Solving:

• Math Scavenger Hunt: Have students find objects in the classroom that represent specific geometric shapes or measurements (e.g., “Find something that is parallel,” or “Find three objects that weigh approximately the same”).
• “Minute-to-Win-It” Math Drills (K-5): Set a timer for one minute and challenge students to complete a set of basic facts (addition, multiplication) on a whiteboard. Use fun sound effects to motivate them.
  Substitute Teacher Activities: Subject-specific Science:
• “If I Were…” (K-8): Have students imagine they are a scientific concept (e.g., a volcano, a planet, or an adjective) and write or draw about their “life.”
• “Draw the Concept”: Instead of a standard quiz, have students draw and label a diagram that explains the lesson’s core concept (e.g., the water cycle, a food web, or the steps to create a law).

“I  love using Generation Genius when I’m out and have a sub for many reasons! The biggest reason being that learning doesn’t stop just because I’m not there. There are so many factors to consider when talking about why a class may not learn as much when they’re with a substitute. Sometimes there is a language barrier or a lack of content knowledge, or it could just be that kids are less engaged when it’s not their teacher! Either way, Generation Genius keeps that learning going. The lesson videos are not only aligned to our standards, but the pacing keeps students from getting bored. ”

– Jill, Kindergarten Teacher, (IG: leadersandliteracy)

10+ Substitute Teacher Activities to Boost Classroom Engagement