If you need emergency sub plans today, you do not have to write them from scratch. Every lesson in the Substitute Plans library comes with a complete teacher PDF that is free to print and use in your classroom. This page shows how to turn those PDFs into a backup packet for grades 6-12.
What is in each lesson PDF
The complete PDF for a lesson includes welcome pages, directions written for the substitute, the student worksheet, and the answer key. Student pages and teacher pages are labeled, so you can hand students only what they need. Check the page labels before you print or share.
How to choose a lesson that works as an emergency plan
- Open the lesson library and pick your subject and grade.
- Set Technology to No required technology so the plan works if the network is down.
- Set Student independence to High so students can work without the sub teaching new content.
- Choose a class time that matches your period, such as up to 45 or 50 minutes.
- Open a lesson, read the goal and the prep list, and make sure the skill is one your students can handle without your instruction.
Print and pack it
- Download the teacher PDF from the lesson page.
- Print the student worksheet pages, one set per student, plus a few extras.
- Print the substitute directions and answer key once and clip them on top.
- Put everything in a folder labeled with the class and period.
If you teach more than one subject or prep, repeat for each one. One lesson per prep is enough for a first emergency packet.
Add the pieces the PDF cannot know
A lesson PDF does not know your bell schedule, seating chart, attendance routine, or where the nearest teacher is. Put those in a one-page cover sheet. Our guide to emergency sub plans lists what the cover sheet should include, and the sub plans template gives you a layout to copy.
Save a PDF of your own packet
Once your cover sheet is ready, keep a digital copy where you can reach it from your phone. In most browsers and word processors, choose Print and then Save as PDF to make a file you can email to your office or a colleague.
Keep reading
- Substitute Teacher Binder: What to Include – a fuller setup for the whole year.
- Sub Tub Ideas for Grades 6-12 – store the printed packet where the office can find it.
- Easy Sub Plans for Middle and High School – what to write when you have ten minutes.
Browse free sub plans by subject: science, math, social studies, ELA, art, music and theater, PE and health, Spanish, French and German, technology, business and personal finance, CTE, speech, journalism and media, and advisory and study hall.