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Substitute Teacher Job Description

What does a Substitute Teacher do?

A substitute teacher is responsible for stepping in to teach a class when the regular teacher is unable to do so. This may be due to illness, personal reasons, or other circumstances. The substitute teacher is expected to follow the lesson plan provided by the regular teacher and ensure that the students continue to learn and stay on task. They must be knowledgeable in the subject matter and skilled at communicating with students of all ages. Additionally, they may be required to attend staff meetings and perform other duties as necessary. A successful substitute teacher must be flexible, adaptable, and able to handle unexpected situations with ease.

Our Substitute Teacher job description includes the Substitute Teacher responsibilities, duties, skills, education, qualifications, and experience.

Substitute Teacher Example


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If you need an example job description for a Substitute Teacher download the one below, alternatively we have many other Teacher job description samples and a job description library with over 3000 job descriptions templates that you can download for free.

What does a Substitute Teacher do?

A Substitute Teacher is responsible for providing short-term cover for teachers who are absent from school for a variety of reasons. The Substitute Teacher will teach in accordance with the school's curriculum and aims to ensure that learning is maintained and that the classroom management is maintained in an orderly manner. The Substitute Teacher is required to arrive promptly and be prepared to teach a variety of subjects, taking into account the individual needs of each pupil. The Substitute Teacher must be able to work independently with minimal supervision and must be able to adjust to the school's changing needs. They must also be able to quickly build a rapport with the pupils and be able to implement disciplinary measures when necessary.

Substitute Teacher Role Purpose

The purpose of a substitute teacher is to provide temporary teaching cover in the event that the regular teacher is absent due to illness, other commitments or emergencies. Subsitute teachers are responsible for delivering lessons and managing student behaviour in accordance with the school's policies. They may be required to mark work, produce reports and follow up on work set by the regular teacher. They may also be called upon to support students in the classroom, provide career guidance and provide pastoral support.

Substitute Teacher Role

A Substitute Teacher is a temporary educator who provides students with instruction in the absence of their regular teacher. They may teach any subject, such as Maths, English, Science or Art, and are responsible for creating lesson plans, assessing student performance and maintaining a safe and stimulating learning environment.

Substitute Teacher Duties

  • Prepare lesson plans and deliver lessons to students
  • Maintain a safe, orderly and productive learning environment
  • Instruct and monitor students in the use of learning materials and equipment
  • Provide feedback to the school on students' progress
  • Assist with the preparation of course materials
  • Organise and supervise activities to promote the physical, mental and social development of students

Substitute Teacher Requirements

  • A relevant qualification or experience in teaching
  • Strong classroom management skills
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to motivate and inspire students

Substitute Teacher Skills

  • Excellent classroom management
  • Ability to plan and deliver engaging lessons
  • Good communication and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to develop constructive working relationships with students and colleagues
  • Ability to differentiate instruction and adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of the students

Substitute Teacher Personal Traits

  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Flexibility and adaptability
  • A passion for teaching
  • Ability to engage learners
  • Good classroom management
  • Strong knowledge of the subject
  • Ability to stay up-to-date on curriculum changes

How to write a Substitute Teacher Job Advert

Use our job advert template to write a job advert for posting on job sites and job boards. Our job advertising templates are carefully created to help you reach your audience and beat the competition to the best talent.

A job description informs the reader about a job, whereas a job advert’s main objective is to sell the job opportunity to attract as many suitable applicants possible. A job advert maybe the first touch-point a candidate has with your company so it is important to create a great impression.

Job Advertisements should enticing, so considering using short, exciting language which get the reader’s attention.

How to write a Substitute Teacher Job Description

To write a job description, we recommend starting with a job description template from our job description library, which contains examples for 800+ positions and professions. Our job description examples include a job summary with duties and responsibilities and skills and requirements, which can be personalised for your job vacancy.

Job Description Advice - Guidance on How to Personalise a Substitute Teacher Job Specification

The hiring process and recruiting new employees to fill your key roles requires a degree of personalisation if you are to attract the best employees in a competitive employment market. The right person for a crucial role or more senior roles will likely have other employers targeting them. As your job description will be the first point of contact, you need to nail your pitch and provide the best possible service.

Job Description Tips - Help on formatting a Substitute Teacher Job Specification

When creating your bespoke description and advert, you should cover and promote these points:

Job title: This should accurately reflect the role and include keywords that top talent might be using to search for jobs.

Job duties: The day to day duties, such as administrative tasks, which vary depending on the company and inform the candidate if they can complete the role.

Technical skills: These are the hard skills required through training, such as proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Soft skills: These include the interpersonal skills and general abilities the right candidates will possess. For example, the competency to prioritise multiple tasks, handle customer queries and customer complaints, work alone, or build a good relationship with coworkers.

The company's culture: Highlighting your company culture and values ensures employees thrive and find outstanding job satisfaction. Candidates that are not the right fit won’t waste their time completing the application process, meaning you can focus on qualified individuals and hire in a more timely manner.

Career progression: Including the career path will entice candidates looking for career growth. 

Training and development programs: Smaller companies may need employees with previous experience or provide educational assistance over internal training offered by larger organisations with more significant resources. 

Employee benefits: Compensation and benefits often fail to appear in job ads and while you may want to hold your cards close to your chest, failing to include them is a mistake. Consider answering common questions, such as working hours and paid leave. Researching the average salary for the role in these early stages will ensure you don’t waste your interviewer’s and the candidate’s time.

Skill gaps: Your company may need to bring in new skills beyond those required to complete the key role and duties. Thinking on an organisational level can be beneficial when contemplating skills diversity.

Legal requirements: Ensure your job advert and description does not ask for inappropriate or discriminatory personal details, such as age, marital status, or religion.

How to Hire a Substitute Teacher

Once you have selected your Job Description download it or convert it to a Job Advert. From here you can post/advertise your job across our network of job boards. If you wish to use the job description for a CV Template click through for advice and Convert to a CV

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