Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify
Life as a teacher can be a whirlwind. Between lesson plans, grading papers, and trying to keep up with everything, we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. Sub planning is one of those things we dread, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way! Imagine having your sub plans ready and organized from the jump so you can finally take that well-deserved day off without stressing. Buckle up, because I’m gonna walk you through how to make it happen, and how to make sub days as smooth as butter for you and your students!
How I Prep for My Days Off (Without Losing My Mind)
So here’s the deal—I don’t wait until the last minute to prep my sub plans. No ma’am! I start as early as August. Yep, you heard me! I whip up my sub binder, complete with safety plans (because, let’s face it, safety is key), class lists, and lunch counts. It’s like my little teacher bible for when I’m out. I also add a few star students who can be the go-to helpers when I’m not around. Trust me, it makes things so much easier!
Oh, and I don’t stop there. I’ve got seasonal emergency plans—fall, winter, spring, summer—ready to roll. I adjust as I get to know my students and their levels, and I sprinkle in subjects like ELA, math, science, and social studies. My subs always have something relevant to work with, no matter what time of year it is. That seasonal touch keeps things fresh for the kids too. Fall activities? Go find leaves! Winter? Let’s talk about the weather. Keeps them engaged, and the subs appreciate it too.
Why Simplicity is Your BFF
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you don’t need to overcomplicate your sub plans. Stick to simple, transferable activities that reinforce what your students already know. You’re not expected to introduce brand-new concepts when you’re out, so give yourself some grace! Spiral review is everything—if the kids get a day to go over something they’ve already learned, it’s not going to hurt anyone. In fact, it’s probably gonna make their lives (and the sub’s) a lot easier.
Oh, and don’t forget to throw in those “work in progress” packets. You know, the ones they’ve started but never quite finished? Keep those handy so that when you’re out, the kids can feel accomplished by checking something off their list. Plus, when things go sideways with a student’s behavior (because we all know that happens), having those packets is a lifesaver.
Building a Team to Lean On
Here’s the thing—teaching is a team sport! Whether it’s your fellow teachers or your TAs, you’ve gotta have each other’s backs. Especially now, with the sub shortage, teamwork really is what makes the dream work. I always say that it’s less about what grade you teach and more about the team you’re with. If you have a strong support system, you can teach any grade.
COVID Changes and Digital Perks
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room—COVID changed sub planning big time. But you know what? Some of those changes have actually made things easier! Digital platforms like Seesaw and Google Classroom are lifesavers. I can post reading comprehension passages or math problems ahead of time, tailored to each student’s level, and bam! The sub has everything they need. And the kids? They already know how to navigate those platforms, so the transition is seamless. Honestly, if you have access to digital tools, use them!
Real Talk About Taking Time Off
I get it—taking a day off can feel like more work than it’s worth. But guess what? You need those days, friend! And you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. I hear teachers say they avoid taking time off because they don’t want to write sub plans. My advice? Start small. Begin with a basic sub binder and a few go-to activities, and build from there. The first time setting it up might take a little effort, but once you’ve done it, you’ll only need to tweak it each year.
Do you want to make it fun? Get yourself a cute theme! I recently switched my classroom over to a boho vibe, and let me tell you, the kids love it. Your classroom should be a welcoming space, not just for the students, but for you too!
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, planning for a sub doesn’t have to be a nightmare. With a little prep, some organization, and a team that has your back, you can take those well-deserved days off guilt-free. And who knows, maybe your students will appreciate the change of pace too. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup—so go ahead and plan that day off. You’ve earned it!
And for those of you in the Wife Teacher Mommy Club, you already know the power of community and having resources at your fingertips. If you’re not in the club yet, trust me, it’s worth every penny.
Let’s keep doing what we do best—teaching with love and lifting each other up along the way!
Sarah gates is a 3rd grade teacher from upstate New York. She married her high school sweetheart and has 3 children under the age of 6. She will be teaching first grade next year, but has taught 1st-6th. She has moved grades 10 times out of 12 years of teaching, so she has a wealth of knowledge to share with all of us!
Do you love Educate & Rejuvenate: The Podcast? Take our podcast quiz to get a personalized playlist of episodes you don’t want to miss!
Hey, friend, I’m back. I’m out a week from our big Educate and Rejuvenate event. And it was so much fun. If you came I hope you loved it. I had so much fun connecting with everybody there and with our members who were there. It was a great time. Speaking of our members, today, I have a very special guest. Today I am interviewing Sarah Gates. She is a third grade teacher from upstate New York. She married her high school sweetheart, and she has three children under the age of six. So she really gets the teacher moms struggle that many of us face. And as you’ll hear on the show, she will actually be teaching first grade next year. But she has taught first through sixth because she has moved grade levels 10 times in her 12 years of teaching. Wow, that is a lot of moving around. So that means she has a lot of experience and you’re going to learn a lot from her. So I can’t wait. Let’s dive right in.
Okay, I am so excited to be here today with Sarah Gates. She’s one of our members in Wife Teacher Mommy club. And she’s also been a member of our community for quite some time now. So Sarah, would you mind introducing yourself like where you’re from? What grade you teach your teaching background or just anything about you you would like to share?
Sure, absolutely. Hi, everybody. So my name is Sarah. I am currently teaching third grade. But like I was telling Kelsey, I’ve taught everything from first through sixth grade, as well as library and AIS, math. So I’ve been all over the spectrum. I am a wife, a teacher and a mommy. So I have three kids under the age of six. And I’m a full time teacher. So it’s definitely that balance of home life and school life.
Yeah. So how old are your kids?
Two, four and six.
Oh, wow. So you got like that perfect like two year gap? I know. Everyone loves the two year gap.
Yeah, yeah. As soon as the crazy starts, the next one goes into it. So my son’s in first grade this year. So it’s been fun to see the different things that he’s come home with and kind of get the idea of what what another teacher does as well. So it’s fun.
So fun. Does he go to your school or a different school?
We’re in different districts. Okay. Yeah. My mother in law was a teacher. And she always said that that was the golden rule. Because if the kid ends up being bad, at least it’s not with your colleagues.
Oh, true. I’m so grateful you came on the show today. And you’ve been an engaged member of our community for quite some time. And I believe you were one of our very first club members to join when we open up the doors if I remember, right, because I remember like, I was so excited about opening the doors like Oh, who in our community is going to join and I remember seeing your name popped up. And you know, and I recognized it, because you’ve been in our community. So it was very excited about that.
Yeah, I was thrilled when I saw that there was a membership opening, because I knew that pretty much anytime you guys put anything out on Teachers Pay Teacher’s I was I was there for it. So when I could just be a sole member of a community it was awesome.
Well, it’s been amazing. And I really appreciate your support all this time as well. And I’m glad that you have found the resources helpful for yourself too. So it’s just been like we’ve been able to help each other out. But as I was thinking about it, I actually didn’t know exactly like how you found Wife Teacher Mommy or kind of joined our community. Do you happen to remember?
I found you guys on Teachers Pay Teachers, actually, yeah, is where I started. And I was pregnant. And I needed something to condense all the information that I needed for a sub for maternity leave. And I was searching and searching and came across your binder and I was like, This is it. This is what I need. And then I got hooked after that with the sub plans and everything else because then you get the 2am wake up call with the kid throw it up and you need sub plans quick. So I went there and then one of my kids favorite in the class was the gender reveal activities. Because when I was pregnant with my third it was a big surprise. So they loved being really involved in the gender reveal party that we had.
That’s so fun. I’m so glad that you used that resource into that party. I feel like our maternity resource they’re just so fun. They’re so my favorites. And they were really fun to make, too.
They made graphing charts with little feet of who thought I was having a boy who was having a girl. And then we popped balloons in class and it went with the whole packet. And then I was able to leave stuff for this sub as well. That included like my teachers having a baby advice and different things. So they really felt like they were involved in every step of my pregnancy.
That’s amazing. So you used those maternity leave plans too that had like those activities and everything.
Yeah, yeah. And I still have the letters, they made it into a book for me. So I have all the letters to the baby from my first graders.
That is so sweet, what like a special keepsake that you have.
Yeah, it was really sweet.
I love that. It’s so fun to hear like how the resources are actually like being used and like talking to somebody using them so much fun. So kind of as we were saying, you kind of like got hooked on all like the sub planning and everything. And so I know you’ve utilized our sub planning resources in your classroom for a few years now. So you probably have a great system down for when you do need to have a sub. But first, like, what was it like when you were a brand new teacher? How did you feel about sub planning?
It was overwhelming. Like you would rather just crawl through the door as sick as could be your first year teaching than ever have to think about making sub plans, especially with behavior issues in your classroom or different things that first year, it’s scary to think of not being there. And then I started utilizing the sub plans and came across making a sub tub. And that’s when kind of everything changed, having those plans ready to go. So you’re not relying on your team or being up at three in the morning making sub plans. So that really changed it for me.
Yeah, like you didn’t have to, like avoid taking days off or anything like that. Because you know, like that you’ve figured it out. So what are the steps like now that you have your sub tub and your sub binder everything? So what steps do you take now? So you’re like, Okay, I need to take this day off, like, what is it that you do?
I start in August, I make my sub binder, which includes all my safety plans, which are so important these days, as long as my class list lunch count, and I just kind of break down the general gist of our day, as well as who my star students are going to be if I’ve previously known them. And then those I add in throughout the year. And then I just create a fall, winter, spring and summer to start until I meet the kids and know where their levels are. And I just have those emergency plans that I just tell the sub Okay, today, you’re gonna go to top one hub to top three or top four. And then as the year goes on, I add in the ready to go ELA, math, science and social studies, depending where we are. And I add those in.
I love that. I think that’s really cool. I haven’t heard anyone say before that they do like a tub for each season. And I think that’s really smart. Because then you can kind of tailor the content to what they’ll be doing during that specific time. I really like how you organize that.
Thanks. Yeah, and it helps because then you could add in like fall activities, go find leaves or winter activities, think about how cold it is right now. And it kind of channels it that way for them.
I love that. That’s really cool. And how you mentioned like the star students like, you know, I don’t know if you, I mean, you may have heard this, but like I was a teacher first. And then it became a sub as a sub that was always so helpful to know, like, which students were like, you know, really reliable one. So you can ask a question, too.
Yeah, it helps when you have those kids that you can be like, Okay, what does your teacher do and know that you’re gonna get an actual real answer?
Yes, that is so important. So what do you recommend that teachers include in their sub plans? So like, if they’re not like using like the ready to go ones? What would you recommend that they include?
Simple activities that are easily transferable throughout time, so if you’ve mastered with your students addition, it’s okay to revisit that, revisit things that they’ve done the year before, don’t stress yourself out. And it’s about writing out full plans for what you’re actually doing at that moment, because that spiral reinforcement is always needed. And it’s okay, if they have a day, just focus on that spiral review. It’s not going to hurt anybody. Certainly, it makes life easier for everybody involved, including the kids because they know what to do.
So true. It makes it easier for the students, like you said, it makes it easier for the substitute too, because then like, you know, if you have something that’s too challenging, the kids are going to be like, you know, asking lots of questions and everything. So it never hurts to have that review. And, and it’s good review for like, you know, none of us like this, but like the testing at the end of the year, the review, you know,
it is yeah, those reading comprehension passages. And even sometimes my kids have packets in their desk and I’m sure we all do the ones that our intention was to get through the whole packet and we never do. So even giving them that little chunk of time of I call it WIP time your work in progress. Go in there and it makes them feel accomplished to to be able to have that work done.
Yeah, that’s awesome that they that you have that like work in progress that they can pull Allow. And that is a great thing to, you know, mention to yourself, hey, they have this like Work in Progress folder or whatever they have in their desk.
And that’s even a great idea too. I’ve know I’ve had over the years a few behavior issues where I’ll have a meltdown. So you still have 23 other kids in your class that you have to give something to in that moment, go into your WIP folder. It can be handwriting practice, it can be just a simple spiral review math packet, but you have to focus on that meltdown. And they have something valuable to still do. Yes, that’s
perfect. And especially because when you think about like a lot of the subs that are coming in, they’re not like, you know, some are like, you know, teachers who turned into subs, but others, like they may not have like the teaching experience and everything. So if you can just tell them like, hey, if there’s a situation you need to deal with, here’s what you can do. That is really helpful. And right now when we’re in a sub shortage. If you can make it as easy for the substitutes as possible, they will more likely want to come back to your classroom the next time you call in.
Yeah. Especially with the shortage where we’re dealing with it here.
Yes. So that’s one thing I wanted to talk about. So how do you feel like sub planning has changed from like, pre COVID, to now,
I think in a little bit of a way, it’s become a little easier with all the online digital technology that we have, I’m able to put on Seesaw and our Google Slides and our Google Classroom, which also makes it easier for tailoring for the moment on the reading comprehension level. So I love to go into the monthly passages, those are my new favorites to add to their their daily work. And it helps to be able to say, okay, group one is at this level, group two is at this level and be able to send that out to them individually on Seesaw, so I’m able to customize their work as well, especially if I know I’m going to be out ahead of time.
Yes, I love that because those digital platforms like if we have them, might as well use them.
Right? Yeah, yeah, we’ve been fortunate in our district that we’ve been able to keep our Seesaw and we still utilize our Google Classroom just on the off chance if we do have to, so and the kids are used to it and like it. So we use it in class, which is helpful.
So how has the like sub shortage been?
It’s been rough, it’s been nerve racking, our TAs get utilized. And we’ve kind of had to think outside the box with regards to our special area teachers as well. And really utilizing all the resources that we have. And where I live, we’re a small community. So we kind of help to take care of each other and, and we’ve all had different events happening in our lives, unfortunately, this year that everyone’s kind of needed a little love and help from each other. So we’ve been making it work.
I feel like that’s where having like a good team and like teamwork, like teamwork is what makes the dream work. You know, it’s like, you know, they support you one day you support them another day, it’s like, you know, you just do what you can given the circumstances. Absolutely, yeah.
And that’s what people have always asked me, What’s your favorite grade. And I said, Honestly, I don’t know if it matters as much your grade as the team that you’re on. If you have a great team, you could teach any grade. If you have that core team, that’s, that’s your extended family.
That’s so true. Because like they are the people that you have to rely on that you can plan with together. You know, if heaven forbid, you had to split a class that other people who you would, you know, be doing that with? So yeah, having a good team is so, so important. I agree, like more important than the grade level. So what do you feel like hasn’t changed about sub planning since COVID?
Behaviors, kids are still kids, they are still going to be sketches, they are still going to try and say, but my teacher lets us and get away with stuff. So having that kind of plan in place from the beginning of the year, I always start my year with saying if I’m out, I’m not on a beach somewhere, guys, I am either home with a kid who’s throwing up and I would rather be here, or I’m really sick. So I’ve been able to really just be honest with my class and knock on wood. I’ve had amazing classes that really work with that. And they know that I’ll reward them when I come back. But they also know that they have to deal with not some nice recess time with me if they aren’t behaving.
So you said you’ve had mostly like classes who have done well when you’re gone. So how do you what do you feel like you do that makes it so the day goes pretty smoothly while you’re gone?
I think this spiral review not trying to overwhelm or challenge them and leaving probably enough work for six weeks for one day. So I always have an extra emergency folder of hey, if it seems to not be working, if they’re not engaged, skip it and try this. And I really try to trust ourselves, I say that these are my plans. But if your day is not going right, you could work something else in if it’s a game, because they need a five minute break, if it’s a dance party, because they just need to wiggle, you have to also give them the chance to thrive as a sub and learn their own way. And I feel like giving them that chance has helped to make them seem like they’re also a responsible adult, not just a babysitter that’s there to watch the kids.
So true. And I really appreciated that when I was a sub, like, you know, because for me, I was like, you know, a licensed teacher going into sub. And it was like, you know, when you’re just given like busy work, and they tell you like exactly everything to do. It’s kind of like, well, I like having some like, you know, they’re there because whether they are trained teacher or not. They like teaching and being with kids. So giving them some of that is a really great way to also show respect for your sub. I love that you mentioned that.
Thanks. Yeah, cause I’ve had colleagues that are like, I can’t believe this didn’t get done, or they didn’t grade this, but they’re there to help you. So you kind of have to work together. And that like they’ve just saved you from having to come in sick or leave a kid with somebody else for a day. So I always like to think of them. Like you said, they’re either licensed teachers, they’re retired teachers, or they’re, they’re have a passion for what they’re trying to get into.
And especially during a sub shortage, we just need to be grateful you have a sub right? Absolutely grateful that you’re able to take that day off, and that somebody’s willing to cover your class. So you don’t feel the guilt of like, oh, no, like, we had to split our class or like, you know, we had to take away specials from other kids or something. I mean, if you need to do that, like by all means do that. Because you should like you know, that’s what the team is for, like we talked about, right? If you’re sick, or your kids are throwing up, you can take the day off.
Yeah. And that’s I feel where a lot of teachers felt guilty. And I think that’s what COVID has changed, too. We’ve all kind of taken a step back of like, I can’t go in this sick, where we would have just sucked it up before COVID. Now COVID has kind of told us like, you got a runny nose, you got this, you got this, you can’t even come in to school. So it has given us all that second chance of having that perspective as well.
I think that’s such a good thing. And it should have been that way before. And you know, I would never say COVID is a good thing, obviously. But that is like a small good thing that maybe came out of is that, you know, people are looking more at burnout and mental health and being able to take sick days, you know,
Yeah, cuz even during COVID, I was home with at that point a to a four year old and a one month old, trying to teach from my living room with one computer and and a few papers. And it was definitely gave the perspective for sure.
For sure. And everybody was just doing the best they could in that scenario. Yeah. I mean, none of us were expecting what happened?
No, no. And that was a lot of coaching parents through it. And that was another thing. You You were all of a sudden in these people’s living rooms with them and really had to not only coach the kids and teach the kids, but coach the parents through it all. You’re doing a great job, you’re okay. And I think we all kind of had to really lean on each other. And I found I had better relationships with my parents in my classroom through it all, too.
I feel like hard times really do bring people together. Yeah, as long as you’re able to like come together and help each other out. You can get through it. Absolutely. So what do you think is the most important thing for teachers to do now as they’re planning for sub?
Make sure you know your kids, if there’s a kid that’s going to be sketchy, write it down. Some subs need to know this kid might need a few breaks, let them go do the activity while outside let them try different things. And really being honest. I felt like when I subbed, knowing what those kids were going to be like from the morning, I was able to start the day Hey, I’m so glad to see you. I heard that you’re a great helper with this and be able to give them little jobs to know that I kind of know what’s going on and That it’s okay. And it’s okay to let the sub know that, like we were saying that it’s their class that day, if you have to change a few things around, that’s okay. You’re the adult in the room that day.
I love that. Okay, so what would you recommend to a teacher who either doesn’t take their days off because they don’t want to write plans or they’re feeling stressed, and not sure where to start when it comes to writing sub planning? So they’re basically either way, they’re just avoiding the whole situation?
Start small, don’t get overwhelmed. I started with just a simple packet, and it was an AM packet and a PM packet, and just kind of built it up slowly for them. Start with that sub binder, though, that sub binder kind of lays everything out for you. And that was probably my go to at the beginning, because I was like, What do I leave? What do I do, I hope I don’t forget anything. And you did such a beautiful job of saying you need this page, then this page, then this page. Now, you could add your own here, here in here. And it really helps me to say, Okay, I got this. And I just, I actually do it the summer before and just kind of edit what I need. So that it’s ready in September. And then I strongly suggest that sub tub of just spiral review, whether your fall could be the stuff from the year before that they should know. And then just add to it as you go. But start small, and then you’ll just keep building it throughout the year.
And again, I just love how you organize that throughout the year. I think it’s so awesome. And how you have that spiral review and everything. And I’m so glad you found the binder so helpful, I feel like it’s a great first step to getting the sub planning ready because it really walks you through it. It has like you know, everything has kind of like a label, and then you can fill it in with your information. And then the next year, you can just kind of tweak it.
Yeah. And that’s what I do. I just edit it and name it for the next school year and edit it and name it for the next school year. Because I’ve changed grade level so much. So it’s the different people in my grade level as well as our schedule. But once you have it done the first time, which it takes a little bit just because you’re filling everything in. But once you have that, you’re 20-30 minutes, tops, changes and things around. And it’s a lifesaver. It saves you hours in the long run.
So awesome that yeah, you can just like because you know, the initial part, like you said, like putting all the procedures and everything. But generally that doesn’t change too much year to year. Right. So once you do it the first time, then it’s really easy. From there on out. And I don’t know if you saw but we released some fun themed ones. So if it’s like you’ve been using that design for a bit, and you’re like, oh, I want to change it up, we have done to match all the new classroom decor. I don’t know if you saw that.
I did see it. And I’m thrilled I just found out what room I’m getting moved to. So I am so excited to I love when I moved to do a whole new theme. So I was between the boho and the adventure. So I’m super excited to dive into and pick out what I want.
I can’t wait. I would love to see your classroom when you get it all put together. Absolutely. And I did the boho we have a little classroom because I’m homeschooling my kids right now. And I have like a full classroom in my basement. And I did the boho I just think it’s so cute.
Yeah. And I think it’s great for them, they love it. They love seeing all the different themed things and having fun with it as well, because we always joke that this is our second home here. So my class is a family and this is our second home. So we might as well make it pretty.
So true. And like when you think about like you know, you decorate your home and turn it into this space that you’d like to be in. And you want to do that with your classroom too. You’re there like seven, the kids are there like seven hours a day, and then teachers even longer. Yeah, so you want to make it somewhere you that is pretty that you enjoy being.
And welcoming, because I I learned years ago that sometimes this is the only place that a kid feels welcome. So if they love seeing the little designs that you’re going to put up or the things that you write on your desk, you might be the only smiling face that they see for a whole day. So I like to always kind of make it feel like their home, and a safe place for them for sure. So I like to make it as comfy as possible.
I love that. And you know, just hearing you like say all these things as we’ve been interviewing and everything you can just tell all the love you have for your students. And I know like all the teachers listening feel the same way. It’s just, you know, we’re teachers. And that’s just you know, we love our kids that we teach so much. They’re pretty much like our second family like you said.
Absolutely. Yeah, I always say I have three of my own and then I get 24 new ones each year. So they’re definitely become family. And some of them stick around my one of my first classes that I taught here in the school I’m in is graduating this year, so it’s exciting to see. And they came back and one of them made me cry by saying it was one of the only places I felt at home and safe during things going on at home and it really set in that what we’re doing matters.
Yes, I feel like as a teacher, you just like you have such a legacy. It’s like they will remember you for years to come. And that’s just so amazing. They just they remember you. They remember how you made them feel how welcoming you were and so all of that is even more important than the content.
Oh yeah, they say just it’s about how they felt and not about what they learned. You might not remember everything you learned to my class, hopefully you learned something. But it’s how you feel. And it shows too. They want to work harder. I wanted to make you proud. Look what I did this weekend, and they’ll go above and beyond because they know that you genuinely care about them.
So true. Oh my goodness. I love all that. And I feel like our listeners are going to love this episode so thank you so much for being on today. Oh, of course, as I mentioned, at the beginning of the episode, you were a member of Wife Teacher Mommy club since the beginning. So somebody asked you what is Wife Teacher Mommy club? How would you answer that question?
One of the most amazing values I’ve ever spent money on it is an overall community of teachers and mothers who get it. They’re like me, they’re juggling every ball in the air and just trying to keep them all up. And there is quality. I have belonged to other memberships before and I go, Ah, this is just stuff that’s been generated, it doesn’t meet any of the needs in my class. And Wife Teacher Mommy is incredible. I have reading levels from kindergarten through sixth grade and my third grade classroom this year. And I could go, oh, okay, I need this. And I’m able to log in and find exactly what I need. And I just love it. I rave about it around my school, all day, every day.
Thank you for doing that. And I love that it’s been so helpful to you. And I that’s the thing I love about the club too is it helps teachers meet each kid where they are because like you can pull each level. And I didn’t realize over the years as we were creating, you know all the grade levels and just putting on TPT, that it would eventually lead to this membership that where teachers could just access all of it.
And it’s fabulous, especially moving grade levels. So many times you buy stuff in Well, now that $200 that I just find has waste list because I got I got moved again. And you’ve worked so hard and so well to create amazing resources at every grade level. But I just can’t thank you enough, it saves me so much time that then I get to spend it with my own kids at home. And to me that’s also of tremendous value. So I thank you for that.
Thank you. And again, I thank you for being here. It’s just such a mutually beneficial on both sides. Absolutely. Like the teachers who joined the club, help us to be able to, you know, continue to make those resources and do what we do. And I just love doing what I do too.
And it shows it shows in the quality of the products that that we use. It’s not just like you said that fluff work that we put in for subs, it’s quality work that subs and students have fun with.
I’m so glad to hear that. So if a podcast listener is debating about joining, what would you tell them? What experience will they have, when they join?
You should have clicked already for sure. Do it jump in, it is incredible. You guys are all over everything and the trends and the different standards that come up. Everything is new and upcoming. And I love that I can email and within 24 hours, I have an email back. And you guys are there all the time for your members. And I think that’s important because a lot of memberships, you buy it, and then there’s nobody to help or nobody to talk to. And you really do take the ideas and the needs of your teachers into account when you’re making stuff. I’d said I would love to have some leveled readers, they started coming out I’d love if I if we could do this. And there it is. So it’s really nice to see that you value your members just as much as we value all your all the products as well. So I would highly, highly recommend it.
Thank you so much Sarah, for saying that. We always when we’re planning our content, we look at what our members have said that they want. And then that is what we make, like our content creation is basically based on the membership now like TPT in the shop, it’s all kind of like they go there. But it’s really shifted to the membership. It’s like what do our members want? What do they need, and that is what we make. And actually we are working on a new request system, it’s going to be really cool. So instead of just being a forum, it’s going to be public. And people can put in their requests, then you can like up vote what you want and stuff. So if you’re like, Well, I don’t know. But you can go and look what other people put Yeah, like up vote. And then we can figure out like, you know, the way to meet the most members we possibly can. We’re just trying to make the experience better and better. So I’ve been really excited about that. We’ve been trying to figure out how to do it for a bit and there was a little a little bug we’re working through but it seems like we’ve got it now. So watch for that and like start putting in as many ideas as you want. That’s what we want. Absolutely.
Yeah, I love it. And everyone that you work with always seems so genuine. I love even in the emails. Everyone’s Oh awesome to hear from you. And it feels like you actually do we know each other. That’s how I felt when we first got on like it’s finally nice to see your face but the membership is fabulous. And I just actually started on Facebook, so I’m excited to see how that aspect of it goes.
So glad you joined that. Well Sarah, I’m so glad that you’re able to come on today and we will continue the conversation for a few minutes on the members podcast. Here’s another perk for our members. But everybody else we will talk to you. Well, I will talk to you next week.
And thank you so much for having me on. I’ve loved being here.
I had so much fun interviewing Sarah. And I really hope you enjoyed it, too. So during the show, Sarah mentioned some of the resources that she loves using. So I wanted to explain a little more about where to get those in case you want to try them out as well. The one I realized that we probably weren’t as clear about is what she called our monthly readers. So these are our monthly differentiated reading passages. And you can either grab them for individual months, if you are a member, that’s what you’ll want to do, you’ll want to go in and grab the new set as we add it each month. And if you are not a member, right now, we do have a growing bundle going on for the monthly themed passages because we’re still working on them. And it’s only about halfway done. So if you want to grab the bundle right now, you can save over 50%. And the price will increase again in August. So I will be sure to link that in the show notes. So you can get the best price on that if you’re just wanting to grab the passages. We also have not monthly themed reading passages that include comprehension, and fluency. So they have the fluency component too, they’re not monthly theme that can be used anytime, but they follow the same format. So they actually work really well to use these passages in tandem. And these were written by my sister Tori La Rue, and I interviewed her on episode seven of Wife Teacher Mommy the podcast. So if you want to learn more about those passages, that is a great episode to check out. And as far as our sub plans go, Sarah mentioned the binder and the plans that she uses. At Wife Teacher Mommy, we have two distinct portions of our sub planning. So we have our sub plans, which are the teaching content. And the sub binder, which is a binder full of information or sub will need to know such as like seating, charts, Class List procedures, all of that. And if you want to know more about a sub binder and a sub tub, listen to episode six of the podcast for more info. And I will let you know secretly here on the podcast because we’re not promoting it at this time. But our sub plan bundles are currently marked down in preparation for a sale that will be happening later this month. So you may want to check that out. I will link to it in the show notes. And you can also join Sarah and I in the club. If instead of buying individual things, each of these resources would cost more than it would to join the club for a month. So you can join us in the club and access all the resources for just 29.99 a month. I hope you learned a lot from Sarah about how to prep and organize your sub plans. And I plan to bring more of our club members onto the podcast. So if you’re listening and you’re a member, and you want to be on the show, email me and let me know I would love to have you on the show. If you are a member make sure to also head on over to the members only version of the podcast our members private podcast where you can hear us continue the conversation, Sarah and I recorded another 20 minutes or so more diving in about the resources that our club members have access to. So make sure to listen to that over there if you are in the club. Otherwise, I will see you here next week where I will be talking even more about the passages actually that we mentioned, I will be talking all about how to select the most quality reading materials for your class. And I’ll talk a little bit about the passages on that. But really, this episode will help you with any sort of text you’re wanting to share with the class. So your books or curriculum, anything you might buy on TPT or Lakeshore or Amazon and even some of them could be applied to any sort of curriculum. So whether you’re a teacher or homeschool parent, and you’re looking at options for curriculum to use next year, you definitely don’t want to miss next week’s episode, I will talk to you that thank you for listening today.
Being an educator is beyond a full-time job. Whether you’re a teacher or a homeschool parent, the everyday to-do list is endless. Between lesson planning, grading, meetings, and actually teaching, it probably feels impossible to show up for your students without dropping the ball in other areas of your life.
Wife Teacher Mommy: The Podcast is the show that will bring you the teacher tips, practical strategies, and inspiration that you need to relieve the stress and overwhelm of your day-to-day. Your host, Kelsey Sorenson, is a former teacher and substitute turned homeschool mom. Tune in weekly to hear Kelsey and her guests cheer you on and help you thrive as a wife, teacher, and mommy. Because with a little support and community, you can do it all. For access to every single Wife Teacher Mommy resource, join the club at educateandrejuvenate.com/club.
Educate & Rejuvenate is the virtual teacher conference that you can not miss! Find out more about our summer and winter events.
Inside Educate & Rejuvenate Club, you will get access to our weekly teacher-life coaching AND our Pre-K to 6th grade resource library to achieve more of a work-life balance.
Hey there, new teacher bestie! I’m Kelsey, and I created Educate & Rejuvenate just for YOU! I blog about teaching and create elementary school and homeschooling resources to make your life easier. Be sure to sign up for my FREE email newsletter!
Then, follow me on Instagram and join the Facebook community to stay connected. I can’t wait to connect with you!
Oh, and don’t forget to listen and subscribe to Educate & Rejuvenate: The Podcast.
Grab your FREE sub plans and you’ll be subscribed to get news about upcoming events, blog & podcast updates, subscriber deals, and more via email. You also agree to our privacy policy.
What are you looking for?
© 2025 Wife Teacher Mommy. All Rights Reserved. Wife Teacher Mommy ® is a registered trademark of Wife Teacher Mommy, LLC.
Shop Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Product Terms of Use | Affiliate Agreement
Join us for this FREE webinar to help you deal with feelings of overwhelm and bring balance to your life!
One Response
Episode 19 was my first WTM podcast & was I so impressed! Thank you for sharing great, usable information. I think my favorite part is seeing the resources listed that were discussed in the podcast. I am not alway in a place to take notes and I love that you link resources mentioned in the podcast. I’m loving being a member of WTM and can’t wait to go back and listen to the others!