A Substitute Teacher's Wheel Kit: 6 Wheels to Get Through Any Day
A Substitute Teacher's Wheel Kit (6 Wheels!) This is a pack of 6 mini spin wheels that can be set up in minutes! There is a wheel for name, roles in the class, fast activity, transitions, early finishers and an end reward. They all help overcome problems that the substitute will face on their first day with the class, for example they don't know the children, they have no authority and there are gaps to fill.
By Malik Aiesh Bahadur
Why a wheel helps a substitute
When a substitute enters the class they will have no knowledge of the learners names, routines and history. This can be noticed by the students.
The wheel can help in three ways. Firstly it is impartial. Using the wheel to choose students to answer or pass out resources means that students cannot feel like they have been chosen or left out. It provides structure as you will always know what comes next. Finally it is easy to set up. You can create a wheel whilst the class are getting settled.
A note: The wheel should be used to ensure fairness and fun. Never use it as a form of punishment. For example you wouldn’t want to use it to choose a student to punish. This would cause the useful tool to become a source of frustration.
Before the bell: a five-minute setup
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Locate the class list / seating plan. Most will have one. If not, ask a nearby teacher or the office.
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Ensure the tech and screen are working so that you can show the wheel to the class or have an alternative.
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Only include first names. Don’t include any surname information or additional notes. Please see student privacy and name pickers for what to avoid including. Follow school guidelines for using tools.
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Spin Wheel. If you’re using it for the first time, please see how to create a spin wheel in 60 seconds.
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Have the teacher’s plan to hand. The wheels are a support tool only.
The six wheels
1. The names wheel
Place all the students first names on a wheel (ensure remove is on). This can be used to randomly ask students questions, give them resources and begin discussions.
This also helps you learn their names. Say the name and spin the wheel. Look at your seating plan and make eye contact with the student. This is one of the most commonly given tips for new subs! Students will react differently knowing that you know who they are. You will have said all the names at least once throughout the day.
See cold calling without embarrassing students and 12 fair participation routines for ideas for how to do this kindly.
2. The jobs wheel
Spin the spinner to assign roles to children in the class. This could be line leader, materials manager, whiteboard cleaner, door holder, paper passer, time keeper and plant waterer. Spin the spinner once for each role.
This gives children an investment in their day. It also prevents arguments about who gets which role. If your regular teacher has a role chart you can use this. Just spin the spinner for any available roles.
3. The quick-activity wheel
This is your answer to "We finished, now what?" Prepare a wheel of ten-minute fillers. Here are twelve you can use.
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Activity |
Time |
What to do |
|---|---|---|
|
Silent ball |
5 to 10 min |
Toss a soft ball around the room without talking |
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Heads Up, Seven Up |
10 min |
The classic guessing game |
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Would you rather |
5 min |
Pose a light question and let students move to a side |
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Story starters |
10 to 15 min |
Give a first line and let students write or tell the next |
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Word chain |
5 min |
Each word starts with the last letter of the previous word |
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Mystery word |
10 min |
One student thinks of a word, others ask yes or no questions |
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Draw and guess |
10 min |
A student draws and the class guesses |
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Two truths and a lie |
10 min |
In pairs or groups |
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Category race |
5 min |
Name five animals that start with B before the timer ends |
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Math fact relay |
10 min |
Teams answer facts. See math fact wheel games |
|
Vocabulary round |
10 min |
Review words from the unit. See vocabulary review games |
|
Silent birthday line-up |
5 min |
Line up by birthday without speaking |
4. The transition wheel
Transitions are when classes go wrong. You can create a transition wheel with activities that last 30 seconds. These could include standing up and stretching, counting to twenty as a class, clapping in silence, rapid breathing and standing if they like pizza. There are 30 different brain breaks that can be used. You should also have a calm and a high energy break to match the mood.
5. The early-finisher wheel
Students who finish early can cause problems if they have no tasks to do. A wheel of activities will help them. Students can do one of the following: read quietly; draw a picture of the story; practise spelling words; make 5 questions about the lesson; practise math facts; write a story opener; help someone else. Students can spin the wheel on the screen or print the list. You could also give them numbers to choose from.
6. The closing wheel
Finish the lesson on a high. Spin the wheel for a small prize if the class have been good. Quick and low cost activities for your end of lesson. Free time (2 minutes), music whilst tidying up, choice of short game and who goes first? The Random Order Generator will help create a fair line for students to leave in one click. Ensure that any prizes you are giving are allowed by checking with the usual teacher or plan.
The first ten minutes
Most advice agrees that the first minutes set the tone. Here is a simple script that uses the wheel.
|
Time |
What to do |
|---|---|
|
0 to 2 min |
Greet students at the door. Put a short task on the board so they start working at once |
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2 to 4 min |
Introduce yourself and explain the plan for the day. Say you will report to the regular teacher |
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4 to 6 min |
Take attendance with the seating chart in hand |
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6 to 8 min |
Explain the wheel. "I'll use this to choose who answers and who helps. It's random, so it's fair." |
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8 to 10 min |
Spin the names wheel for a quick, easy question about the task. Start with success |
A 30-minute emergency lesson
You can have a good half hour of activity with these wheels even if you haven’t planned anything.
5 mins – Warm up. Fast paced game with one short game.
15 mins – Choose a skill and wheel. For younger classes, use math facts or vocabulary. For older classes use the writing prompt wheel with story prompts. Can be done in pairs.
5 mins – Share. Use the names wheel. 3 children share what they did.
5 mins – Plenary. Use the closing wheel and tidy up.
The group roles wheel is a great way to quickly allocate roles during an impromptu group activity.
Using the wheel for behavior, carefully
The wheel can help you create a sense of fairness but is not a good tool to enforce discipline.
Use it to allocate positive roles, to decide who goes first and to choose between 2 equally acceptable options. Don’t use it to decide who loses out on a privilege, who goes to the office or who gets told off. Deal with behaviour calmly, directly and privately, following school procedures.
Another behaviour tip that is commonly used is to keep moving and not have any downtime. The wheel can help with this as there is always something to do.
No device? Make a paper wheel
Sometimes tech fails. Create a circle and divide into sections and write down your ideas on a paper plate or piece of paper. You can also spin a paper clip around a pencil! Write down names on pieces of paper and put them in a cup. It's slower and not as random but will keep your routine going.
For regular teachers: leave a sub wheel
A nice addition would be to have a wheel kit.
Create wheels for people's names, roles and early finishers using first names only.
Add instructions to your plan to explain which wheels are available, how they should be used and what activities can be completed.
Any pupils that need modifications should be noted in your plan (not on the wheel). Please see pupil privacy and name pickers for more information.
Include an alternative option in case the device doesn't work.
Let students know in advance that they will be using the wheel with their substitute.
End-of-day note
Most sub guides want you to write a note. Here is an example of how to do it.
Class: _____ Date: _____ What we did: _____ What went well:_____ Who was particularly helpful: _____ What to follow up: _____ Wheel names, roles & quick activities. Pupils responded well to ____ Thank you for a great class.
Keep it factual and positive. The regular teacher will remember the positive note.
Frequently asked questions
What should a substitute teacher keep in a survival kit?
Pens, stickers, 1 or 2 emergency activities, a note template, some name and routine planning. Wheel kit for quick sharing of turns and to keep children busy.
How can a substitute learn students' names quickly?
Use a names wheel and a seating chart. Spin, say the name aloud and find the student.
What can a substitute do when they finish early?
Use a quick-activity wheel with ten-minute games, or an early-finisher wheel for students who are done.
Should a substitute use a spin wheel for discipline?
No. Use it for fair turns and positive jobs only.
What if there is no technology?
Use a paper wheel or names in a cup.
Can regular teachers leave wheels for subs?
Yes. Make wheels with first names, include instructions and tell students to expect the substitute to use them.
Try it
Open the Spin Wheel, type the class's first names and spin your first question. For more ready-made wheels, browse the templates.
