That Music Podcast: A Podcast for Elementary Music Teachers

204 | Creating Effective Sub Plans for Elementary Music Classrooms with Rainy Barton

• Bryson Tarbet, M.M.Ed. • Season 7 • Episode 204

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Creating sub plans doesn’t have to be stressful. In this episode, Bryson is joined by Rainy Barton to talk about simplifying the process and setting yourself (and your students) up for success. From planned absences to unexpected emergencies, they chat about strategies for making sub plans that are practical, engaging, and easy for anyone to follow, even non-music subs. Rainy also shares a sneak peek of her upcoming masterclass, Sub Smarter, Not Harder, and why building a solid sub plan system can be a total game-changer.

Episode Chapters:

  • 0:00 Introduction
  • 1:20 Biggest challenges music teachers face prepping for subs
  • 3:15 Why quality lesson plans matter more than just busy work
  • 5:38 One simple step to make sub planning less overwhelming today
  • 7:26 Making plans easy for non-music substitutes
  • 9:29 Navigating administrator requests for simple, tech-free plans
  • 13:19 How to have your sub plans ready to go at all times
  • 16:54 Key advice to set subs and students up for success
  • 19:24 Rainy’s upcoming masterclass preview
  • 22:14 Takeaways

Links and Resources: 

Have questions or want to share feedback? Reach out to us at hello@thatmusicteacher.com - we’d love to hear from you!

You are listening to that music podcast with Bryson Tart, the curriculum designer and educational consultant behind that music teacher in the elementary music summit. Each week, Bryson and his guests will dive into the reality of being an elementary music teacher and how music can truly be transformative in the lives of the students you serve. Show notes and resources mentioned in this episode can be found@thatmusicteacher.com.

Bryson Tarbet:

Hello everyone and welcome back to that music podcast. I'm really excited to talk about something that no one really likes to talk about because it's kind of annoying and gets grumpy, but it's something that's really important, which is subplan. So I'm super excited to have Rainey Barton here to talk about sub plans with us. So Rainey, welcome to that music podcast. We are really excited for you to be here today.

Rainy Barton:

Yeah. Thanks for having me again. I love getting to chat whenever we get to.

Bryson Tarbet:

So, let's be honest, sub plans is one of those things where you just gotta deal with it. Especially as an elementary music teacher, there's so many different things that go into it. Um, and I know there's so many of us that have woken up feeling like absolute garbage that go into school anyway because they know that it'd be easy, it's easier than writing sub plans. Um, so from your perspective, what are some of the biggest challenges that music teachers face when it comes to preparing for a substitute?

Rainy Barton:

Um, so one, I have a couple, right? So the biggest challenge that I would say when you're having to. Right. Sub plans, um, outside of actually, you know, hoping that maybe a musically trained sub would be in your room, which is like never, um, I've learned one of the biggest challenges I would say is that it's hard, at least for me to get into the mindset of writing plans when I am almost a hundred percent certain that they're not gonna be followed. Yeah, because I, and I have learned to like write them, you know, in a way that I'm like, anyone could do this. But sometimes like, you know, the sub sees music and they go, oh, I can't, I can't do that. And they immediately just are like, okay, I guess we'll do extra recess, or we'll just play a movie or we'll do other things. And it just makes me frustrated because I'm like, well, we also are trying to leave plans behind, you know, for our students so that like, they're not just like, why did you make us do this? Or why didn't we do, you know, whatever that is that you could have done. Um, that's one of the biggest struggles. But I would say the other one would be just figuring out how to plan ahead well, so that when you do have an accident, for example, or you wake up and you're sick or you wake up and you know, you're just like, I just. Can't adult today. I don't know, um, that you have all that stuff planned already, but most of the time we wake up and we're like, I have to sit here and make sub plans while I feel like garbage. And that feels worse than just going to work. And so then it's like you said, we end up going to work. So I feel like those would be the two biggest challenges is actually. Feeling motivated to do it because you know of what could or could not happen, and then also just not being prepared ahead of time for it.

Bryson Tarbet:

Yeah. I think you bring up some really good points that I, I'm looking to ex looking forward to exploring a little bit deeper, but I want to touch on one of the points, which is why do you think it's important for music teachers. Specifically to have really good sub plans and not just busy work for our students.

Rainy Barton:

Um, so yeah, so I will say back when, you know, first started out baby teacher, I definitely did the busy work. I feel like we've all done it at some point in time.'cause it's just easy to leave behind a worksheet or it's just easy, you know, to leave behind a movie or whatever. Like, it just, you, you know, you don't know till, you know, uh, but I feel like. Now that you know, I have a good amount of years under my belt, I just feel like it's so important because we only get that limited time with our students, right? And we already have to miss when we are sick. We have to miss when our kids are sick. We have things happen like pep rallies that are unexpected and field trips, or it's concert season and all you get to practice is, you know, the concert music and the concert repertoire. And so you're just already losing so much time with your students. And so if you're sick, it's like, well, that's another day, but it doesn't have to be a day wasted, right? Because you could be leaving behind activities that either enhance what you're already teaching in the classroom, or it's a great opportunity to allow them to learn things that you wouldn't usually get to in class. Like I never really get to do, meet the musician or like composer things in my classroom. I just never have time for it. And so that's a perfect time to leave an activity like that so that they're still learning something. That you think is educational and important, but you might not get to schedule it in as much. So I just think it's so important that we use every second that we do get with our students to like give them a better music education.

Bryson Tarbet:

Yeah. And I think that, you know, having. Having the perspective of someone who's been in the music classroom and who has had, who has had a, let's just say, a variety of unique substitutes when we could find them. And also as someone who started my career as a sub and is currently subbing, um, I think that you brought up some good points of like. There are things that can still happen that are great and musical and fun. That wouldn't necessarily be the way that we teach it or the way that we would do in a lesson if we were there. But it's still moving things forward. And I think that sometimes teachers, we can get so stuck and thinking, well, if I'm not there, my lessons, it's gonna be out of rotation, everything's gonna be off. And I'm like, okay. So what? Are they still gonna be learning music? Are they going to be, you know, even one step further than they were that before you left? Great. Let's see what we can do about that. So to kind of zooming in on that, if you had to pick one immediate actionable strategy that teachers could implement today to make their sub planning less overwhelming, what would that be?

Rainy Barton:

Okay, so I feel like I just have 1,000,001 Google Docs for all of you know, my life problems. But this is one of those moments that this Google Doc comes in half. Uh, I have a running tab of Subplan ideas, like just, it's literally just Google Docs. It says Subplan ideas, and it's like bookmarked to the top of my. Computer and I add to it often. Anytime that like I come across an activity that I think could be a good sub plan, I add it just a Google Doc. And sometimes it'll be like activities that we did in class that my students really loved and they would probably love to do again. And maybe I will get to do it again. Maybe I won't. But if it's something that I think. It's easy enough and that they could either lead themselves or like doesn't need, you know, a lot of prep. Then I'll add that to the list and then if it's just like I'm looking up every so often, you know, sub plans at the start of the year, I come across an idea, I'll add it to that list so that when I do have to sit down and make sub plans, I just open the Google Doc up and I already have like a running list. To like, oh, these would be great ones for kindergarten. This would be an easy one to leave behind for this class or whatever. And then I can quickly map them out. Like it'll take me maybe like 10 minutes to like be like, okay, these are my ideas, and then all you have to do is write it. But it's like I feel the bigger battle is actually figuring out what you're gonna do. So I highly recommend having a running tab of Subplan ideas because that has been a serious game changer for me.

Bryson Tarbet:

Let's be honest. When you're waking up in the morning with 102 degree fever, your brain isn't in the mindset of creating a highly engaging lesson plan from scratch. So what can we do to front load that and give ourselves essentially just like a word bank that we can pull from? So beyond that, what's something that you would recommend? For those that, let's be honest, we're not the getting a musically inclined sub is the exception to the rule. Um, so how would you recommend, or what tips do you have for making sure that your activities that you're leaving can be led by a substitute that doesn't maybe necessarily have that musical background?

Rainy Barton:

So of course that is a hard thing, right? Because we want them to be able to like walk in and feel confident doing the plans, and we also want them to follow your plans. So like we need to make it as easily. As easy as possible for them. Um, what I do like to think about is making sure that you're doing, you know, you're leaving behind activities that you know will keep your students engaged. Yeah. Because we don't wanna make your sub hate their lives and have a terrible experience because you left behind things that you wouldn't wanna do if your teacher was gone. Right. And you want these subs to come back, especially if they end up being a good sub. You don't want them to be like, oh, I don't wanna sub for music again. So when you're planning lessons, you really need to think of activities that you know are gonna hold your students' attention and that they would find interesting just to create less chaos. Right now. Of course, you're not gonna always know what'll happen when you're gone. You can't always like. Plan accordingly. But I just have recognized that when I do leave things that I either know that my students have already enjoyed and I know that they'll enjoy again. Or if it's something that I'm like, oh, I know that they would probably enjoy this, I just haven't tried it out myself. When I leave those things, it typically does better. And then I'll ask, you know, my students about it the next day and they'll be like, oh yeah, we got to do this, or whatever, and then I'm like, oh, my plans are being followed so magical.

Bryson Tarbet:

Yeah. That's when you, the bar is pretty low, but I agree. Like. Coming back and realizing that they actually followed your plan is just like so much better because you're not having to like piece together what happened. Right? Because sometimes, let's be honest, we've all been there where they come back and the teachers are like, why did you let my kids watch Baby Shark all day? And I'm like, um, that was not what I left. I'm not sure what they did. Um, so yeah, so. I have a lot of thoughts on this next question. Um, and I'll be honest, most of them are not super kind. Um, but I hear a lot about teachers that are being directed by their administrators to make their sub plans quote as easy as possible, and or avoiding technology completely. How do we. Pushback maybe, but also like how do we follow this objective if we, if this is something that we've been directed to do, how do we do this without sacrificing the quality of the lesson and making it. Just fluff that we're putting in there that isn't really helping our students or engaging our students.

Rainy Barton:

So I saw this question and I was like, that is my admin. Like that is what I have to do currently. Uh, and I don't love it. I really, I really don't. Luckily I will say, um, there are. Examples. I mean, this is coming, this is becoming a much more prominent thing. And so there's a lot of people on TPT now especially that are doing like non-tech plans because like that is the direction a lot of people are going, which I still think I, I'm just like, but why? There's just like so much. That could be done with tech, but I get it. I get it. Uh, it does make things a little bit harder, uh, but you don't have to sacrifice the quality of the lesson just because you don't have tech. You just have to be creative with it. Right. You just have to find a different approach to it. Like there are activities that are not just busy work. That are excellent things you can do when you're gone. Like one that I've done that I've had my students do, and I've had the teacher or the sub leave it on my desk for me. So like I know it's been done is like, write the rhythms or write the melody because something that my students struggle with is writing rhythmic notations. So how many times have I found them write like a course, like Tata tt ta or something, and they've not colored, they've not, um, what is it? They've not circled or made the nut. They make them look like half notes. That's what I'm trying to say. Yeah. They make, they don't color them in. And I'm like, okay, this just says ta ta like notes that this is not accurate or, you know, they. Do something, whatever it is, or soul me, they like put soul on one line and me like way far below. And I'm like, no, we've practiced this. They're, they're like, they're skip apart friends. So like, this is a great example of something I leave behind because all you have to do is put the rhythms on the wall before you leave, and then they just get to do that activity and it's a scavenger hunt. You know, they're looking all around the room and the students have a great time with it, but they're also practicing rhythmic or melodic notations. So that's a great thing. That you don't need tech for. Also, like meet the musician scavenger hunts, which I've done before, where you just have different information on the, like all around your room and they're learning about a composer. Of course it would be great if they could actually hear the music. So that would be the one like trade off for that. Uh, but you know, there's also just different melodic and rhythmic review that you can do with like simple circle games. Even if like it's a game or a song they've done a million times, but you know, it's working on, uh, me, Ray Doe or whatnot. They're still getting practice with that. Right? Which is like. Helpful, even if it's not exactly what you wanted to leave behind, but you're not limited just because you don't have tech. You just have to approach it differently.

Bryson Tarbet:

Yeah, and I think it, let's be honest, I think that request typically comes from a place of we want subs to pick up the job and we want them to come back. We want them to feel like they're supported. Um, but I'll be honest, I'll, I will loudly say like if a substitute teacher can't type in an address into a search bar, I'm not sure they should really be. They're not, I don't know that that's, that's not a high tech skill. Like yes, I highly agree that we shouldn't have our subs working with, you know, digital audio workstation. That's like complicated technology, but like. A projector, it's 2025. Like there are so many things that we could do, how, how we have that. But I'm, I'm getting a little bit off of, I'm off of, off of track. Um, so I'm gonna bring it back because otherwise I'll just start getting a little bit ranty. So I'm gonna take it a little bit off script here, so feel free to reign me back in again. But I think we've kind of been dancing around this idea of. Writing your sub plans the day you're sick isn't super helpful. So how do you recommend, or what is your current setup of just having things that are ready to go in the case that you aren't able to make a lesson plan for the day you're out and it's just like, oh, like I'm not gonna be here. Or, you know, I had a flat tire on the way to work. Like, I don't have the possibility. What do you recommend in, in those instances, or how do we set ourself up for success?

Rainy Barton:

Yeah, so I actually, at my current school, they had us do this and then I was just like, oh my gosh, this is genius. And so like, I have to do it because it's actually required of me. But then it's also like, oh, this is an amazing idea is when we have to come in for planning at the start of the year, we have to, within our planning time as well, like our, you know, that week or two you get before kids come, you have to also make two weeks of subplan. Give them to the front office. And so like you have it all, it's like they give you this folder and you have it all prepped for them, specifically for that reason, so that if you call in the next morning and you say, oh, I don't feel good, they can literally say, I have their folder, and they just pull it out. They print whatever materials that like you needed, like, 'cause I say in there like, oh, I need 30 copies of this. If it's a Thursday I need, or like, or I need, this is the directions for the sub, whatever it is. And then they just set it up, um, and get it prepared, because that makes their job a lot easier too, because then they're like, okay, she already has her plans. I have the folder. That's all I have to do. Uh, outside of like actually finding a sub. But I have started doing that. I mean, I'm having to do that, but I also just felt like that was just so helpful. Of course, when I'm sitting there at the start of the year, I'm like, oh, but like I don't wanna do this. But then I've had to bank that in so many times, especially last year.'cause you know, my daughter's like in the preschool and that is literally germ city while I am out all the time. And I've had to pull on that so many times. And of course like I'll replenish it when it's done, but I'm just like, wow, like this was really easy. I think I only had to write one sub plan last year. Just because I had the two weeks, like full weeks of sub plans and it was fantastic. So. I would say that just having plans banked now, you don't have to have two weeks, but like, just having plans ready anyway, right? I mean, you're gonna, you're not gonna wanna have nothing and it's like you said, you wake up with 102 degree fever, you're not gonna feel well to write plans. And it's not like you can't write anything because you, your kids have to do something. So I would just say, as much as you can, try to sprinkle it in and write your sub plans ahead of time and just leave yourself prepared.

Bryson Tarbet:

Yeah, that's one of those things where early in my career I didn't quite understand how important it was. Um, and then I started having kids involved in my life and it was like, oh, this is why my, you know, my very first foster placement. Um, things went really wild very quickly and we ended up spending a week in a children's hospital and, you know, thankfully I was, I, I did have some, some plans to fall back on for a couple days until I was able to really. Get things figured out and, you know, get, finally get back home so I can get my laptop and bring it back and, and write some new plans. Um, so whatever you can do to give yourself even a little bit of buffer is helpful. And I'll be honest, like were my, are my like, just in case plans, my best plans ever. No. But like, let's be honest, neither are the ones. If it's neither, it's not gonna be great either if I just don't give plans and the subs are making it up anyway. So. Do what you can with what you can, with what you have. So bringing it all back to where we started, what is one piece of advice that you'd give to teachers about empowering their students or setting up their classroom routines so that they can really set the substitute up for success when they're in charge?

Rainy Barton:

Yeah, so I would say, uh, one thing that my students know that is that sometimes we can't always, you know, get to play their favorite games or their favorite activities that they like more than once or twice in class due to time. And so they know that if they want the chance to be able to do that stuff again, that during a substitute is probably the time they have to be able to behave for sub, right? So I also will, if I leave an activity like that where I'm like, I know they really wanna do this activity, I'll leave a list. For my sub of students that are allowed to lead these certain activities because these are students that I trust, students that I know have that, whether it's the rhythmic capability, whatever it is, right, that they're able to lead it. And I know that they also would all love the chance to be in charge. So like sometimes I don't have to put a list and I'm like any student, you can choose any student and that's fabulous. Uh, but their behavior. For me throughout the year affects that. And they also know that like a good report from a sub for them earns them extra points towards their free choice day, which I always do a free choice day once a quarter with them. Just sometimes they get it earlier than normal, depending if they did fabulous for a sub.'cause I do ask for a report and I normally get one. Uh, so that's usually enough incentive for my students. But I would also say just trying to stick to your routine as much as possible. Now, obviously you can't do everything right? Like I don't expect a sub to do my musical warmup and stuff, but like, I do expect for bathroom procedure to be the same and for entrance and dismissal to be the same. And, you know, all, all the things that I can have be as same as I can because your students thrive on routine. I mean, we thrive on routine. So if you can just make it be like. As close as it can be to you having like been gone that the only thing that was different is that you weren't, you know, well, I mean you are gone, so like that's a big deal, but that that's the only thing and that everything else was able to stay as routine as could be. Then that just really sets your students up for success.

Bryson Tarbet:

So this is a topic that I think, obviously we could talk about for hours and hours on the end, and we could take it so many different ways. Um, but I think the tips that we've shared so far that you've shared so far are, are gonna be helpful for those that might be wanting to reign in their sub. Plans are gonna level them up. Um, but we are actually going to be going deeper with your masterclass inside Elementary Music Edge, which is our membership for content specific professional development. Uh, so for those teachers who want to go a little bit deeper and master the art of sub plans so that they can. Feel better about taking time off when they need to. Can you share a little bit about what you're gonna be covering in the masterclass, uh, and give us a little bit of a sneak peek?

Rainy Barton:

Yes, I can. And I just came up with the title today, so you get that too. Love it. Okay. Uh, it's called Sub Smarter, not Harder, obviously.'cause you know, we need to make things easier for ourselves. So, I mean, of course we'll be diving into like a lot of the tips that I shared a lot further, but we'll also be diving not only into the different types of sub plans that you may need, right? Like your planned absences when you know you're gonna be gone. Those are like our high quality lesson plans, our emergency plans, like the last minute ones, and even long-term plans, which that was like my summit. Presentation, I think last summer was on long-term ones.'cause sometimes you need that too. And that's also unexpected. Uh, but we'll also be talking about best tips and tricks for all of those. And then I'll also walk you through, of course, some of my favorite easy activities that you can leave behind for subs. And then just different actionable tips and strategies that I've like picked up along the way to just help make sub planning that much easier for you.

Bryson Tarbet:

So for those people that are listening and just thinking, all right, I, I, I might be on board. I'm thinking about it. I, I think this is something I need. What do you think the biggest benefit they'll gain from. Going through this training and kind of following the steps that you talk about sub plans.

Rainy Barton:

Uh, so yeah. So what I feel would makes it unique is just that I had to, I've had to make all three types before, right? Especially the long-term ones, because I've had two children and I've been out for over a month before, and, you know, it's. That's hard when you're out for more than a couple of days with your students. So I feel like that alone makes it helpful. But I also have, just like I said, I've just learned many things along the way. I've had many subs and I've had many bad sub experiences, but I've also had a lot of great sub experiences now that I know the things that I do, and I just want to be able to help you. Speed up your sub planning process and make it something that you know, you're not absolutely dreading. Like sub planning should just be to you like, oh, okay, I do this, this, this, I'm done. And then you don't think about it again. It shouldn't be something that is like super overwhelming to you, so I wanna make sure that, you know, you feel prepared and confident for them.

Bryson Tarbet:

I'm excited for this one. Um, I'm, I'm really excited and I know a lot of other people. As we're recording, we actually just wrapped up the Elementary Music Summit, um, and we have a lot of people that were actually asking in our feedback about sub plans, so I'm like, Hmm, I wonder if we have something for you. So we're excited to dive into that. Um, we'll put the link for that as well in the show notes or the description. Wherever you're watching, you're listening, or you can head on over to that music teacher.com/edge eEdge. Um. And learn more about the training. And if you missed it, hey, guess what the recording's gonna be in that library for. Um, so Rainey, thank you so much for sharing your expertise today. Before we say goodbye, are there any final thoughts or words of encouragement that you'd like to leave with our listeners about tackling the wonderful double-edged sword challenge of sub plans?

Rainy Barton:

Yeah, I would just say sub plannings does not have to be daunting. If you have your systems in place, they essentially write themselves. So you're just need to make sub plans work for you. And the biggest. Game changer is that you'll gain your time back, which we all know how precious our time is, so just make them, make them work for you.

Bryson Tarbet:

All righty. Well, I'm really excited for the training and to see what our current members and even our future members have to say about your training to help them kind of reclaim some of that time. Because, like you said, that's something we, we don't get back. So, you know, we, we have what we have and we gotta figure out how we can make the best of it. And I. Wholeheartedly agree, systems are the way to go. So Rainey, thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us. And for those of you that are listening, thank you for joining us on YouTube, on wherever you're listening to. Um, if you haven't already, it would be in the world to us. If you would leave a review, um, hi, five stars would be wonderful, but whatever you end up leaving, let us know what you like about the podcast, what you wanna see more of. Um, and in case nobody has told you lately, thank you so much for making a difference in the lives of the students that you teach.

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Bryson Tarbet, M.M.Ed

Host
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Rainy Barton

Guest