Glossary
Substitute Teacher Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential substitute teacher terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key substitute teacher vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in substitute teacher training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- 504 plan
- Accommodations for students with disabilities.
- Attendance
- Recording who is present.
- Bell schedule
- Class times.
- Classroom management
- Keeping order and focus.
- Duty
- Supervision assignments such as lunch.
- Fire drill
- Practice evacuation.
- Hall pass
- Permission to leave the room.
- IEP
- Individualized education program.
- Lesson plan
- The teacher’s plan for the day.
- Lockdown
- An emergency safety procedure.
- Long-term substitute
- A sub for an extended absence.
- Seating chart
- A map of where students sit.
- Sub folder
- Information left for substitutes.
- Sub notes
- Notes left for the teacher.
- Transition
- Moving between activities.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Substitute Teacher practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Substitute Teacher training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.