Skills
Substitute Teacher Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in substitute teachers, and how to build and show them.
What skills do substitute teachers need?
Substitute Teachers need technical skills such as classroom management, following lesson plans, and subject knowledge, plus people skills like confidence and flexibility. They also use tools such as Substitute assignment apps and Lesson plans and seating charts.
Technical (hard) skills
- Classroom management
- Following lesson plans
- Subject knowledge
- School procedures
- Student engagement
- Note writing
People (soft) skills
- Confidence
- Flexibility
- Patience
- Communication
Tools, equipment and technology
- Substitute assignment apps
- Lesson plans and seating charts
- Classroom technology
- Attendance systems
- School procedure guides
- Emergency folders
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how substitute teachers put their skills to work:
- How to start the day as a substitute
- How to manage a class you don’t know
- How to write notes for the teacher
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Classroom management” and “Following lesson plans.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “confidence,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as State substitute teaching permit near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our substitute teacher glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Substitute Teacher training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.