Step into the classroom prepared—even when plans are limited, students test the boundaries, or you're teaching a grade level you've never taught before.
Practical, self-paced courses designed specifically for substitute teachers who want stronger classroom management, better instructional strategies, and greater confidence from bell to bell.
Yet many substitutes receive little or no formal preparation before taking their first assignment.
Some days you'll receive detailed lesson plans. Other days you may receive little more than a roster, a classroom key, and a schedule. Either way, students still need structure, instruction, and a confident adult leading the room.
Substitute Teacher Academy provides online substitute teacher training built around the situations guest teachers actually face. The goal isn't simply to help you survive the school day. It's to help you become the substitute teachers and schools want to see return.
Whether you're preparing for your first assignment or you've been substitute teaching for years, choose the professional development that fits what you need next.
Start with the fundamentals. Learn what to expect, how to prepare for an assignment, classroom management basics, professionalism, student relationships, and strategies you can use immediately.
Explore SUB 101Learn why behavior happens, how to establish expectations, ways to prevent common classroom problems, and effective strategies for redirecting challenging behavior.
Explore SUB 200Build a complete substitute teacher toolkit with training in professionalism, classroom management, instructional strategies, growth mindset, and the fundamentals of successful substitute teaching.
Explore Training BundlesEffective substitute teacher professional development should prepare you for what actually happens after the classroom door closes.
Establish expectations, prevent common behavior problems, redirect students, and maintain a productive classroom.
Keep learning moving with instructional strategies, effective transitions, brain breaks, and meaningful activities.
Understand communication, confidentiality, responsibilities, professional boundaries, and school expectations.
Replace uncertainty with practical strategies for handling unfamiliar students, classrooms, and daily situations.
Build rapport quickly while maintaining appropriate boundaries and clear expectations.
Walk away with practical tools, ideas, and resources created specifically for substitute teachers.
No scheduled class meetings. No commuting. Learn when and where it works for you.
Select an individual substitute teacher course or choose a training bundle.
Receive online access and work through the training when it fits your schedule.
Complete the required learning activities and print your certificate of completion.
Substitute teachers are often asked to enter classrooms with little preparation and immediately take responsibility for student learning and behavior.
Substitute Teacher Academy provides flexible online training that can help districts establish consistent expectations and give guest teachers practical classroom skills before they walk through the door.
Feedback from educators who have completed Substitute Teacher Academy training.
Hi, I'm Dr. Lori Schieffer. I've spent more than three decades working in K–12 education as a teacher, school administrator, educational leader, and professional development provider.
I've served as a principal across grade levels from kindergarten through high school. Those experiences shape the Substitute Teacher Academy: practical strategies, realistic classroom situations, and tools educators can actually use.
My goal is simple: help substitute teachers walk into the classroom prepared, professional, and confident.
Get practical online substitute teacher training designed to help you manage classrooms, engage students, strengthen your professional skills, and feel prepared for whatever the school day brings.