As we reach the end of the year, it’s important to reflect on the highs and lows, what we’ve accomplished, and what we can improve on next year. These principles apply just as much to our personal lives as they do to the school year. 

So, let’s reflect: 

In 2022 schools faced challenges such as:

• The teacher shortage
• Burnout among educators
• The inability to find (and/or retain) substitute teachers
• Teacher absenteeism

Luckily, we’re here to help you tackle any and all challenges you may face during the academic year. Here are some solutions to commonly faced problems throughout the year: 

If you’re looking to recruit, hire, and retain substitute teachers…

…then we recommend:

While teacher vacancies often pose last minute challenges, a proactive approach to your sub pool can help your district better prepare for the unexpected. Recruiting, hiring, and retaining substitute teachers takes up a significant portion of your time and mental capacity, but it doesn’t have to. 

In this eBook, you’ll learn best practices for managing your sub-pool, including:

• How to recruit the best substitute teachers
• Foolproof things you can do to improve sub retention
• Proven strategies for increasing sub fill-rate

Additional resources:

• 5 tips to keep quality subs coming back to your school district
• 7 qualities the best substitutes look for in a school
• Best practices for managing substitutes
• How districts are recruiting and retaining teachers & staff

If you want to learn how to prepare for the unexpected…

…then we recommend:

Teacher absences are inevitable, but even though they are a regular occurrence, dealing with them often feels like a fire drill. It doesn’t have to be this way. With some proactive planning and processes, you can be prepared for expected and unexpected classroom vacancies. From parental leave to cold and flu season, the reasons for teacher absences are aplenty, stay on top of it with this practical guide to getting your classes covered and keeping learning on track.

In this e-Book you’ll learn how to:

• Prepare for parental leave
• Balance professional development and class coverage
• Plan ahead for PTO and sick days
• Select high quality long-term substitutes

Additional resources:

• How subs support maternity leave for teachers
• What qualities do great substitute teachers share?
• Teacher maternity leave: a planning guide for your whole pregnancy

If you want to support your teacher’s mental health…

…then we recommend:

Today’s educators are burnt out. As teachers look to change professions to protect their mental health, administrators are looking for new ways to build supportive teaching environments and retain their staff. Rather than push teachers to take matters into their own hands, take preventative steps to help restore teaching as a sustainable and joyful profession.

In this e-Book, you’ll find best practices such as how to:

• Normalize mental health days
• Invest in your staff
• Provide job autonomy
• Compensate fairly

Additional resources:

• How substitutes alleviate teacher burnout
• How subs support teacher mental health
• Getting serious about teacher burnout
• We should be focusing on absenteeism among teachers, not just students

These problems can’t be solved overnight, but keeping these resources in your back pocket can help ease the workload. Partner with Swing for help recruiting, hiring, and retaining subs, knowing that we are here to help. Our online platform can take some of this work off of your plate so you can focus on learning continuity and student success.

Learn more about how we can help make finding a substitute teacher the easiest thing you’ll do all day.