After spending the school year nurturing your sub pool, it’s important to figure out how to best maintain those efforts once classes are out of session for the summer. While the demand for substitute teachers typically decreases over the summer break, it remains essential to have a reliable pool of subs available once classes resume.

In order to ensure uninterrupted education year-round, here are some strategies to implement this summer:

Maintain regular communication

Rather than let the lines of communication go cold, schools should establish and share clear information during the summer break. This could look like:

• Sending out newsletters with updates, summer substitute teaching opportunities, or even highlights of how other educators are spending their time.
• Creating a dedicated communication channel for substitute teachers to connect with one another. Whether that’s an email group or a social media page, encouraging teachers to connect with one another will keep your school fresh in their minds.

By regularly communicating with subs over the summer, teachers will feel valued and have a sense of community with schools and their fellow educators. 

Encourage professional development

Invest in your subs by organizing professional development workshops or training sessions specifically designed for substitute teachers. With topics focused around classroom management techniques, skill development, or even on how to find their place in a school community, these opportunities can help create a sense of belonging and professional fulfillment among substitute teachers. By investing in sub’s professional growth, schools can nurture a sense of loyalty and commitment among substitute teachers, encouraging them to return when school is back in session. 

Offer alternative roles

When school is out of session, subs are likely to look for other employment opportunities. Rather than push them to explore gigs outside the education ecosystem, schools can explore the option of offering substitute teachers alternative roles during the summer months. This could include:

• Teaching in a summer school program
• Tutoring sessions
• Enrichment camps

By providing substitute teachers with additional employment opportunities, schools can maintain consistency in staffing, while also encouraging subs to gain more experience and deepen their teaching skills.

Create an ongoing recruitment plan

Just because the school year has wrapped up doesn’t mean you can’t plan ahead! Schools can develop a year-round substitute recruitment plan to continuously attract qualified teachers. This can be done by:

• Reaching out to local colleges and universities to engage students who are looking to get started in teaching
• Sharing information on social media and job posting websites
• Collaborating with community organizations and job fairs to spread the word

If you already have too much on your plate, however, partnering with a substitute teacher agency can help offload some of that stress. With an agency, schools get access to all the in-house tools, experience, and resources, while being able to outsource the finding, screening, and onboarding of subs to the professionals. 

At Swing, we have a team of digital marketing experts that know how to use marketing best practices, cutting-edge advertising channels, and an intuitive substitute teacher onboarding platform to connect with and attract a new audience of substitute teachers, ensuring that when the new school year rolls around, you’ll be fully prepared.

Supporting substitute teachers throughout the year, including during periods of reduced demand, is essential for building a strong, and dedicated subbing community. By planning ahead, schools can maintain a reliable sub pool over the summer, ensuring a seamless transition back into the school year.