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We Love Our Substitute Teachers

Professional Development

The Substitute Shortage

Throughout the pandemic, our education system has faced enormous challenges, from ensuring student safety to managing learning entirely remotely. As we entered into the 2021-2022 school year in the US, our schools faced another, equally difficult challenge- the declining quality and quantity of substitute teachers. The AASA, the School Superintendents Association, recently shared insights into why the substitute shortage has surfaced and techniques schools are using to address it. They reported that “the common thread among school districts dealing successfully with the substitute teacher shortage is training. This training provides substitutes with the information and skills they need to be successful in the classroom.” After reading this, we asked ourselves if there was a way Instructure could help.

Free Instructure Resources

In response to this challenge, we formed a committee of passionate volunteers from across our Customer Experience department and they created a new free Canvas Network Course, Canvas Substitute Resources. This course has three sections, each packed full of guides, tips, tricks, and other great resources to get substitutes prepared and ready for managing their classes. These sections are aligned to your role within your institution and include:

  • Substitute Resources: this section is geared for substitute teachers and will take you through a guided overview of how students and teachers use Canvas as a learning space on the daily.
  • Teacher Resources: this section is geared for teachers looking to set up an emergency sub plan module in their Canvas courses. A one-pager will guide you through considerations for preparing your online classroom for a substitute.
  • Administrator Resources: this section provides administrators with a one-pager for operationalizing substitutes plans, monitoring, and promoting engagement.

We hope these resources are helpful as you continue to manage the substitute shortage we are seeing throughout the country. This course is free and available on Canvas Network and contains resources that are available in Commons. We also know there is a lot more to do at such a critical time in education and we welcome ideas for how we can continue to help. Do not hesitate to reach out to me at melissa@instructure.com with ideas and feedback. 

And to all the substitute teachers- A huge thank you. We love and appreciate you.

Keep learning,

Melissa

About the Author

Chief Academic Officer

Melissa Loble is a globally recognized learning futurist and Chief Learning Officer at Instructure, where she works with institutions and organizations to design the future of learning. With more than 25 years of experience across K-12, higher education and workforce development, she helps leaders build connected, evidence-based learning ecosystems that support the new learner, who is balancing education with work and life and seeking flexible, skills-driven pathways. At Instructure, Melissa serves as a trusted advisor to education and industry leaders, helping translate strategy into actionable approaches that support lifelong learning and readiness. She chairs the board of directors for 1EdTech, serves on the CSU AI Workforce Acceleration Board, and convenes the AI and Academic Integrity Working Group, bringing together leaders to advance responsible, human-centered approaches to AI and better align learning with workforce outcomes. An educator at her core, Melissa began her career as a classroom teacher and continues to engage directly with learners and educators. She is a frequent keynote speaker and co-host of Instructure’s podcast.

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