When the Teacher's Away...

     I've recently had to miss some school days. At my school, as in any classroom, this is a BIG deal. Not only do teachers meticulously prepare sub notes (spending hours on it--what other profession does this?), but they also assemble everything and more that the sub could possibly want.
     After completing my four pages of sub notes, I took off on my unexpected journey, knowing I'd be gone at least three days. This is a huge amount of time in my school and I prayed the kids would keep up.

Photo mitalk.umich.edu

     So that's my question today to pose to you. How can we ensure student engagement when emergencies require our presence away from the classroom? How can we make sure learning continues and students progress? Three days in my world is like two weeks in a normal room.
     How did my students do? Well, the jury's still out on that one. So far they've (most of them) have made progress--some. But their targets were higher than that...
     I guess when the teacher's away, the students probably do goof around some, no matter how high the quality of sub you have. And mine is excellent!
     I'd be interested in knowing your answers. How can I keep students engaged and learning in a class that is taught one-on-one with self-directed students? I'd be curious to see your thoughts!