As a substitute teacher, you have two types of records to maintain. First, there are the records that you are asked to keep as part of your work in the classroom. These include: Notes to the regular classroom teacher Attendance records Lunch counts (if necessary) Graded work (if required) Time/attendance sheets for yourself Any other paperwork required by your schools or school district Questions about how to accurately fill out these forms can be answered by administrative personnel and school district personnel. You can also learn more about the types of paperwork required of many teachers by investigating how to deal with paperwork. In addition, you should keep a log for your own personal records. A plain notebook or journal will work well. The important thing is to record your work history for both your personal financial records and to provide insight that can help you gain more satisfaction and success from your teaching. Your entries in the log can be short, but be succinct and include such information as: Date: School: Grade/Subject Area: Teacher: Two to three sentences describing your day: An idea that I can use again: You might also like to devise a simple overall rating system using apples, such as 4 apples for a great experience and 1 apple for an experience you don't wish to repeat. These entries should be completed in about five minutes and will be extremely valuable as you develop your own Substitute Portfolio.