Become a Substitute / Guest Teacher!

Earn Up to $150 per Day!

While compensation varies from district to district, you can make between $100 and $200 a day as a substitute teacher. Colorado issues three types of substitute authorizations -- 1-year, 3-year and 5-year -- based on your educational background and experience, which allow you to work as a substitute teacher in a Colorado public school district, BOCES, charter school or CDE-approved facility school. Issued without a specific content or endorsement area, all substitute authorizations are valid for serving in K-12 classrooms.

Serving as a substitute teacher also offers opportunities to:

Enjoy a flexible work schedule
Explore teaching as a career
Build skills and confidence
Make a difference in the lives of students

Have a heart for our youngest students? Your CDEC qualifications may allow you to be hired as a substitute for early childhood director and teacher vacancies. Contact a substitute placement agency* to start working with Colorado's youngest school-aged children today!

*This is only for preschool placements. All others should contact the district, BOCES, charter school or CDE-approved facility school in which they would like to serve.

Contact Us

Educator Recruitment

Licensing Support Request form

720-739-3304
(8:30 am - 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday)

Colorado Substitute Authorizations

Become a sub in three easy steps!

Interested?

Get started on your path to substitute teaching! It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. If you've not already done so, submit your fingerprints to CBI for CDE licensure purposes.

2. Select "click to apply" beneath the authorization type for which you qualify (below), follow the steps on the checklist and submit an application.

3. Visit this school districts web page to identify where you would like to serve and give them a call and apply!

5-Year Substitute Authorization

To qualify for a 5-year substitute authorization requires, you must hold or have held a Colorado or other state-issued teacher license and have a current fingerprint-based criminal history report/background check on file with CDE. During the application process, those with out-of-state teacher licenses will be required to upload a copy of the certificate. Alternative or provisional teacher, special services provider, principal and administrator licenses and CTE, temporary, adjunct, substitute emergency and other authorizations do not qualify; it must be a full teacher license.

Once issued, the authorization is valid in all Colorado school districts, BOCES, charter schools and approved facility schools.

Learn about the Fingerprint-based Background
Click to Apply

3-Year Substitute Authorization

To qualify for a 3-year substitute authorization, you must hold an earned bachelor's or higher degree in any content area from a regionally accredited college or university and have a current fingerprint-based criminal history report/background check on file with CDE. During the application process, you will be required to upload a copy of the official, degree-conferred transcript(s) into your application.

Once issued, the authorization is valid in all Colorado school districts, BOCES, charter and approved facility schools.

Learn about the Fingerprint-based Background
Click to Apply

1-Year Substitute Authorization

To qualify for a 1-year substitute authorization, you must hold high school diploma or its equivalent, have a current fingerprint-based criminal history report/background check on file with CDE and attest to having successful experience working with children. Ideal for anyone recent college graduates, career-changers and anyone interested in serving their communities and its students!

Learn about the Fingerprint-based Background
Click to Apply

Once issued, the authorization is valid in any accepting Colorado school district, BOCES, charter and approved facility school.

Sign up for Substitute Boot Camp

Make a difference in children's lives by serving as a substitute teacher! CDE's Substitute Boot Camp is a FREE virtual course that will prepare you to be successful throughout your substitute career, from day one on the job. This course is an excellent resource for current and future substitutes who will learn about their roles and responsibilities, including:

Understanding and executing academic lesson plans
Preparing lesson plans when lesson plans aren't available
Building student relationships and developing classroom management skills
Following school procedures and responding to emergencies

Substitute Boot Camps are facilitated in the Moodle online course system. Register via the button below. Within five (5) business days, you will receive an email from Moodle detailing how to set up your account and access the course, which takes about two hours to complete and which you can do as time allows.

Review the course outline to learn more about the Sub Boot Camp Moodle course. REGISTER for the Sub Boot Camp Moodle course

Profile of a Guest Teacher

Ever wonder what a great substitute looks like? They look just like you! When a full-time teacher is unable to be in their classroom, an effective substitute must step in. When substitute teachers are prepared with a passion for sharing knowledge as well as many other essential characteristics, they are destined for success!

Great substitute teachers:

have a passion for working with students and often inspire them. By showing love for what they do, a sub gets students more involved in learning and spark an interest for topics you are teaching.
display enthusiasm for learning, which helps students become more driven towards learning. By piquing a student’s interest, effective substitute teachers can help get students involved in learning outside of the classroom. The buzz a substitute creates around their own interest for learning can help ignite a connection between academics and "real-life."
are organized. When possible, familiarizing yourself with the lesson plan ahead of time will be especially helpful.
show a genuine care for students and are able to establish a supportive and optimistic classroom environment. Students often learn from the teacher’s actions so teachers should exemplify positive behavior for students to emulate. Getting to know needs, interests and talents of individual students helps them feel as though the educational relationship is a partnered learning experience.
have effective classroom management skills. There are many roles a substitute teacher must step into, but the role of classroom manager is one of the most important and difficult. Without it, sufficient teaching and learning cannot take place. A substitute teacher must effectively manage time and clearly outline academic and behavioral expectations so that students are prepared to succeed.

Just as each teacher and teaching style is unique, so is each school and classroom. To prepare accordingly, be sure to review the resources provided on this webpage.

Resources

Need a bit of help starting your new substitute job? Several these resources will help you gain insight into the classroom.

Additional Training through SubSchool

"Welcome to Substitute Teaching" is a free course that will set you up for a successful start to your substitute teaching journey. The curriculum is based on the Substitute Teacher Competency Framework. Visit SubSchool.org to get started.

YouTube Videos

Articles

Free Advising Call

TEACH Colorado offers free advising calls with TEACH Colorado coaches to answer questions and share more insight about life in the classroom. Schedule a 1-on-1 call with a TEACH Colorado coach today.