High School English Curriculum for Long-Term Subs and Leave Cover
This grades 9–12 English curriculum is for the substitute who will run a high school English classroom for weeks or months while the regular teacher is on leave. It contains 100+ ready-to-teach resources for literary analysis across stories, drama, poetry, essays and speeches, plus analytical and argumentative essay writing, so students keep producing serious work instead of filling time.
See the English curriculum →ELA Complete – High School is a digital grades 9–12 English curriculum with 100+ resources, starting at $149.90. A long-term substitute can teach analysis of theme, characterization, symbolism, structure, rhetoric and point of view across short stories, novels, drama, poetry, essays and speeches, and guide multi-paragraph analytical and argumentative essays from planning to editing. It is no-prep, sequenced and downloads instantly.
The curriculum
ELA Complete – High School, Grades 9–12
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
The real problem
What a long high school English leave demands
High school English students will test whether a sub can actually teach literature. Ask a junior class what a symbol means and you will get silence, a clever deflection, or a better answer than you expected. If you cannot follow up with a real question about structure or rhetoric, the room drifts. The workload is heavy too. Multi-paragraph essays are the core of the course, and a long-term sub is expected to assign them, teach students how to build them, and grade them. Seniors may need grades for college applications or graduation, and they will ask about every point. Course content varies by grade and teacher. One section may be reading drama, another poetry, a third working on rhetorical analysis of speeches, and the absent teacher's plans may describe the texts but not the lessons. You need material you can lift into whatever a class is doing, a way to teach analytical writing step by step, and enough variety across genres that a semester does not become six weeks of the same worksheet.
Why it fits
Why it works for a high school English sub
These parts of the curriculum line up with what older students and their grades require.
- Analysis lessons on theme, characterization, symbolism and structure apply to whatever text a class is reading.
- Rhetoric and point of view lessons let you teach speeches and essays as seriously as fiction.
- Coverage of drama and poetry lets you match sections that were on different genres before the leave.
- Multi-paragraph essay lessons move from planning to editing, so you teach the essay, not just assign it.
- Analytical and argumentative writing lessons give juniors and seniors work that counts.
- Units can be taught individually, so you can follow the absent teacher's sequence where it exists.
Getting started
How to start the leave with momentum
A suggested first two weeks. The curriculum gives you the lessons; this order is one practical way to use them.
- Map what each section was readingBefore your first class, list each section's current text or genre. Then find the matching analysis lesson in the curriculum so each class continues its genre instead of starting over.
- Run a close-reading discussionUse a lesson on symbolism or characterization in your first week. A focused discussion shows students you know the material and shows you who participates and who hides.
- Teach the thesis before the essaySpend a period on planning: a claim, the evidence, the structure. Students who skip this step write summaries, and summaries are slow and frustrating to grade.
- Draft in class, not at homeLet students draft at least part of the essay in class. You can confer with individuals, catch problems early and see the writing as it happens.
- Grade with the writing focus in mindWhen final essays come in, grade on the analytical skills you taught. It keeps feedback consistent across sections and makes your grades easier to defend to seniors and parents.
Which version
Choosing between the two versions
The $149.90 version includes the full 100+ resources and covers a typical leave. The $189.90 version adds the Teach-Life-Balance course with a planner, guides and templates for managing your own time. It adds no literature or writing lessons, but grading essays for several sections is where many English teachers lose evenings, so it is a reasonable choice if that is your concern. If you are also covering a middle school ELA section in a combined school, ELA Complete – Middle School can be added, and TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off when both are bought together.
Honest limits
What you supply yourself
Whole novels and plays are not included, so book-length works come from the school's library or book room. Essays still need your reading and written feedback; no key replaces that. Check the content against your state's high school English standards and your district's text lists. Department use is possible after a short message to Teach Lessons. If the curriculum turns out not to fit your assignment, you can trade it for store credit of equal value within 7 days.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it aligned to Common Core or state English standards?
It is not endorsed, adopted or certified by any state or by Common Core, and we do not claim official alignment. It is written for U.S. high school English classrooms and covers literary analysis and writing. Check it against your state standards and course descriptions, particularly for classes that count toward graduation requirements.
Can I use it with the novel the class is already reading?
Yes. Lessons on theme, characterization, symbolism and structure work with any novel or play. The curriculum does not include the book itself, so use the school's copies. When the class finishes, the short stories, poetry, essays and speeches in the curriculum carry you forward. Analytical essays on the novel can use the curriculum's planning and drafting lessons as well.
How do I handle seniors worried about grades?
Be clear about criteria before essays are due and grade against the skills you taught. The curriculum's step-by-step writing lessons give you a defensible process: planning, drafting, revising, editing. Keep a record of what each assignment measured so the returning teacher can follow your grades.
Does it include AP-specific material?
The product is described as a grades 9–12 English curriculum covering literary analysis and writing. It is not labeled as an AP course, so if you are covering an AP section, compare it with that course's requirements yourself and use the school's own AP materials where needed.
Can it cover several grades at once?
Yes. It spans grades 9–12 and supports mixed-ability classrooms. You might teach rhetoric through speeches with juniors while freshmen work on characterization in short stories. Because the structure is consistent, switching between sections during the day is easier. One set of analysis vocabulary across all your sections also makes essay feedback more consistent from class to class.
How do I access the curriculum?
Access is instant. A download link arrives by email after you pay, and the files remain in your customer account under Orders. You can print or project them right away, so you are ready even if you were assigned the leave on short notice. Start by choosing one analysis lesson that matches each section's current text.
Teach real literature through the whole leave
The product page shows what is included in the grades 9–12 English curriculum.
See the English curriculum →