Teachers for Supply

As the very nature of the job dictates as a supply teacher you need to be pretty organised as often you will get a phone call in the morning to teach a class that day. Usually once you arrive at the school there will be a lesson plan either left by the teacher or one very quickly cobbled together by another member of staff if the absence is unexpected. This can be very difficult as in both scenarios it can be quite difficult to follow someone else’s lesson plan successfully.

That’s why as a supply teacher it’s always best to have a plan B, when accepting the job if you can find out what age group you will be teaching and which subjects you can then take along your own lesson plan as a back up if the work is finished too early or if your not getting on with the plan left for you.

It’s always useful to have a back catalogue of activities and work sheets to hand in a folder for this purpose organised by age level and subject with varying degrees of difficulty to suit all levels in the class.

These lesson plans are actually available online and you can print of work sheets and activities as well as buy topic books that have lesson plans to work from.

It takes a bit of work to put this together but you certainly will be glad that you have it.

Being a supply teacher, as with most jobs, has its advantages and disadvantages that you will need to consider before entering in to this type of work. Below I have discussed some of the main pros and cons of the job so you can weigh up if it is more suitable for you:

Advantages:

• Short term supply teaching (normally 1 or 2 days at the same locations) can mean that yu do not have to worry about marking, reports, displays and parents evenings. You simply go in to the classroom and teach.
• Often the lessons are already planned, you just follow someone else’s lesson plan and leave at the end of the day – meaning a lot less admin for you
• You have the flexibility to pick and choose the days you work and locations and schools you work in
• Have the excitement of being at a different school teaching different ages of pupils on a weekly basis if not daily.

Disadvantages:

• No fixed income – You may have a full week the one week and then nothing for the rest of the month
• Not being able to get to know a class well enough to teach them to the best of your ability
• Not having much flexibility on how a lesson is taught as you may have to follow a lesson plan already created for you
• Not being able to gain control of a classroom as supply teachers are often targeted within schools by students wishing to cause disruption

 

It’s a well-known fact that the faces of many a secondary school student will light up at the sight of a supply teacher, someone who doesn’t know the ropes, doesn’t know all the schools procedures and protocols. However a supply teacher need not be a push-over, you can still effectively run a class and manage their behaviour as a permanent teacher would.

It is difficult dealing with students that you have little information about and you can never be sure of the sort of classroom environment that you will be teaching in that day, however by following a few simple points you can be as prepared as possible.

• Be firm from the start – when starting the lesson it’s important to show the students that you are confident and in control.
• Remain calm and avoid head on confrontations – if behaviour starts to slip make sure that you are familiar with the schools sanction policy and calmly remind students of this without singling out individuals causing unnecessary confrontations.

And finally

• Keep the students busy by ensuring that you have a back-up plan of extra work should the lesson plan be completed early.

 

Being a supply teacher is a rewarding job because a person can concentrate on teaching a subject and manage flexible time. Furthermore, there are lots of instances when supply teachers are needed. This resulted to more supply teacher jobs Grantham educators to choose from.But more than just the job offer, prospective supply teachers must know the qualities that will make them great in the field.

The following are the characteristics that make a reliable supply teacher…..

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Supply teachers are more in demand than ever, and with teachers having to have time out of the classroom for planning, they are being used on a regular basis. If you are a supply teacher, you may be interested to know how you can find positions available in your area. Some supply teachers already have a bank of schools that they work with and often find that they have 2 or 3 days work every week, for those that are not so lucky there are specialist agencies that can help. Supply teacher recruitment agencies allow you to register with them and then apply for supply positions that become available. Some of these teaching jobs will be for a fixed term and others will be a day or two here and there. Once registered, they will call you if a job becomes available that they think you would suit your requirements.