Any Cover Supervisors out there?

I would try to use as much time as you can in your first couple of weeks to visit each department and sit in on lessons. Get to know the tricky kids and specific classroom expectations for each subject. Always have a seating plan (teachers should have these) and use them. Make sure you record awards and consequences yourself so that you are seen to have authority in your classroom. Be around on corridors as much as you can so that you get to know students and they see you as a teacher and not visiting supply.

Are you doing it one school or as a cover supervisor supply? In one school you’ll be fine by Easter but a different school everyday, I wouldn’t fancy it.

Every teacher I have known in every school I’ve worked in has had to do this. If yours doesn’t expect it I think you are lucky.

Where I am, it usually the HOS if the teacher doesn't set work. It is a lot though. There is so much absence at the moment, probably exacerbated by the additional work related to ....high levels of absence! We end up using a lot of agency staff, but that has its own problems.

However, it does work out usually and SLT should be understanding considering how stretched everyone is.

I know that! That's my point.

They all set work from home when they're sick, which is never going to work well.

I agree re setting work, but who should do it? I at work at 7. There is no.way if I'm.teaching all day that I can set work.for an absent colleague who is also teaching all day. Might be easier for some subjects. Teach foreign languages. It puts some people off having time off as setting cover is a nightmare. We trying to create some stand alone lessons

Schools are very stretched right now and teachers sending in cover work from home, at 7 in the morning, when they're ill, is never going to result in an amazing, detailed lesson plan!
they shouldnt be setting work at all

I'm.a teacher. At our school.most cover is PowerPoint that you are expected to teach. I think.tbis is the way most schools are going. I would saying knowing the behaviour policy is vital-rewards as well as sanctions. Hopefully it is fit for purpose. I would make a point of, where possible popping my head in nxt door's classroom to remind u r nxt door- Hopefully people will do same to u. Circulate the room. I retiring early, thinking I might do this to top.up.my pension. Have some cheap biros on hand to prevent pupils avoiding work. I agree re getting kids to not leave room.messy. it will get easier as kids realise you are not just there as a one off. Follow through what you say. They will remember. I agree accepting the fact that they may not get a lot of work done. Often when i .leave cover, the last thing I want is for pupils to.run.out of work, so I leave far too much
The quality of cover left may vary. There is a difference bwn emergency cover for illness set by ill teacher or HOD that morning, or that for a planned absence. Be flexible e.g. if in an English cover lesson.u might want yo search on you tube for a particular scene from a play- just be careful re ratings. Good luck OP

When you’re taking the register, draw a quick map of the classroom with their names. Behaviour warnings are instantly more effective if you can use their name and you can report back on effort and progress etc.

Behaviour management is your main issue. You are not their "real" teacher and they play on it .

Start as you mean to go on. Be consistant. Follow the school behaviour policy to the letter. Send them out if they dont come in how you expect. Strsight away. Then speak to them. Tell them your exoextations. Then allow them bsck in. Spend time on how they enter it sets their expectations

I work with them as I manage all the absence/cover in a secondary school.

IME it isn't a job that people stay long in. But I think that is because a lot of people use it as a stepping stone to teacher training.

It is quite stressful, but it pays better than TA generally and at least you get to manage the classroom instead of deferring to someone else.

I'd say behaviour is the biggest challenge in the school I work in. There is support, but sometimes there just isn't enough to go round. I think that the better you get to know the children and they you, the better it gets.

Teachers hate coming back to a messy classroom and kids try to get away with not putting things away when they think they can get away with it (ie a supply teacher). So that's one thing to consider.

I think that keeping the kids quiet and safe is the main priority. You can only work with what you have and sometimes lesson plans are a single line of text, so there is a level of winging it at times!

Schools are very stretched right now and teachers sending in cover work from home, at 7 in the morning, when they're ill, is never going to result in an amazing, detailed lesson plan!

It isn't always possible to allocate the 'right' subjects to cover supervisors as the classes need to be covered. It's the same with teachers. Sometimes the French teacher has to cover a Science lesson or whatever. That can be challenging but teachers and SLT should be understanding about what you can do in those circumstances.

Your disadvantage is if you don't know the kids. So my advice is make sure you try and learn names as much as you can. Insist on the seating plans and use that information.

I've seen some excellent CS - as well as some who struggle. You'll know a lot if you've been a TA, but kids do basically want to learn, do helping them do that is a win. Good luck!

Schools now expect cover supervisors to actually deliver the lesson. Not so much supervising as delivering the work set by the teacher. I am a teacher and I personally would not fancy it.

Hated it. I have roughly 2 years experience as a CS. Let me tell you a few things.

The students regard CS's as unqualified teachers. They have no respect for them, will mess about in lessons and you have little opportunity to develop good relationships with students.

I recently had the misfortune as working as a CS in a "reputable" academy trust school. Hated every minute of this. Was expected to teach subjects such as Geography when I had no qualification in this. No generic cover work set, just a PowerPoint I was expected to deliver. When I raised this to the assistant head, they said "you have to deliver what's on the PowerPoint, don't just give textbook work".

That was despite me not being a qualified teacher. If you are paid as a cover supervisor, you should just supervise, but try to help as much as you can.

Oooh I did this job for a year. A while ago.

IME there are two types of CSs: the ones who want to be mates with the kids, so they are nice to them and do have a good relationship, but not much work gets done; and the ones who are stricter and less popular. Both have a role to play.

I think behaviour management is key, make sure you are all over the rules and sanctions you can use. Be consistent and fair. Don’t expect too much work tbh - a quiet calm room is a winner.

good luck!