Are you a supply teacher?

[TitaniasAss]

If so, what really helps you when you go to a school and what pisses you off?

I'm a cover manager in a secondary school and I put a pack together for every supply teacher who comes in. The pack has - a visitor booklet with map, a brief 'do's and dont's' in case they don't have much time to read it, copy of behaviour policy and lesson plans for each lesson they'll be doing. I give them a laptop (I'll have sent them their lessons) and a radio to call for support if they need it.

I had a supply teacher in last week who said she felt really unsupported and it's really bothered me, because I don't want anyone to feel that way. I couldn't check in on her more than once because I was covering lessons too, but I know that a colleague also checked in on her.

I feel like I give supply as much as I can to make their day a decent one, but if she felt like that I want to avoid it happening again. I'd be really grateful for any pointers!

What am I missing?

Crikey! I spent time working as a supply teacher and if any school provided as much as you, I'd definitely not have complained and would probably have hugged you!

I was lucky if I got any planning at all beyond a hastily scribbled note and on more than one occasion if I did get a plan for a lesson it would require numerous resources with no hint as to where they might be found! 🤣🤣

What @theresnoonequitelikegrandma said!

It’s about ten years since I last did supply but what you’re providing sounds like the very top end of what could be expected/appreciated. I really felt unsupported in some schools I went to and would have loved what you provide. I too was often given inadequate or unsuitable lesson plans- this often seemed to happen in drama lessons which was a real nightmare because of the open space and lack of structure.

The only thing I can think is- did the teacher try to have a child removed but no one helped her with that? Otherwise I don’t understand why she didn’t feel supported. Is it worth getting in touch with her again and asking her to be really specific about what happened and what she felt she needed?

And re the radio- what a wonderful thing that would have been! The number of times I had a disruptive student and no way of getting rid of them because I had no way to make contact with senior managers and no real understanding of the school’s behaviour policy. Obviously I would try to identify a sensible student and send them to find someone senior, but that didn’t often work out.

That all sounds fab. After reading your first sentence I was all set to say - show me where the toilets and staffroom are and how to get a drink/lunch. Give me a map and show me how to find the rooms I’m teaching in.
Very few schools even do the basics. You sound amazing (assuming you also did those basics).

I have a relative who does supply work. It's almost unheard of that she is provided with a laptop and she's often in an entirely different class / year group from the one she is expecting. Meaning any plans / information provided is pointless, as it doesn't apply to those she's actually teaching.

You sound like you're going above and beyond what most schools offer, and if you've never had any complaints before then I would ignore the comments about being unsupported.

Thank you so much, I really do try to make people feel welcome and want to come back!

She did call to have a child removed from the classroom for disruption and a member of SLT collected them so I hope she felt supported with that. I don't want to sound patronising, though it probably will, but she was very young and I don't think she'd much experience in secondary schools so perhaps that was it.

I just felt really bad that she felt that way.

As a supply teacher I would be fucking delighted to receive even half of that information. Most schools fail to even show you where the toilets are and many look bemused if I ask about basics like what the fire alarm policy is.

I suspect if she didn't actually provide any indication about why she felt unsupported it was a problem with this specific teacher rather than anything you did wrong.

That's all amazing. I used to be a supply teacher, many years ago, and I'm glad times have changed. I used to get absolutely nothing at all, half the time I had to ask the kids where the staff room was!

I suspect if she didn't actually provide any indication about why she felt unsupported it was a problem with this specific teacher rather than anything you did wrong.

Yes, agree with this. And if she’s new to all this she is probably going to get a nasty shock when she does supply in other schools!

Bullet point. Stages of behaviour policy.

They really don't have time to read tons of stuff while navigating so much information , different classrooms and finding where the loo and coffee is :)

Behaviour is the biggest issue. Makr that really clear and simple

If they call for help. Be prompt