To tell teachers that supply is possibly the best job in the world.

[Eebahgum]

I left my full time job before half term. I'm now doing supply. I LOVE it! It's everything that's great about teaching and nothing that's bad. There's a big call for supply teachers at the moment. The down side is obviously financial security and budgeting to cover non work periods but if you have lost the love for the job and think you could manage the finances do it!

Have you had any issues with behaviour or cover work not set properly? Its a possibility for me or dh because we are looking to relocate and obviously may not both get a permanent job straightaway. What is the pay like? (We're both secondary btw)

When I was in secondary school the supply teachers used to be ripped to shreds.

I went to a very rough secondary school though.

I'm primary but not really had behaviour issues yet. Strangely, one school I went into in a very rough area was lovely and my toughest time has been getting the kids in a posh school to stay focused on work. My agencies actually asked if I minded schools with behaviour issues but I said I'd be open minded and if it's awful I wouldn't go back. The work so far has always been planned although I always carry round a bag of general resources just in case and secretly hope they'll leave me nothing so I can teach what I want for the day.

I'm glad you are enjoying it so much, OP.

The issues need mentioning though. What about the annual fluctuations in demand. September has a much smaller need for cover/supply. This time of year you'd probably have your pick.
Many schools employ cover supervisors and so mamy now don't use agency supply teachers.
In long term supply you would still have all the normal downsides of teaching.

I think supply is great as an option. But only if you can cope financially and also if carrer progression isn't an issue.

I promise that those are typos!

Friend of mine says it's good in terms of not having to do parents' evenings, lesson observations, meetings etc and missing out on marking unless it's a longer assignment; not so good in terms of having to be up early, dressed and read to go to an unknown destination every day only for all that effort to be wasted if there's nothing doing.

You're right - financial security is the problem. There's no guarentee you'll get work and there will be quiet bits in the year where you're not being paid. What I'm saying is if you can manage that financially the job is amazing.

I couldn't remember starting this thread, but I agree completely OP.
I'd rather live like a student and be happy, have my weekends and evenings back and be free of the soul-destroying crap of endless hoop jumping, internal and external politics and shifting goal posts

thank you very much for this, I've been wondering whether this is the way to go myself.

Do you get to completely bypass all the Goveshit?

Completely. It's like teaching was in the old days!

I think you have just helped me reach my decision! x

I've had to leave because it was incompatible with paying for childcare, but I suspect that demand has increased recently.

Some days you pinch yourself that you're being paid to do it, other days aren't quite so good... Only one school left me vowing never to return after 4 days. I've not been the only one.

Now I'm in regular work, I notice how neglected my professional development is, especially as it's changed so much in the last few years while I've had children. But I have an unusual breadth of experience and a more open perspective than teachers that have stayed in one school for years.

Gave up permanent post for supply at Easter. Love having no prep or marking. Love freedom to tell the agency not to send me back to a school, although there has only been one so far and it was a zoo! Financial security is an issue but I am so much happier.

I am probably going on supply next year (we are also relocating). I think I am going to go independent and build up my own contacts though.

I did it for 18 months and loved it too. It was very freeing and I adored seeing different schools. I should add that after a few months I never had to do the sort of supply where you sit by the phone, I was always prebooked so ended up working in perhaps 5 schools regularly. I did start to miss being part of a team though and missing out on the highs and lows of school life.

When I was offered a contract at one of the schools I thought long and hard about taking it because I had come to enjoy the benefits of supply so much. I did take it and have been incredibly happy at that school for 14 years! I think all teachers ought to do some supply though, you learn such alot.

I was independent Charles and I know we are going back a bit here but it really was no problem at all. Work started to pick up after a couple of months and I was never short of work.

I'm going back to supply after a term and a half on contract. I've hated working every evening and through the holidays and weekends, staying at school till 6 trying to catch up, never seeing my own kids....

I'm independent on supply and only work for a couple of schools. I've been offered a regular day a week, which will give me security, without the huge workload, and I'll save and budget any extra money I get, whilst enjoying my freedom!

I used to do supply and loved it but that was before I had DC. How do you work your childcare? If you don't use it do you still have to pay for it?

I work part time (I and half days) on a permanent contract. It suits me great. I cover ppa so no proper class responsibility, although I do pan my own lessons and do the marking. I love it and it suits with the rest of my family. Plus I do get booked to cover colleagues when they go on courses so have the opportunity to earn a bit extra every now and again.

Although I did a lot of cover one week, last November. It turned out to be 4 and half days in of work in one week! I was knackered! LOL and so were the dc (up early for childcare drop offs)...

My childcare arrangements are 3 days with grandparents (which are flexible) and 2 days with childminder, which I pay for regardless of whether I use it or not.

From a parent's point of view it isn't so good. DD is just about to start year 10. Whenever she has a had a supply teacher they haven't done any useful work or learned anything new. The "lessons" have been a waste of time.

'Completely. It's like teaching was in the old days!'

Yes. This.
I started teaching in the early 80s, and the last 6 years or so have been beyond belief, despite the fact that I was in a good/outstanding school.

Bunbaker, is that because the school aren't providing cover work that is sufficiently well-planned, or employing supply/cover staff of a high enough quality? Or is the discipline what's stopping the pupils from learning?
The point being that teachers have been saying that the current climate of paperwork, observations, unrealistic expectations, fear and stress is unmanageable for many of us. No one listens or cares.
So I can see teaching becoming a job for the young and unencumbered, or for a short period of less than 10 years, or done on a supply basis.
Voted with my feet.