To be a bit shocked and upset about the feedback I've received from a school I did supply at?

[LemonCurdTarts]

I'm a TA who does supply work for an agency. I've been doing it since October last year and generally love it. I move from school to school and every place is different, some schools I like more than others obviously, but
I've always had really good feedback from the places I've visited and on several occasions the schools have actually requested me personally when they've needed someone else.

Last week I was sent to a school that I've not not been to before, I always Google the school beforehand to see where I'm going and what to expect etc and I soon discovered that this school had failed it's inspection late last year and was in special measures. When I arrived I was quickly shoved into the class I'd be working in, it was a very large nursery class, the teacher told me it was her PPA session before buggering off and leaving me alone with two other TA's who were really hostile and unwelcoming and who barely spoke to me.

The TA's took the class that morning and the kids played for bit before watching a video,in the afternoon the teacher returned, she was clearly really disorganised and spent the rest of afternoon sat at table in the corner doing paper work and leaving me and one of the other TA's to mind the class for her. She then asked me to do an activity with a group of children, barely explained it, chucked it at me and wandered off. I could see straight how badly planned it was, it was also muddled up and I had to spend ages putting it in the right order before doing the activity.

Anyway to cut a very long story short my manager at the agency phoned me today and asked how I'd got on at the school. I said it was OK, but I felt the teacher was very disorganised. She then said that school had given feedback saying I stood around doing nothing and that I didn't interact with the children properly. All of which is incorrect and quite frankly rubbish, my manager thankfully said she'd always had positive feedback from my other placements and didn't think it was true but had to raise it with me.

I'm so upset and this has really knocked my confidence. It's not true and I'm also angry that they've slagged me off to my agency. AIBU to feel this way? They are liars, and are blaming me for their own lack of organisation.

Yanbu, sorry you had such a shit experience. Feel sad for the kids stuck there every day, it hardly sounds like a nurturing learning environment! How did the other TAs interact with the children?

The other TA's interacted ok with the kids, but surely a teacher should be taking the class for PPA cover? Ive never seen TA's left in charge like that before. Or maybe I've just been lucky?

Definitely YANBU for feeling upset, but I would try not to come across as angry and defensive to the agency. If you have to discuss it with the agency again, I think you should present a detailed account of your plan, how you put it into action, anything that came up and how you dealt with it. Fine to mention the actions of the other teachers, TAs but don't come across as blaming them for your experience (because this might seem like an admission you didn't do well). Ultimately, if you've had good feedback before I wouldn't worry - some schools can just be toxic environments sadly and you can just chalk it up to experience and not accept anymore work there in future.

Yanbu. I'd write out a summary as you've done in your OP, keeping it factual and email it to your manager so you've got a paper trail. Sounds like you've been diplomatic about how bad it was on the phone so it might be handy in case the school complain about anyone else sent to them.

I didn't get angry or defensive. I'm more bemused and a bit shocked than anything else, after all I did everything asked of me and more. I even stayed behind and tidied up after everyone else has left. Nothing was explained to me properly, I didn't know the children's names, where anything was and what the plan was.

I'm going to another new school for the rest of the week from tomorrow and am now really worried and nervous.

Welcome to supply. I've done lots of supply as a teacher for 4 years and some people will look for the negatives. It's really hard when you get negative feedback - especially when it's not from the person but from the agency.

I would try not to take it personally. You just can't please some people. Hope you get a lovely school next week.

If you enjoy the work you are probably good at it. Chalk this one down to experience and move on.

Is it common to get negative feedback Orlando? I'm still quite new to all of this.

The school is in a place that's a bit parochial to say they least. Maybe my face just didn't fit or something?

I've had negative feedback before. The hardest thing is not being able to defend it or explain things from your perspective. Things can easily be misinterpreted and people can take a dislike to you.

Could you make up your own check-list for what you expect to receive in order to succeed and quickly mark each placement against it? Just for your own records.

Then when it is a good school you can flag what helped and if it was a tough placement, highlight when they feel short. If a school falls really short, then you can preemptively let your agency know what you encountered.

Yanbu to be pissed off. But the school is in special measures, I am sure you are not surprised they are placing the blame for their crappiness at everyone else's door, apart from their own.

When you work in a lot if places some will like you, some won't. As long as the majority of feedback is good. You will be fine.

Unfortunately some people are just not very nice people.

I'm glad I no longer do supply. I am very self conscious and worry a lot - and teaching and feedback can really affect you. I always worried what other people thought about me.

Some schools are really good and supportive. Some schools are crap. I can name a lot of schools which are both - and unsurprisingly the crap schools have a poor reputation and lose staff.

I won't ever go back there now. Before this I'd have overlooked the rudeness and gone back if push came to shove, but never again.

The following day I was at another new school. I'd only been back home five minutes before the agency rang asking me to go back the following day because they'd liked me so much. So I know it's not me and them, but it's still really disheartening that they've blamed me for their own poor organisation.

Welcome to the world of supply. I will not share details but sometimes schools are just crap. You have a good record and the agency is your employer not this terrible school. Try and put it behind you as I have had to do this week. It does knock your confidence. You are too good for them I'm afraid.

I'm going to try and put it behind me now. I suppose I've been naive about the fact that not all schools are nice.

Put it behind you and remember, it is probably the teacher blaming everyone else they can for their shit teaching.

I cover PPA and when my teacher has courses she leaves the planning and I run the class for the day with additional TA's from school, they don't bring in cover.

It's a shame you've had a bad experience, put it behind you.

Yup, put it behind you and move on. I've had some negative feedback before, and like Miaow, I get far more repeat business and positive feedback.
Think on the good stuff and don't fret, you've been doing this less than a year and it will happen again, no matter how fabulous you are.
Just don't go back, even if they are desperate. You don't suit them and they certainly don't suit you.

Hi there OP! I work as a supply teacher & I hate it! Luckily I've not had any bad feedback BUT I have been to schools where I've been told by the agency that work would be set & I arrive & it isn't... Then it's my fault for not being prepared apparently! And don't even get me started on the brutality of the selection process within schools. It's so depressing to desperately want to be part of an environment but constantly being rejected. Anyway I digress... YANBU at all. It's a shitty thing to have happened & it's really hard to not take it personally, so I won't even say that. Brood, & then move on. Sure you will be fab!

The school I've just finished working at (my hours were cut down to something ridiculous) use two TAs as PPA cover every other week.

I love supply, if there's no work set, I go off piste with joy!
I also come with my own drywipe pens, paper and tissues and whatnots so that I don't get flustered and the class don't smell blood in the water.

As others have said, welcome to the world of supply. If anything goes wrong it's your fault, if the school are crap it's your fault, if you aren't a mind reader is your fault.

Many schools don't realise how crap they are and how poor they are at communication. I've lost count of the number of placements where children had serious needs/medical problems that I was not told about but should have picked up from the ether. Even better the ones who send all the difficult children into the class I'm teaching in so that the other teachers can have a rest and the ones that remove all of the ta support for statemented children so that they can do 'jobs' around the school instead like sorting the lost property box

At the end of the day, I never gave a flying fuck what the shit schools thought of me. I always got repeat custom so I know I can do my job. I usually pre-empt the difficult days by phoning the agency as soon as I leave to report the shocking events.

As someone else said you start to hear the same schools mentioned on the circuit as either nice or nasty.