Any one know what a Cover Supervisor is?

[MaureenMLovesmincepies]

I've applied for a job, so I suppose I really should confirm what I think it is!

Its in a Secondary school and the job spec says:

'Due to our cover supervisors recently progressing to the graduate teacher programme, we now have vacancies'

Its training to be a cover supervisor, I'm assuming its the term given to TA's in secondary schools. No experience is necessary.

No, not TA, it is the name given to epople who supervise classes when teachers are off sick. Not a v nice job imo, but depends on the school!

Good luck! I think Cover Supervisors substitute for teachers for specific hours and deliver pre-prepared lesson plans depending on the subject.
I think there is less 1-1 than a TA in a primary school would get....

Oh sh*t, what have I done! New mantra needed!

I can do this, no experience is required, they will be training me! I am a 40 year old woman, with heaps of experience with children between 0 -15! I am not stupid!

Thankyou ladies.

Maureen I'm a 37 yo woman with 12 years teaching experience in inner city comps and I hate covering lessons good luck, you loony

O M G! I am a looney aren't I? Its a girls school too, they're complete b*tches aren't they.

Mind you, I can hold my own! Mother is a retired Head teacher, I'm a childminder and Guider to 24 wonderful Guides between 10 - 16. Don't mess with the Mo!

I won't even get the job, its the first one I've applied for for 11 years!

Maureen...you wouldn't be stalking dd would you to check on her footwear...
Ha ha, I bet you get the job too! They are going to love that CV...

oh don't let me put you off, I'm suffering from jaded teacher syndrome at the moment, partly due to being off sick with a chest infection and enjoying it rather too much good luck!

No Marina, different school!

Maureen I would love you - our cover supervisors save us from umpteen cover lessons - usually Languages lessons or so it seems

Just be grumpy and firm as hell - you'll love it

I'm a cover supervisor: I've been doing it for 2.5 yrs. It was a very steep learning curve at first, but gets easier. It's a very busy job, no two days are the same, and you'll never be bored!

If you have any specific questions, ask away.

We've found it's important to have very firm guidelines to stick to, as you will be given more and more to do until you say no.

I am paid for 32.5 hrs pw, do up to 15 hrs cover per week, plus usually 2.5 hrs form/registration time each week.

During the rest of the time I have admin/support responsibilities for my department, I do all the admin/payments/paperwork and parent liaison relating to two European trips, plus various admin/planning/feedback relating to cover, and I also run two lunchtime reading clubs.

I also try and get into some 'regular' lessons to observe as often as possible.

(I'm a secondary TA & the terms still confuse me) - does a cover supervisor actually teach the lesson from the teachers notes - or simply read out instructions left by the teacher ?
We get some supply teachers in (although us TAs also do it too) but in a lesson today - she simply read out the paragraph left by the teacher & then sat there & read a book. I think she got up once to walk round the class. Bet shes on 3 times what I earn too!

If the vacancy has come about because the current CSs are training to be teachers, then it sounds like a really good school to be in.

When I supplied, I always tried to teach as much of the lesson as possible. If the teacher had left 'read pages blah blah blah, and answer the questions at the bottom of the page', I would invariably get members of the class to read aloud. With the questions, I would always check over the answers with the class as a whole. I would always do starters and plenaries.

It is mind-numbing just to put the work on the board and then sit there for an hour. Plus, the kids expect you to know it all!

I was about to post 'Roisin is a CS'

But she'd beaten me to it!

You have to be quite 'robust' in your first few weeks, as the kids will try to pull a fast one and muck about.

But word will soon get round that you don't allow messing about!

Our cover lessons tend to be fairly self explanatory.....we set written work, work sheets, reading the text book and answering lessons, rather than having practical lessons!

The CS don't plan the lesson or mark it. They would help the students, but they tend to do that more on a 1 to 1 basis rather than 'teaching from the front' IYSWIM

Whizz, lots of our more experienced TAs moved to be CSs when they brought them in, and very good they are too!

I am not allowed to do 'active teaching'. However ...

I do give instructions from the front. I do adapt the work left by teachers, and wherever possible chunk it down into manageable sections. Usually I will take feedback on the different sections too, to make sure everyone is on the right track. Often we are asked to get the students to mark each other's work (simple tests and so on). I also always do starters and plenaries (which I plan myself).

IME the more 'active' you are, the less likely you are to have serious discipline problems.

In my departments/specialities I do more active teaching.

Whenever possible (for planned cover) I get hold of the work the night before to glance over it.

For emergency cover in the English Department I also usually set the work (from a bank of cover work I've set up), sometimes this is for other people to deliver.

In our school reading out instructions and handing out worksheets just wouldn't work. If we have supply teachers in who try this it usually ends in disaster, and they don't get asked back

It does grate a bit when I have a teacher begging me to cover their lesson if I'm already over my quota, when they don't want an unknown supply teacher who gets paid three times what I do!

Thanks people. I'm liking the sound of this job more and more!

The job spec finishes by saying once the training is finished, candidates may apply for one of the permanent positions.

I am a very hard task master and I certainly don't take any sh*t! I am fair and fun, but ultimately, I am in charge. I think I might re-word that, if I am offered an interview!

'I would work hard to maintain a clam and supportive working enviroment for the students in the class'

Is how you word it

Roisin is right, 'Chunking' the lesson, breaking it into little bits is often an excellet thing to do.

an calm environment! FFs!

Calm, not full of sea food!

Now, you just know that that line is going to stick in my mind and I will say it, should I get an interview!

just don't say 'clam' whatever you do! Or snigger!

Fingers crossed for you getting the interview.

I am a cover supervisor in Reception in a local primary school and I love my job.I wouldn't want to work higher than year 1 as my colleagues are stressed & fed up with their jobs as the children become more difficult.