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Secondary education

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So, is Cover supervisor the worst job in the world then?

32 replies

MaureenMLove · 15/02/2008 18:45

Should I just do the interview for experience and get out before I'm in, iyswim? I'm getting vibes that its not a pleasant job! Tell me the truth now, MN is good for telling you like it is!

OP posts:
ScienceTeacher · 15/02/2008 21:02

I spent a fair bit of last year doing supply work at a school that was Ofsted rated 'outstanding' in all categories. The school had about six cover supervisors, and I was basically the only supply teacher.

I will start out by saying that I had immense respect for the cover supervisors. They (the ones that stuck it out) did a wonderful job, if a bit battle weary by the summer term. Three of the six had teaching qualifications but unable to find their first job.

As a supply teacher, I would say that I had more confidence to adapt the instructions left by the class teacher. The cover supervisors were not really allowed to do this. I also had had a lot of training in classroom management (in my PGCE year, all of my classes were supervised, right up to the July). Cover supervisors had the advantage of being on staff, being known to the students, and being in the loop with disciplinary procedures.

Schools will generally share the good vs bad classes around their teachers, cover supervisors and supply teachers. However, much of the experience could be poor. A lot depends on how well you are able to dust off poor classes and look forward to the next.

The best CS that I came across were those who had ambitions to move on to the next step. They pretty much only had plans to do the job for one year, and then either teach or go onto teacher training. They basically used their CS year to build up their classroom management portfolio, much as I did as a supply teacher.

fizzbuzz · 15/02/2008 21:08

Yes, my feet never touch the floor either.

You will have to:

Referee petty squabbles in Year 7, this often takes a lot of the lesson

Bully them into action in Year 9

Confiscate a shops worth of expensive electrical items

Remove eyelash curlers

Seperate lazy/silly kids

Chase out wasps which cause mayhem. Ditto farts.

Hassle about uniform (never ending)

Deal with tears/tantrums

Stop repeat offenders fronm trying everything to get out of the classroom

Fend of requests for rulers and pens etc, as in fact you are just a walking branch of WH Smiths.

Deal with odd requests, such as do you have any bells/ping pong balls/ fairy wings (all of which I have been asked for at sometime)

Sometimes you even get to deliver a lesson as well!

Blandmum · 15/02/2008 21:13

Fizzbuzz, go to Tescos, they have some packs of 50 HB pencils for £1, and 20 pens for £1!

fizzbuzz · 15/02/2008 21:21

But do they do 2B pencils, as I swear my classes eat these (or sharpen them too enthusiastically to 2cm long...)

Completely off the track here, I once bought an electric pencil sharpner.........NEVER AGAIN.....

MaureenMLove · 15/02/2008 21:29

Right. Thankyou ladies. I really appreciate your honesty with this one!

I am moving on to a different stage of my life. DD is 12. I don't need to be around for her so much anymore and being a childminder is lovely, but I really could do with getting rid of the toys in my house! I was 40 last month and I am ready to move on with my life and get a proper job! (god help me, don't tell the cm's I said that!) I have always wanted to work with children in some form and at the time of making a career decision, teaching wasn't possible. I think that this is my year to make big changes. I reckon I am perfectly capable of dealing with students on a CS level. I am strong willed and know how to deal with a bunch of 14 year olds and can do it effectively. I know I am capable of showing them who's in charge, but at the same time showing compassion to their needs. If I have the opportunity to move on to the next step of becoming a teacher, then that would be brilliant and basically take me to where I wanted to be 20 years ago. I will go into this interview armed with all this info and by god, I'll be the best CS this school has ever had!

Thankyou again. The interview is 29th February. I have taken note of all your names and may be looking you out again in the next two weeks!

Thank god for MN, I don't know what I would have done without you!

OP posts:
MaureenMLove · 15/02/2008 21:32

Ya see, even in my novice state, I can see that an electric pencil sharpener was a BIG mistake. HUGE!

OP posts:
DualCycloneCod · 15/02/2008 22:14

lol at wasps
phse is fab how cna you not iek it?
no start after easter

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