Supply teaching

[covgal1983]

Hello, wondered if anyone out there has any words of advice...! I've been teaching for about 14 years and used to love it and considered myself to be a good teacher (and had evidence to that effect. Wasn't just deluded!!). I have two young children (3 and 5). I left my old (very beloved) school to be closer to the kids at their nursery and in doing so moved to a new school which I was less beloved of. Since then we have relocated and I've been off work during this time (summer last year).

I've just started doing supply. My thinking is that I'll get to know the local schools and also I was finding the whole getting them into bed to then work for 3 hours every night exhausting (as I know many of you do too. Much respect). Day one of supply was pretty brutal... My behaviour management skills have always been reasonable, but I think this is down to having a rapport with students and having knowledge of the sanctions etc. I arrived at this school at 855 (following a call at 820 and a 25 minute journey) and was teaching by 9 am without so much as how d'ya do (which is obviously not ideal but I know it's the situation in so many schools with the pressures therein. I'm guessing it will happen again).

Basically, I want to give supply a really good go. I know what the advantages are and, while my kids are young, I want to make the most of them. I had work 'just in case' (which I should possibly have just used as the cover work was unlikely to keep their attention them for a full hour - just to break it up); I also will at least try and ask the question 'what should I do in case students won't cooperate...?' as the secretary heads off down the corridor.

Has anyone found that supply teaching is 'an art'? Do you get better at it? Have you had an awful start and then found your way? Do you stick to your own methods or employ another (and, please, what are they...?) and do you feel as though you are anything other than a babysitter...? I would really like to feel as though I am actually contributing something to the profession that I have loved so much for so long...!

Sorry - longer than I thought! Any thoughts really welcome!!x

It is terrifying isnt it! i would say that it definitely gets easier. You'll get to know schools better after repeat visits which makes a huge difference. Just knowing where things are, what time the bells go, and some friendly faces all makes it much easier. And always think of that feeling at 3 pm, when you can just walk away!

Thank you. That does help!! A lot.

I've heard people advising supply, but honestly I've always felt it sounds like all the worst bits of teaching... (naive pgce student here though)

Definitely think that's true to a great extent: knowing a group, or individuals, and seeing them develop is brilliant. But I won't miss the endless marking - I know primary supply teachers even do that too!! Good luck with the training. If you've got little ones and are training at the same time, my hat goes off to you!

I loved and loathed supply teaching; loved for all the reasons Miaow mentions, loathed for the lack of support/isolation. (I was once asked to go and eat my packed lunch elsewhere as the staff room wasn’t big enough to accommodate extra people when the real teachers were all there. Yes, that's what the head said... the real teachers. I never went back)

Thanks so much Miaow. Really great to hear that you enjoyed so many elements of it. I really hope you did the accent with the Katie Morag nonsense! It's obvious that the system needs supply, but hard to ensure you're anymore than a babysitter (especially if you're teaching outside of your subject as I was for 80% of Friday).

Knitted - really!! The proper teachers?! Wow. I hope you were thoroughly improper from then on in!!

You really do get to see schools under the bonnet. I did it after a PGCE in rubbish schools and 'university' instead of NQT and had a good time, got asked back to good schools and didn't return a second day if i got sent to a bad school ( ie not treated as 'real teacher'). Eventually after supply in dorect schools I approached, I was offered a perm job there/NQT year and am now happily working there. Was glad to have the chance to 'try before buying' - would now never go 'cold' inot a teaching job. I may go back to supply in the future, but only direct with school as agents are sharks ( after a year with agencies I approached schools directly which is how i got into the the one I now work in)

Did you have to approach schools that you hadn't supplied at before MrsGuy?

I signed up to supply in my heyday of sleep deprivation and can't recall the contract. However, I wondered if there was anything stopping me from approaching the schools directly. I presumed there was but now I'm wondering...

I enjoy it - started in September. Have had a couple of longer term assignments and lots of day to day. 2 local schools ask for me now. It helps because the kids will pop their heads round a door and say Hi, what are you teaching today, Miss? And then have a laugh ‘cos in the last two weeks you’ve Taught them art, science, French and maths. I find a no nonsense but slightly laid back approach works well. Chat to your mate, get on with the work and I’ll leave you alone approach! I like to keep the door open which means passing SLT stick their heads round - kids very aware of the exposure. Far noisier with the door shut.

I have recently started a long term where they already love me. I have stepped in for sick colleagues, said no problem when asked to cover at the 11th hour, redone aging and tatty displays....HoD today complained of having to sort out worksheets that a supply teacher had got all mixed up. Day to day, be meticulous, leave notes re: where they got up to, what they found hard/easy, if you marked anything as a class etc. Leave desks tidy, books in neat piles, chairs tucked under/on top of desks/all glue sticks with lids on. Assume all schools have zero tolerance to coats worn in classrooms/chewing gum/talking out of turn. Don’t be afraid to pop your head round the door next door and ask if you can send in anyone troublesome. Keep in annoying children for 5 minutes at break/lunch as word gets around fast.

Carry pens, rulers, pencils, highlighter, board markers and a cloth to wipe it. Make a note of who borrows and insist it is returned. Your own pad of A4 and post-it notes are useful. I have my own thermal mug and carry all-in-one sachets of coffee & milk. Staff rooms vary in friendliness but if you say ‘had a lovely year 7 class earlier’ or something positive about the school, someone will be happy to chat!

You need a diary to mark in where you worked on which day and for which agency. I make additional notes of names and positions of people who were helpful (or not) or anything odd (room numbering is fascinating!). I have a rubber band round mine and I use it to hold supply teacher info including maps, logins, etc so schools don’t have to keep printing stuff off. The office staff appreciate this.

And whatever you do, find out where the loo is and if you need a key or passcode. Some schools are awful at this and even finding reception to help can be difficult in big schools!

Finally, a ‘sit in your normal seating plan’ as you walk through the door and then giving an opportunity to move to their actual seats helps. If you find the time, send round a piece of A4 and ask them to write their names on it, it looks like a list but you can annotate to show the teacher which seat it started at and which way it went. Several teachers have thanked me and bollocked the ones who were out of sync.

ohreally really helpful!! Thank you so much. You should write a book! Great to have people who are enjoying it responding!!

I’m primary supply after decades as a class teacher, andI love it. All the fun of teaching, none of the stress or politics. If a school is unpleasant, I don’t return. I do mark, but I leave around 5pm at the very latest, take nothing home and weekends and evenings are mine.
Been doing it almost 5 years now, work most days. I’ll never go back to the paranoia and misery of proper teaching.

I emailed local schools - was lucky that my email seemed to arrive on days they were desperate :-) They tried me, I was reliable etc ( and had portable DBS - get this as saves them time & money - so win/win). I insisted they pay me PAYE (NOT invoicing - important as they then pay NI and pension) and worked well. They texted me request for day(s), I texted back if available/not - saved them a fortune in agents fees and they get an instant response from an individual they know. Really vital tho to insist on being on their casual payroll as their payroll peeps often don't know this is perfectly legal. if they just invoice you is easier fr them, but means YOU are responsible for tax/NI and don't get pension. If the school employs you directly PAYE as a supply teacher they(and you) have to pay into teachers pension. If invoicing they don't. So be careful and hold out for PAYE. they only pay you the days you work anyway so they are vastly better off than dealing with flaky agencies.

I now do one day a week direct with a school but was doing more days - they pay me PAYE so I don't deal with that although it was a nightmare to sort out at first. They don't use my agency though and I was asked by a previous head.

I may enquire around if I'm not going to be sued or something by the agency!

Thank you, very useful

Really useful. Thank you so much

There are supply groups on Facebook which is helpful. There is a law on taking on staff who were introduced by agencies -it is something like 8 weeks of no work with them and both you and the school are free to hook up!

If secondary, asking about assemblies, special days, performances, rewards stuff etc can be useful. There is nothing worse than having to have someone sent to get you and turning up in a hall full of 300 annoyed kids who’ve been sitting in silence for 10 minutes! Also worth an ask in primary as assemblies seem to be at the oddest of times! Some neighbouring teachers will always remember you and give you a hand and others will watch you flounder. I have found having a thick skin and just asking is the only way to be.

It’s fun. It has given me huge confidence and am totally unphased by anything. I have done maths alongside the kids and compared answers, amazed year 7s with my keyboard skills, amused year 11s with mishaps whilst travelling tales, and been loved by gorgeous year 2s who fall over themselves to help for a sticker!

PS huge supply of stickers and your own personalised ‘marked by...., supply teacher’ stamp helpful as well.

I’ve been doing it a year now and I love it! I view it like a personas I try to be a bit of an entertainer and jolly them all along a bit. I do like going to new schools, which is a bonus!

Hi coffee
What made you revive a 2 year thread? Not a criticism, just curious and am thankful anyway as I want anecdotes from people currently doing supply: How long were you teaching before/any regrets/how has supply changed/have the kids changed/does everyone use interactive whiteboards now/do you usually get passwords for sims access/how much did you earn last year.
(am looking to return to teaching after a decade and will probably need to go the supply route first).
Thanks in advance

Hi Carpe, it just appeared on my email I didn’t realise it was out of date! I taught for 13 years, firstly in a male prison(!) then mainstream schools for 5 years, special schools for 7. I decided to leave as I had had enough of the politics and being constantly scrutinised. In the supply role, I’m quite direct and ask either for the whole days lessons on screen (with presenter mode enabled) and Sims ready. It’s for their benefit, so I don’t keep hassling staff! IWB are always used nowadays and I’ve taught ICT so it doesn’t faze me! How are you getting on? BTW as I’m close to London, there is a good living to be made in supply