Being a Cover Supervisor

[Pleaselettheholidayend]

Been a SAHM for a few years and recently began applying for roles - within the last month or so.

I got a call from an education agency last week to see if I was interested in doing some cover supervisor workin secondary schools. I think I'm going to go for it, I really like the flexibility and we are going to look to move house so it would be good to have a job that's not tied to one place and can travel with me.

However! I'm slightly terrified - I've not really any education experience and I school is not that distant a memory that I don't remember the treatment cover supervisors/teachers would get. Does anyone have any advice or tips on how to approach?

I know projecting confidence is important, knowing the behaviour policy and senior leaders is key. I understand my job is just to ensure the class do the work set them and basically crowd control for an hour but I want to make sure I go in prepared so the poor students get better than me just bumbling around!

I think it's a hard job. I've been doing supply teaching for a few years now and it used to be quite a pleasant job but it's getting harder and harder.

Behaviour is a big issue as is just how unhappy staff are in schools.

There is a shortage of teachers and now there is a a shortage of supply teachers. And of money! So schools are now employing cover supervisors.

I think it would be an OK job if you were in one school.

How much is the daily rate?

Also, there is a Facebook group called 'supply teacher network'.

Thank you, I'll check that group out.

The rate is anywhere between 80-100 per day depending on the school, I've been told.

I'm prepared for hard work, but I am daunted by the behaviour aspect. I know a lot of people in education who are not very happy in their jobs and I know behaviour seems to have deteriorated post COVID. I guess I was hoping for tips to develop a toolbox on behaviour management, I just feel a bit worried about being thrown in the deep end.

I did cover supervision before teacher training. The only hard part of the job is the behaviour! Otherwise, it's not hard at all in my view. Babysitting, unless the role has changed in the decade since I did it. The best days were when I did exam invigilation, which is deathly dull but very easy.

The kids are very hard work and only getting harder. They can smell weakness a mile off so I'd recommend going in very hard indeed, as it's very difficult to turn it around.

I've done it and would only do it in schools with a good reputation. Make sure you know the behaviour policy and how to ask for help- do you email for SLT, send a pupil to reception?? It's usually easy if you can learn a few names. You may come home and cry in your first week. Give it a go definitely, you'll soon get a feel for it all.

Honest opinion….they will rip you to s**t to begin with, they will probs ignore you and you may well end up hiding behind your laptop! But….pick the worst kid in the class …give them a ‘job’ to help you, give them some responsibility and be open and honest with them about the fact that they’re probs just as peed off with having a ‘cover’ supervisor..and bribe them with something fun for the last ten minutes if they get their work done (obvs if you’re working in a great school with a great rep and kids who behave, the above won’t apply😂)Get down on their level, you’ll be ok x

The 10 essential skills for classroom management. Look up videos of teachers demonstrating the below skills.

I don’t know what training you get for this job but hopefully it will involve observing experienced teachers and discussing afterwards what techniques they used and why they were effective, and being observed in turn by other teachers and given feedback on your performance.
The 10 ESCM

1. Establishing expectations – Making rules.
2. Giving instructions – Telling students what to do.
3. Waiting and scanning – Stopping to assess what is happening.
4. Cueing with parallel acknowledgement – Praising a particular student to prompt others.
5. Body language encouraging – Smiling, nodding, gesturing and moving near.
6. Descriptive encouraging – Praise describing behaviour.
7. Selective attending – Not obviously reacting to certain behaviours.
8. Redirecting to the learning – Prompting on-task behaviour.
9. Giving a choice – Describing the student’s options and likely consequences of their behaviour.
10. Following through – Doing what you said you would.