Very difficult class/school help!

[nat2829]

Hi there, I am new to teaching and supply work and have so far completed about 6 days. A
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of them have been fine but in the majority I have found some very challenging behaviour

I was in a school today to do PPA cover for years 3,5 and 6 and found it very challenging. The behaviour of the majority of students in every class was far worse than I have ever experienced. The students did not listen to me, follow instructions or indeed simply quiten down when I was spea
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. Many of them screamed and ran around the room when I was trying to teach. I had little to no help from TAs or other staff. I tried to ask at breaktime what the displine policy was but the staff were all very vague and not too willing to help. By the end of the day I felt like I was simpy there for crowd control and nothing remotely resembling teaching.

I have come home feeling very down and against teaching all together. I have nothing booked yet for the rest of the week but this morning I did not get the call until 8.45 and so I'm worried that I could get called into the same (or equally challenging) school tomorrow. I am going through an agency who are finding me the majority of my work. Is it acceptable to turn down work at schools I simply do not want to go to? I don't want the agency to think less of me and therefore offer me less work as I am only just
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ting out. But if every day is like today I don't think I will last until the summer holidays!

Any advice on how to deal with these extremely difficult days would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[chocaholic]

I'm sorry your first days of supply have been difficult. It does get easier as you pick up strategies and
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s to use in different situations. Just remember you are only there for the day, then go home and forget about it! Eat lots of chocolate or drink lots of wine - whichever you prefer
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You can ask the agency not to send you to a certain school again if you do not want to work there, and they should not think any less of you. I only had to do that to one school, where I had a similar experience, and I still got plenty work off the agency. I also told the agency if I had a difficult experience in a school, and they would try to find someone else to send there...A good agency tries to find schools that you like, and then make you a regular supply teacher to those schools.

Good Luck!
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[janeb]

I agree - I think it is fine to tell your agency that you don't want to go to that school again as they were all so unhelpful.

Don't feel bad about it - I had discipline problems today in a class I have had repeatedly!
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There was so much going on - including a birthday cake
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and some charity badges to give out - that story time threatened to be a disaster.
I had to really shout - which I hate doing but it was so necessary today - and ended up by writing a note on the board saying that 'everyone would need to miss break tomorrow except...' and added the names of the only 2 children who were behaving!!
This actually had the desired effect - I then asked the TA to add any extra names whilst I read the story.
Peace resumed for the rest of the day!!!
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So, forget about your day and enjoy a large glass of wine
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and some chocolate!
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[ruby_tuesday]

Sorry to hear you start to supply teaching has been so difficult. You definitely do not have to go back to the school again. Good schools will give you a brief induction at the start of the day - simple things like times, routines etc but should definitely include telling you what their behaviour policy is.

Next time you arrive at a school, ask for the behaviour policy before you start teaching and how you can contact smt should you need them.

Do some research on here and perhaps the TES - there's lots of excellent behaviour management strategies but you have to pick ones that fit in with the school's behaviour policy and will work for you.

As you get more experience you'll find a few trusted strategies that you can always rely on.

Keep positive, supply teaching is difficult so don't be too hard on yourself.

[nmacnab]

Just read your post. Keep going I think once you find a school/schools that you are comfortable with the love of teaching will come back. I'd take the advice of others on here and stay away from the school where you've had a bad experience. Good luck
Natasha