Hello!

clairieb · #1 (**permalink**) 12-03-2007, 08:08 PM

Hi! I've been reading your posts for some time, months, but haven't posted myself before. I finally did my first day's supply today after completing a Return to Teaching course, so now I'm a bona fide supply teacher I thought I'd join you properly!
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Firstly, the advice on the site about ta
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letters to schools is so right - I've taken my letter and CV to only about eight schools, but this is the first week I was free to teach and I'm already booked up for 3 sessions, plus have the possibility of two days next week. Also, I've prepared some stuff in a supply bag like suggested on some pages, and it helped me get out the door when I only had a five minute turnaround at home between the end of my course and heading off for the school to do the afternoon!

My first afternoon day was Y6 science - my personal version of hell! It was pretty traumatic really - about 8 in the class didn't want to listen to me, kept tal
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when I was trying to do whole class teaching, and were generally messing around when they were supposed to be doing practical work!
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I keep telling myself it was a tough
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t and the ones later in the week will be easier!

Anyway, thanks again for your advice so far.

smc533 · #2 (**permalink**) 12-03-2007, 08:22 PM

Welcome, glad your first encounter wasn't too bad.

Year 6 are a bit scary at first, but I really enjoy them now. Where did you do your returning teachers course? I did one a
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of years ago and found it really useful

clairieb · #3 (**permalink**) 12-03-2007, 08:34 PM

I did my Returners course in Warwickshire and it was brilliant. The seminars and our tutors were fantastic. Our mentor was so encouraging - she seems really convinced that we can do it which has helped to have someone believing in us. And I had a lovely Catholic school year 4 placement, where I didn't have to worry about behaviour and could concentrate on trying to teach well. I've gone from petrified, to convinced I'll be ok, although today in year six has knocked me a little!

Any advice - do you try and insist on good behaviour - wait for them to all be listening and not tal
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, stop then if they're getting too noisy etc. at the risk of not getting much done, or do you let the behaviour go a little and press on with whatever lesson you've been left with? I felt I could have got better behaviour out of them, and set myself up better if I have any return visits if I had persevered more on behaviour, but felt I had to rush to get some work done. Any thoughts?

smc533 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-03-2007, 09:06 PM

I always insist on good behaviour, I tell them that I'm quite prepared to have a bit of fun, but I expect work to be done to a standard that they would hand in to their regular teacher and that if it's not they WILL do it again (and I make them do it again too). I also emphasise that school and I have a high expectation of behaviour, tidiness, politeness and that regardless of what they do at home, in MY CLASSROOM (which it is for the time I'm there), they will behave to the expected norms of the school.

If I have to send kids out of the room or make them do lines (depending on the school policy), I do it.

To be honest, sometimes I feel like a bit of an old
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, but I know if the kids and I know how it's going to be from the
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t the day is much more successful. I do wait for quiet and refuse to talk over noise and I do run into play time if I don't feel that they have done enough to go out straight way. If I don't get a huge amount of work done, or have to adapt the lesson so that at least some of the LOs are met I do and just leave a note to that effect.

NuttySupplier · #5 (**permalink**) 12-03-2007, 10:39 PM

Hi Claire! In at the deep end then was it?! Well done for that! Year 6, depending on the school, are becoming a little de-mob happy at the moment I've found... SATs aren't yet in sight, but secondary schools (where I am at elast) have let them know of their guaranteed places this week, so they think they're off!

I've
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ted writing, along with the learning objective on the board, the success criteria, and as you're supply, I've found it's helpful if the success criteria for the lesson includes a point on behaviour, noise level etc., and let the children know you will be giving feedback on these too... especially to their class teacher!

Gnomoospan · #6 (**permalink**) 13-03-2007, 05:55 AM

I'd agree go in hard, make sure they know what you expect, rather be known as strict than a walkover!!

nutcracker · #7 (**permalink**) 13-03-2007, 07:12 PM

Totally agree - don't accept any nonsense.

Try ma
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a note on the board - a mark every time you have to wait a minute for them, that comes off their break. Probably more of a solution ready for next time, because they tend not to believe that you'll actually do it, but they'll certainly know about it next time you visit that school!

I have a class of foul Y6s and can barely control them at the moment, and I'm their full-time teacher, so you have nothing to be guilty about. Zero tolerance!!!!!

clairieb · #8 (**permalink**) 15-03-2007, 05:26 PM

Hi, Used some of your tips today with year 5 at a nice school and they worked a treat - I've got them again tomorrow morning, and I think they won't mess with me having missed two minutes of their lunch time today!
So thanks again. And I now have several boo
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s for the next two weeks so I'm pretty chuffed with how my early days of supply are going!

NuttySupplier · #9 (**permalink**) 15-03-2007, 10:14 PM

Excellent news! It can really only get easier too! Let us kn ow how you get on...

nutcracker · #10 (**permalink**) 17-03-2007, 02:23 PM

Glad things are going well! Hope it continues that way.

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