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What time will the agency normally call if they have a job for you? Is it normally a case of phonecall-out the door straight away?
ANY words of advice or encouragement will be GREATLY appreciated, I am *so* nervous and from my experience in interviews know that I am terrible at hiding nerves, even when I don't even feel them.
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I guess agencies call as soon as they start for that morning. I have one agency that'll ring from about 7am & another that rings from about 7.30am. The call could come at any time, but if you're up & ready by 7.30am you can be playing at your computer or doing chores while waiting for the call, that's what I usually do (the playing computers, that is, not the chores!) Usually if you haven't had a call by 9am you won't get one the rest of that morning.
Yes, once you get the call you usually hot foot it straight to the school, but it can help to know roughly how long the journey will take you. I use AA autoroute for this information & also keep a notebook for each school I work at with details like the times of their school day, how far away it is, how long it actually takes to get there, & any other useful information, like what sort of day I had with the class covered. I find a satnav invaluable for getting me to the school by the quickest route, & getting me home again!
Other practical tips I can offer are always carry whiteboard marker pens & a board rubber, always carry a few spare pencils & enough lined paper to get you through the day, & always carry a red & a black biro for registers & marking. NEVER assume these things will be available as like as not when you most need them they won't be. And always try & get to the school as early as you can so you can go over the plans left or prepare your own stuff before the pupils start coming in. I like to arrive an hour before the pupils' day starts where possible.
At the school it's normally the secretary that greets you first, then either the teacher you're covering (if he or she is in the school when you arrive) or the deputy head, or a person allocated to brief you.
As for how much work you'll get, that's a 'how long is a piece of string?' type question. Impossible to generalise, but I'm finding there's plenty of work at the moment. After the summer holidays you may find work slack for up to a month or two as classes settle to their new teachers, but as winter approachers you'll find it picks up as staff get colds or sent on courses etc.
Finally don't worry about being nervous. I know what you mean because I trained primary but decided to offer secondary supply cover as well after a few years to increase the work I could get. It scared me the first time, but as a teacher the pupils just see you as part of 'the system', & are probably more worried that they get through the day OK to worry too much about you.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.
New supply teacher... now asking WHY WHY WHY??
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