reflective thoughts from an old lag
I've been having a mull over things, and some recent experiences have
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e these thoughts clear to me and I thought I'd share them (no one else wants to hear - maybe even you don't - but here goes). Apologies for more of the same. I've not read all the posts.
As a supply teacher we are handicapped by thousands of years of children playing up the adult replacing the one they regularly have loo
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after them. Generations pass this on saying 'I was a little sh*t at school - I really played up the teachers, especially supply teachers'. The only comfort is that some of these little sh*ts have become very good teachers and head teachers! I have met one HT who admitted this.
As a supply teacher we also have to wade through the experiences the school staff may have had of other supplies they didn't like; of those who let the side down by not mar
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or committed some other crime the school had invented for its self after the teacher had left. Schools are often stressed, under funded, under staffed, under pressure and see you as the huge fee they pay your agency rather than see you as the person sweating your all to do the best you can in very difficult circumstances and ta
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home a fraction of that money.
As a supply teacher, I have been told this by a school counsellor, you represent the missing adult in a child's life. You are the boyfriend/girlfriend replacing dad or mum,the step parent or foster carer they'd rather not have. Or simply a woman replacing the male teacher all the boys really like and respect.
There are huge numbers of variables you will never be able to control or prepare for. All you can do is attempt to manage situations as calmly and safely as possible and be resourceful. I wish more schools, the government, GTC, OfSTED, unions, parents, supply agencies the media and the World realised this.
When it comes to children's behaviour I have observed this after four years full time, a career change and return after six years to now be on my 51st school and 5 years part-time supply. The behaviour of children en masse is like that of a flock of
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lings - you know it's up there flowing magnificently through the sky, you've seen it for years but you will never be able to predict exactly where the flock will move next or land. The variables are too many. You just need to know where to duck.
With that realisation in mind I've worked out a few tips:
- The ONLY behaviour you can ever truly control is your own.
- You cannot, whatever govt or books say, control children - all you can do is manage them, there's a subtle difference but try telling that to a minister for edu
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ion, reporter or parent...
- Some classes contain children you just won't gel with. They have issues they project onto you. You can do nothing about this. Accept it and move on. This may mean not going back to that class or school.
- Some schools contain adults who you just won't gel with. They have issues they project on to you, will ring your supply agency and complain about something you thought was fine, gossip about you at the school gate. Join a union. Use your union. Give your agency your side of things and move on to another school. Use your freedom.
- Try to remember the times when you found wonderful schools, great staff, happy children - sing their praises, tell them you love them and tell them what they are doing so right!! You see more of schools in your area than a head teacher. You have insight -
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ly it isn't used.
Lastly, remember you are '
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ing chaos'. Take a long hot
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at the end of the day rather than slip into a bottle of wine. We will probably be joined by many more 'redundees' from careers they loved, who like me are struggling to keep their careers going freelance and returning to teaching using a supply teaching wage to pay the bills.
When you get the chance, look after each other. I think that if we supply teachers got together we'd have such a powerful insight into edu
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ion. We aren't in competition with each other - we are all in the same boat and can learn from each other. We do lose the wonderful supplys to schools who just won't let them go but at least they are teachers who know what its like. I've met teachers who've done their time and are realistic about what I can do and how their children will react. I think every teacher should do at least a years sabbatical as a day to day emergency call-out supply teacher mid career.
That's it. I've got to write and essay on community archaeology now.
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