Hello...Really Nervous NQT Starting Supply Tomorrow eeek!!

jollystar · #1 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 02:09 PM

Hello,
I have recently qualified from uni and i've got my first supply post tomorrow with year 3/4 class. I am really nervous for some reason, stressing about situations that may arise. Any hints or tips how to survive my first day, or even just how to introduce myself to the class, setting myself up for a good day?
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Many Thanks.

NuttySupplier · #2 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 03:45 PM

Hi and welcome!

If it's Y3/4, and this early in the term, rest assured that they could be as nervous as you are! New classroom, new faces etc... esp. the Y3 children. You might want to empower them a little, depending on how confident you are feeling at the time, and ask them to tell you about their classroom, routines etc., it might help them feel they have some ownership of these new surroundings and they should enjoy telling you. But don't try and make friends with them!!! Learn the name of one child on each table asap, so you can talk to the whole lot by refering to them as 'can Leila's table please stand and push their chairs under?' etc. Don't fret over introducing yourself, a quick: my name's jollystar so when I call your name out please reply 'Good morning jollystar', when starting the register, should be enough... at the end of the register tell them you expect them to work as a team, quietly, and that you will be marking their work throughout the day and will leave notes about them for their teacher...

If you want work in the school again, make sure you do the marking thoroughly, leave the teacher's desk as you found it, with notes on the day, be polite and friendly with admin staff and cleaners as these are the most likely to talk to the head out of hours about how you did (I know, hardly a professional opinion!)

Wendy · #3 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 04:35 PM

It might not be a professional opinion Nutty but the cleaners will know what time you leave, especially when all the teaching staff have already gone home!

jollystar · #4 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 05:09 PM

Thank you for the quick reply!! I have been looking through the
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s on here for the last 3 hours and feel slightly more confident, nice to know others have been in the same boat as me and come out alive.
My agency just rang to say good luck and remind me there are some 'challenging' pupils in the class (how nice of them!!). Any hints or tips for managing these pupils as I imagine I may well be challenged by these pupils myself!?!
Thanks again
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Footiegirl · #5 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 06:52 PM

Hello and welcome!

Well done on getting some supply already. I can only echo what Nutty has said, loads of good advice there. As for the challenging pupils, find out what the school reward/behaviour management policy is and work to that. Dont be afraid of asking for help/sending them to another teacher if needed.

Good luck and enjoy it! Let us know how you get on x

NuttySupplier · #6 (**permalink**) 08-09-2009, 08:38 PM

Yup, make s ure you know the name of the Head, and possibly the name of the teacher (sometimes a deputy) that strikes the fear of God into the kids... threaten to send them to their room!

Be firm, don't befriend!

jollystar · #7 (**permalink**) 15-09-2009, 03:47 PM

Hello,
Thanks for your advice. Just to let you know I survived (just about) after a very stressful first day....I arrived at 7.50am nice and eager, I was told by my agency that there was work planned but I wanted to be prepared. The staff didn't start arriving until 8.15am, they told me there should definately be work set but it wasn't anywhere to be seen, so I was told to wait until the HLTA arrived (which was at 8.45am). When she arrived she said the planning should be in a file and that she was out in the morning because she had PPA. Well needless to say the planning was very vague (once found) with no resources, the children were in the classroom and panic started to set in, but I managed just about, trying to stick as much to the plan as possible (although I wish I had done my own thing). I was much more prepared for day 2 and got good feedback from the school, although I do feel after the first day my confidence has been knocked quite a bit and am not looking forward to more supply unfortunately....hopefully this feeling will pass??
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Jollystar

NuttySupplier · #8 (**permalink**) 15-09-2009, 04:10 PM

Aww!
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You've done two days... that's it! Induction into supply over! I have to say, it won't often happen like that, that there's hidden planning.. and I'd have been tempted to swap the day around a bit... if there's something like PSCE in the afternoon that's got few resources needed, you could swop that to the first lesson, give yourself a fighting chance!

But honestly, bad situation, extremely well done Jollystar! The hardest part is over, and you deserve
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and
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for that! Anyone's confidence would have been knocked having gone through that, especially on your first day... seriously, many, many long-time-served teachers could never do supply, terrifies the living daylights out of them if it's not in their own school, so give yourself a pat on the back, brush yourself down, and get ready for the next day!

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