Good Morning from Miss R!

[RubyRed]

Good Morning Everyone (or whatever time of day you happen to red this)!

I've just joined a supply agency in London and will hopefully gain lots of experience here, having trained in Scotland. I graduated in December 2010 s my experience has purely been as a student teacher, mostly from my 10 week final placement with an EXCELLENT class!

I'd love to hear how people go about getting work, and any tips you have for me!

I'll try to share as much of my own knowledge as I can, though I am just a wee newbie to teaching!


To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[NuttySupplier]

Hello Miss R!

Welcome to the forum, glad you've found us...

There are lots of threads here about how to go about getting work, some helpful hints on working with agencies, and lots of information on how to get work without approaching an agency.. Hope you have fun reading!

You'll remember that excellent class forever.. just keep them in mind when you have bad supply days... there's always a nice class just around the corner!!

[RubyRed]

Thanks, I really will remember them forever!

I already have a job lined up for Wednesday and Friday of this week so I'm eager to get into the classroom and hopefully have 2 really nice days!


I've been reading so many posts on here and they've been a great help!

[NuttySupplier]

Let us know how you get on... and although I wish you all the best for lovely classes this week, be prepared!

[RubyRed]

Well what an experience that was yesterday... not what I was expecting at all!

I arrived at the school at 7.40am (I wanted to leave early as I was unsure how long it would take to get there, traffic etc.) and was told I was to work in two classes, one AM and one PM. Both teachers were in the school and told me the lessons I was to teach that day. Unfortunately I didn't have the most pleasant of experiences. I found the children to be quite rude and disrepsectful toawrds me, despite the fact I am usually quite a confident teacher who can manage behaviour fairly and consistently. I had children speaking over me and continuing their conversation whilst I was addressing the class (a pet hate of mine) and I had to keep stopping until I had everyone's attention. When I disciplined pupils, after giving them a previous warning and making them aware of the consequence if they continued acting in that manner, it resulted in tantrums, throwing of books and shouting. I did not think I was being unreasonable as I had explained my expectations for behaviour at the start of the lesson, issued warnings and a reminder of the consequences, before finally following through after persistant mis behaviour. The TA in the class thought I had quite high expectations and said that getting them sitting in their seats and not fighting was progress. I was disappointed that the member of staff I reported to on arrival had not mentioned this to me at the start of the day, and I had to be given this information mid lesson from a TA. And, although I hate to criticise fellow professionals, I felt the work set by the class teacher did little in helping motivate the children to learn. Even 5 mins into the lesson it was clear to me, having only just met the children, that this lesson was quite boring, if I'm perfctly honest. I don't really blame the kids for acting up, I was bored teaching the lesson (only kept on my toes by the misbehaviour in the class). I was frustrated as I felt I could have come up with a number of more exciting activities which would have allowed the children to still achieve the LIs, but in a more ingaging manner.

Anyway, at the end of the day I then went to report back to the class teachers and provide them with written feedback of how the day went and work covered etc. It was then that both teachers, not even thanking me for taking the class, said to me "we do expect you to mark all work completed today, you can take their books to the staffroom and mark them there". I was planning on marking the work anyway, but didn't think I'd have to carry 150 large books up two sets of stairs to the staffroom. I didn't leave the school until 6.45pm, long after everyone else. I left the children's books in their classes with comment sheets foe the class teacher giving a brief overview of how well the children appeared to have achieved the LIs.

I was glad to leave the school if I'm honest and am dreading going back on Friday, the only saving grace being I can go home that evening and have a large glass of wine and enjoy my weekend.

Please say this does not happen in every school?
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[NuttySupplier]

Erm, well, we do have a sort of saying on this forum.... the first day is the worst day... and you've done it! Big pat on the back for you, well done!!

Nothing there that would have
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
me... mid-term you can't expect every lesson to be whizz bang exciting, but the delivery of it can be, teachers know that supply often have very little time to digest the lesson plan before having to deliver, so would allow for this in the planning... behaviour of the kids: they knew you were a supply teacher, end of! I remember playing up to supply teachers 30 years ago. I believe that although they should have a certain amount of respect for you as an adult / visiting teacher already, instilled in them by high moral standards of parents and staff, you still have to earn their respect, just as they do yours.

Speaking from experience, I doubt the teachers would have given your comment sheets much of a second glance I'm afraid. Welcome as they are, the teachers know what the kids are like, probably could tell you how each child will have performed without looking at the work, and as they find the sheets in the morning they will have a list 13hours long of things to do for that day, and yesterday is done with, so comments regarding yesterday won't be high on the agenda. Could get you a more positive mention to the head if the head asks how you got on though, as will impressing the TA with high expectations, with regards to more work in the future. Staff on arrival not telling you about the behaviour of the children could be a 'too busy, you'll find out soon enough' moment, (did anyone tell you where the fire exits were? Did you try and find out? That's a must too, rarely done by either
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
) or maybe the school has a reputation for kids like that and the staff assumed you'd know, or maybe the staff don't realise there are excellent classes like the one you had for your practice?

I'm an old hat at this, and have lost my thirst to teach somewhat I suppose, but I can remember what it's like being fresh out of uni and eager to get on, having had an excellent practice school, but I also
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
e sure my final practice was in a school with a bad rep in a 'bad' area, with a difficult year group, to ensure I wasn't going out into the big wide world with rose tinted glasses. You shouldn't have been marking that late... did you mark at breaktime? Lunchtime? Try to... and think about the value the teacher will place on the work. I remember when I first did a PHSE lesson on supply, it was fantastic, the kids were really active vocally and on paper in the lesson, the TA thought it was fabulous and could see how much the kids got out of it. The teacher had asked for it to be done in the back of their spelling books. It was a time-filler for while she was gone. I put as much effort into the marking as if it were an observed Lit lesson, as I believe should happen... the kids love reading comments, given time to. I was there the same time the following week, and had to do the same lesson with the same class over again as 'the work in their books was naff, handwriting wasn't good enough, no titles underlined'. Arghhh! She'd not even realised (TA agreed) that the lesson I'd done (such and such a text book, p79) was about beating the clock, how many
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
s can you write down in the next 30 seconds sort of thing... no, handwriting isn't the kids priority in a 30 sec race against their mates!! Anyway... a tick and a smiley face at the bottom of the page as I walked round the class talking to the kids about their
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
s that week... and the teacher was none the wiser... take heed!!

I can't remember now all that I've written!! SO the first day is the worst day, and you've lived to tell the tale!! It doesn't necessarily get easier straight away, and you might have worse classes, more boring lessons, less helpful staff members (TAs who try to undermine you all day was my pet hate!) to come... but it's all experience, character-building, life-changing, and you're always home in time for a large glass of red, and don't have to go in on the Sunday to plan and prep for that week's lessons, and you don't have to carry the 150 books home!!

Good luck for Friday!

[janeb]

Oh, what a shame your first day was such a toughie - but as Nutty says, it's done now and just be pleased that you don't have to teach them full-time!

I agree that there is absolutely no way that you should have still been at school marking books at that time
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

They are not your class and you will not know all of their strengths/ weaknesses so you probably couldn't do the marking full justice anyway.
If it's sums or work with a definite yes/no answer, get the children to mark each other's books.
To make things really quick, I sometimes allow the children to mark it themselves using a stamp that says "Mrs X thinks my work is fabulous" - it has also helped to self promote!!
I know that is a bit of a
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
-out but the teacher may not look at it at all and you may never even see those children again!

Hope your next supply day is more fun
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[Wendy]

I remember going into a regular school in SATs week and staying there till after five marking SATs papers. It would have been longer but I marked at platimes and dinnertime too.

[NuttySupplier]

I've been marking gone six before, but usually my own fault, I get chatting!!

[NuttySupplier]

And always put Literacy books off until last coz they usually take longest to do, chief procrastinator!