Whether you are a permanent teacher within a school or a supply teacher, behaviour management is unavoidable. A permanent teacher has time to get to know their pupils, earn their respect and knows which ones may need extra attention. Behaviour management tips for supply teachers may be harder to come by as schools hold regular workshops for their staff. A supply teacher may feel left out of the loop and not up to scratch with the modern methods.
Tick Education have compiled a list of behaviour management tips for supply teachers, to help them gain the respect of their pupils and settle into new classrooms efficiently.
Behaviour Management Tips – Introduce yourself
When you first enter the classroom, make sure everything is ready for the children to start their lesson. As they arrive, greet them at the door and make friendly eye contact. This already shows that you are in charge. By arriving in the classroom early allows time to get to know the student’s personalities. Once settled, introduce yourself and address the fact their class teacher is away today and you are covering their lesson. One of the best behaviour management tips for supply teachers is to form positive relationships. Do this from the start and the rest will come!
Earn their respect
Once you’ve given off a great first impression, run off the lesson objectives. Tell the students that you will be reporting back to their teacher on their behaviour. Don’t just say you will pass on the names of any bad behaviour, also comment on the good and pass on the names of exceptionally well behaved pupils too. Be firm but fair. Ensure students are sticking to the seating plan, it will also help you learn their names quicker.
Stay in line with school policy
It is vital that you check up on the school’s policy, as behaviour management procedures are different in every school. Some schools have very good support systems, make sure you talk to the Cover Manager about any issues you have faced in the classroom. Other schools may have a system in place where you can send an email to another teacher or head of department to assist you when behaviour gets out of hand.
Rewards and praise
Most children respond well to rewards and praise. Behaviour management tips for supply teachers will also say praise is key. It will vary on the year group how you chose to reward. Stickers for teenagers may not work so well but primary school pupils love them!
Top Behaviour Management Tips – Use the TA to your advantage
If you are covering a primary lesson, there will be a TA in the room with you. This will not happen so much in Secondary. The TA will be your second pair of eyes and be able to give you the name of students that may need extra attention.
Leave a good impression
Before leaving for the day make sure the room is tidy and as it was at the beginning of the day. Say goodbye to the children at the door again, praise anyone that deserves it and leave detailed feedback for the class teacher. You may want to work in the school again so it’s always best to leave on a good note.
We hope our behaviour management tips for supply teachers have helped you with your own supply teaching career. Most importantly, stay confident and believe in your own ability. You got this!
Check out our latest supply vacancies here – www.tickeducation.co.uk/tick-jobs/