A Day In The Life Of A Supply Teacher

Do you love getting up in the morning and doing the same thing over and over again? Working with the same people, having the same conversations and doing the same job? No, I didn’t think so!

Are you tied down to specific days and hours you have to work each week and to just book one days holiday feels like a challenge on the Krypton Factor. (If you don’t know what the Krypton Factor is then this means you’re a lot younger than me but I’m not jealous because you’re the one who missed out on one of the greatest shows of the 90s.)

If this is the case, you want to experience a day in the life of a supply teacher. Where no day is the same and every week is an adventure!

You might be covering an English class in the morning and in the drama studio in the afternoon, teaching languages one day and refereeing a football match in PE the next. You’ll work in different schools and meet different peers on your journey where you can make connections and open up exciting opportunities. A full time teacher will predominantly be with the same classes of students for the whole year, while you will have the chance to impact the lives of thousands of children.

And the best part is you’re your own boss. You can decide what days you want to work each week. Its your friends birthday on Wednesday, get your party clothes on, got to take your car to the garage on Friday, don’t drive yourself round the bend. You can just take the day off.

If you’ve been enlightened by this and you want to see if a day in the life of a supply teacher is as great as I’ve said it is then I would recommend that you follow Ticks top tips.

Get up at a sensible hour. We will call you from 7am with work for that day, so the last thing you want is for our call to be your alarm. Get up nice and early so you can ease into the day and wake up properly. Make sure you allow enough time to get ready. It doesn’t take me long to dry my hair in the morning because I’m as bald as a snooker ball, but it might take you a lot longer.

Be prepared. Have a structure to your morning so that you’re organised and ready for when we call. If you drive, make sure you know where your keys are. I have a hook near the front door where my keys are supposed to go. Are they ever there? Are they heck! I take up ten minutes of my day searching through pockets of trousers and shorts, drawers, cupboards, fridge, freezer, stressing myself out, shouting where are the keys! Don’t do what I do. Don’t be a moron. Be organised and relax.

You’ll need to take a few things with you to the schools, so have a bag to hand. In this bag you want a photo ID and DBS certificate. When it comes to ID, this can be a passport, driving license or biometric visa but not a blockbuster video card. Not only is it not a sufficient form of ID but the company’s been closed for 10 years so its likely that its not in date anymore. You will want to include lots of stationary and a packed lunch so that you maintain your energy levels throughout the day. Believe me, when working with children, you’ll need it.

If you drive, use an app such as Waze or Google Maps so that you find the quickest route to the school. If you don’t drive, make sure you’re up to date with the bus timetables or have the number for the local taxi service. If you have a family member taking you to work, make sure they’re awake. Its great that you got up at a decent time and are prepared and ready to go but if your Mum isn’t then it was all for nothing.

When you get to the school, sign in at reception and adhere to the schools policies throughout the day. Other than that, enjoy yourself and share your knowledge and enthusiasm with the children to encourage them to be the best version of themselves they can be.

If you have experience working with children and you’d like to see what a day in the life of a supply teacher is like, then contact Tick Education on 01234 975200 or info@tickeducation.co.uk