When your are relief (or substitute) teaching you need to put your best foot forward.
How you perform in front of the class determines your success as a replacement teacher.
Obviously, the better relief teachers (or substitute) teachers are continually asked back to schools.
If you are relief teaching as a precursor to full-time work, then you will want to make the best impression possible to the people who are making the employment decisions.
However, if you do the best you can for the kids in your class, you can be absolutely certain the principal will hear about it.
The kids will talk to their parents; parents will talk to other parents; and parents will talk to the principal.
If however, relief (or substitute) teaching is your career choice, then you must rely on good reports for continued employment.
There are lots of things you CAN do, but there are a few things that will blow you out of the water before you get started.
Here is a list of way to make a complete mess of relief teaching.
No.
1- Keep sending kids to THE OFFICE.
There will definitely be times when you need to call someone for support - but you should exhaust all other options.
Each time you defer discipline to others, you reduce your authority status with your students.
So don't do it very often.
No.
2- Complain about your class to others.
No one likes a whinger.
When you complain about your class, you are saying that you do not have the skills to manage ALL OF these students.
How different would the conversation be if you mentioned how GOOD are some of your students.
No.
3 - Arrive Late and Leave Early.
That sends the clear message - you are in it for the money.
And while that might well be true, you are also there to value-add to your students.
No.
4 - Ignore your colleagues.
Most teachers will welcome you to their school, but you should take the first step and introduce yourself.
These are the people who will be telling the boss how you went.
They will also be your first call on matters of procedure.
Build a warm relationship.
No.
5 - Drink from the boss' coffee mug.
Always pack your own cup/mug and your own coffee/tea bags.
Better still, leave your named cup at the school so you can use it when you are invited back.
How you perform in front of the class determines your success as a replacement teacher.
Obviously, the better relief teachers (or substitute) teachers are continually asked back to schools.
If you are relief teaching as a precursor to full-time work, then you will want to make the best impression possible to the people who are making the employment decisions.
However, if you do the best you can for the kids in your class, you can be absolutely certain the principal will hear about it.
The kids will talk to their parents; parents will talk to other parents; and parents will talk to the principal.
If however, relief (or substitute) teaching is your career choice, then you must rely on good reports for continued employment.
There are lots of things you CAN do, but there are a few things that will blow you out of the water before you get started.
Here is a list of way to make a complete mess of relief teaching.
No.
1- Keep sending kids to THE OFFICE.
There will definitely be times when you need to call someone for support - but you should exhaust all other options.
Each time you defer discipline to others, you reduce your authority status with your students.
So don't do it very often.
No.
2- Complain about your class to others.
No one likes a whinger.
When you complain about your class, you are saying that you do not have the skills to manage ALL OF these students.
How different would the conversation be if you mentioned how GOOD are some of your students.
No.
3 - Arrive Late and Leave Early.
That sends the clear message - you are in it for the money.
And while that might well be true, you are also there to value-add to your students.
No.
4 - Ignore your colleagues.
Most teachers will welcome you to their school, but you should take the first step and introduce yourself.
These are the people who will be telling the boss how you went.
They will also be your first call on matters of procedure.
Build a warm relationship.
No.
5 - Drink from the boss' coffee mug.
Always pack your own cup/mug and your own coffee/tea bags.
Better still, leave your named cup at the school so you can use it when you are invited back.
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