You have been contacted by the administration of that new school to teach as a supply teacher and you have to prepare well. What will you do? Most of the teachers out there will experience feelings of stress on supply particularly when it is their first day in a new school. This is why I decided to write this article to help supply teachers preparing to join a new school.
So, without further ado, here are tips on how to ensure that you prepare adequately to ensure that your first day as a supply teacher at a new school runs smoothly:
First of all, do you know where the school you want to join is located? If not, go there immediately. Doing this will prevent anxiety on the morning of the supply day. Ensure that you save the school’s telephone number on your mobile phone since you cannot predict what will happen that morning.
Things such as transport, traffic and so on can spoil your morning and having the school’s contacts will help you during such situations. There was a time when I contacted the school to ask them to let me in as no one was answering the door! Also, remember to prepare your clothes and lunch the night before. You should also set two alarms to wake up on time.
Check the latest OFSTED report on the internet.
Include a couple of water bottles, your trainers and half a dozen pencils in your supply bag. Would you like more ideas? If so, read Sarah’s article ‘What’s in your supply bag?’ Have in mind how you will introduce yourself to the children. Ensure that your introduction gives the children your name and your expectations for the day.
Be ready to be faced with no planning advise to Teaching Personnel. This shouldn’t happen if you’ve been pre-booked. Unfortunately, sometimes it does. When you find yourself in such a situation, identify one numeracy lesson, one literacy lesson, one foundation lesson (don’t assume you will be let loose in the ICT suite or in the hall for gymnastics) and one time-filler (circle time, personal researching into their geography topic and so on) which you can deliver with few resources. Avoid enforcing your own planning if there is planning in place.
It may be a good idea to learn the names of the Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher, Secretary, the class teacher you are covering and so on. You can learn these names from the school website.
Models of learning
In the US, blended learning has been in place for quite some time and six distinct styles have been identified:
1) Face to Face Driven: the majority of the content and learning is delivered in a traditional face-to-face environment but the student has the opportunity to supplement this with online learning either in a separate technical laboratory or elsewhere within the classroom.
2) Rotational: as part of a specified course, students rotate between traditional classroom time and self-paced learning carried out online. The schedule is fixed.
3) Flex: much more student-driven, learning is carried out online with the teacher available to provide support and guidance either through one-to-one sessions or small tuition groups.
4) Online laboratory: the entire course is delivered via an online platform but rather than being carried out remotely, either all or the vast majority is in a physical schooling location.
5) Self-blend: where blended learning is not available, students can opt to take additional remote online courses in order to supplement the traditional classroom style of learning being delivered at their school.
6) Online driver: the curriculum is delivered almost entirely online via both a platform and the teacher. Physical check-ins can either be mandatory or optional.
The advantages
There are many reasons why a blended learning approach may be adopted as there are advantages to both the students and the teachers, even though it represents quite a big shift from traditional methods.
Students who want to attend schools or courses which are popular may struggle to get in with a traditional type of learning. However, by switching to a blended learning style, the school is able to accommodate a greater number of students without compromising on quality or putting undue pressure on the teacher.
In fact, embracing technology could result in an easing for the teacher, as processes are improved and made more efficient. The teacher is able to spend more time on enhancing the learning experience for the students, with better quality assessments, feedback plus a more collaborative approach.
Blended learning also has benefits way beyond attaining qualifications; self-motivated learning using ICT is perfect for getting students ready for the workplace, both in terms of using technology and personal attributes.
Schools which offer blended learning where the focus is on remote options also could result in those who are unable to attend conventional classes being enabled to complete the course. The flexibility of self-paced learning means students with other commitments, or difficulties with travel can still benefit from the teaching.
