How Supply Teaching Can Help You
As a qualified primary teacher myself and having experienced teaching on a supply basis for one year before becoming established in the education recruitment industry, I have often wondered – is supply teaching the answer to a work-life balance
If so, what are the important factors within supply teaching that can really help teachers out, and make it work best for them?
Most of the teachers I speak to on a daily basis are turning to supply teaching because they are stressed, fed up with the pressures of permanent teaching, and are hoping to get back a good work-life balance. But can supply teaching help you achieve this?
Read on to find out more about the advantages of supply teaching…
5 fantastic advantages of supply teaching
So, what are the advantages of supply teaching? A report written by the NASUWT confirms that 68% of teachers choose supply teaching for a better work-life balance, with 62% making the change due to workload and another 36% because they feel ‘demoralised.’
The nature of supply teaching involves having the freedom to set your own availability, work as many days per week as you like, and choose the areas and the schools you wish to work in:
1. You can widen your skill set
I know from my own experiences that having the opportunity to visit new schools, explore the area and set up valuable relationships really widened my skill set and allowed me to gain an insight into other areas within education - all of which helped me to become a better teacher.
2. A greater work/life balance
Without a doubt, one of the biggest advantages of supply teaching is the flexibility that comes with it. You can choose the hours and days you want to work, giving you the ability to control your work-life balance and fit your career around your family rather than vice versa.
3. Experience different education settings
It is rare that one job can offer you so much variety, but supply teaching does exactly that. For one of our candidates, being able to visit different schools in the area helped them decide what type of school they wanted to complete their NQT year at.
4. Say goodbye to paperwork
As a supply teacher, you get to enjoy all the benefits of teaching the subjects you are most passionate about without having to worry about staying late, planning, parents evenings, Ofsted reports, or even most of the marking. That means you can spend your evenings as you please.
5. Enjoy freedom and autonomy
Over time, you will become more familiar with the schools you work with and get an understanding about which ones you like working at and which ones you don’t. So, if you haven’t enjoyed the experience of working in a particular school, you don’t have to work there again. The choice is entirely yours!
Are there any disadvantages?
We’ve discussed the advantages of supply teacher, but what about the disadvantages? Well, supply teaching is not always straightforward, and it can take some getting used to with the early morning calls, not knowing anything about the school until you arrive, or the unknown of what lessons you will be covering.
It can be quite daunting for even the most experienced of teachers! However, after your first few days and learning how to adjust your teaching style to suit the supply needs, the art of supply teaching can be very rewarding.
The importance of working with a great supply agency
When I had completed my NQT year I spent one year supply teaching. During that year, I felt the most important thing for me was working with a good agency; an agency which understands exactly what you want. Without this you will not receive the experience you are hoping for.
My advice to any ‘new’ supply teacher would be to research and choose an agency that understands your career and understands exactly your reason for completing supply. That way, you can be sure they will work with you to achieve the best scenario for you.
It is always very important that you are upfront and honest about the type of work you want. The relationship between yourself and your dedicated consultant or agency needs to be clear, right from the word go! It is vital that your consultant understands you and what you strive for. Honesty is the best policy when working on supply.
I also learnt very quickly that it is paramount that you set your limitations and areas you wish to work in, not just geographically, but also with the type of supply you wish to do.
This can include wanting to try something new. For example, I have worked with many secondary teachers that would like to give primary a go and have ended up getting on so well they are now full-time primary teachers.
There are many different learning environments to try out and supply teaching is the perfect opportunity to widen your skill base and experience new establishments.
What makes Class People unique
At Class People, we are experts in educational recruitment and are here to help every step of the way. In fact, we even give all of our teachers as ‘Supply Bag’, which gives you all of the tools you need to get you ready for your first day in the classroom, so you can make sure you are always prepared!
Some teachers I have spoken to have also expressed their concerns about not having a guaranteed fixed income to rely on. I can understand that - however, if this is what you are looking for, then our expert team can help with that too.
You see, we not only offer flexible supply work, but because we also spend time getting to know you and what your aspirations are, we can also help find you long-term or permanent work if you wish.
Whatever the reason for wanting to get that work-life balance, supply teaching can provide that and so much more. There are so many positives for supply teachers, and I am so glad I still have the opportunity to be a part of it.
Want to find out more?
If you want to discuss your next career move or have any questions about the making the move into supply teaching then please do give me a call on 01392 267 229 or email me at megant@classpeople.co.uk – I would be happy to have a confidential and informative discussion with you.
Alternatively, at Class People we are always looking for high quality and enthusiastic teachers, so why not have a look through the supply teacher vacancies we are currently working on to find out more.
