The supply teaching route has become increasingly popular, as it allows teachers to have a flexible work pattern and work in a less rigid structure where no two days are the same. There are several important factors which teachers must consider before they take on supply teaching work and make the career shift.
United Educators support schools by providing daily supply work. Our supply staff are an asset to the everyday running of schools, and the most successful supply teachers are those individuals who leave a lasting impact on the students and fellow staff of every school they work in. This ensures that schools within our area employ you again and you secure more work opportunities.
We required our candidates to:
- Have a passion for teaching.
Students benefit from teachers who are dedicated and passionate about teaching. They can tell very quickly when a supply teacher walks in the room and lacks passion or enthusiasm for their job.
- Be efficient and organised.
Supply teaching opportunities will often come up at short notice. A good supply teacher will be able to go into any school and setup a lesson quickly and efficiently. We require our supply teachers to respond straight away to job opportunities so that we can meet the demands of the school and provide you with the best work out there.
- Be punctual and have good time management skills.
You will be in a different location every day, and being punctual is crucial to lessons running smoothly in schools. The very best supply teachers can deliver quality lessons within the lesson time. Class teachers will be counting on you. You will be expected to help a classroom of students stay on task in their teacher’s absence, so that they move smoothly onto the next lesson by the time their usual teacher is back to work.
- Be adaptable.
Usually, you will be given a structure for the lesson, however you need to be prepared to adapt if students complete work before time or if there is a disruption in the lesson. The demand for supply teachers has rapidly increased and it is very useful to retain subject specific knowledge to support you students better. You may find that you are required to fill a role for much longer than just one day in a week.
- Be good at behaviour management.
As a supply teacher you will not have the benefit of having spent time building a rapport with the students like a permanent teacher will. Therefore, you will need to be able to connect well with students as soon as you walk in the room. The ability to do this will result in less disruptions in the lesson. You will be able to spend more time doing what you are good at, which is to teach and to do it well.
To join our growing network of teacher candidates, please fill out a contact form on our Contact Us page.
