06 Apr 7 Skills Needed to be a Successful Supply Teacher
There are lots of reasons why people prefer to do supply teaching rather than applying for permanent teaching jobs, such as the greater flexibility if you want to have more time off or do not want the commitment of a permanent contract. It may be a temporary situation to suit your current circumstances or to earn money while you wait for the right permanent role to come along.
If you are considering becoming a supply teacher, there are some vital skills that you will require to be successful:
Flexibility
Supply teachers must be very adaptable and happy to go to a new school, often with little notice in order to cover an unexpected staff absence. You could be asked to teach a subject that is not your specialist subject and there may not always be detailed instructions left for the lesson, so you will need to have a flexible mindset.
Rapport building
As a supply teacher, you need to be able to build a rapport with students quickly, as you do not have the benefit of teaching them every day and building a relationship over time. You need to be able to quickly engage with students so that they make progress in the lesson.
Well-organised
When you are working in a job where the requirements change all of the time, having good organisation skills will be key to getting settled in quickly so that you can get lessons started immediately.
Patience
When students know that they have a supply teacher, this can sometimes lead some students to behave less respectfully than they do with their usual teacher. You may need to be patient to deal with any behaviour issues.
Classroom management
Due to the potential behaviour issues in some schools and classes, supply teachers must have good classroom management skills to help prevent any poorly behaved students from distracting other students during the lesson.
Communication
As well as being able to communicate well with students to drive lesson engagement and help to ensure good behaviour, supply teachers need to have good communication skills to work with the members of staff in the school they work in. Often, the teachers who pass over the lesson plan or instructions will be limited for time, so it is important that you can quickly establish the requirements for the lesson and the teacher can leave you to get on with the lesson without being interrupted from their own work.
Passion for teaching
It should go without saying that anyone who wants to become a teacher has a passion for teaching and helping students to develop the knowledge that will help them to achieve their potential. Teaching can be a very rewarding career, whether you are a permanent teacher or a supply teacher, you get the opportunity to demonstrate your passion for teaching every working day.
At Worldwide Education Recruitment we are passionate about finding the right roles for the right people. If you are looking for your next role, either as a supply teacher or if you are looking for a permanent role, see our current vacancies.
