Well you might have guessed from my title that I need to let off some steam!!!

Here it goes.... 

Supply teachers are not the font of all knowledge so why is it that we are expected to have a lesson in our heads for any give year group and topic with less that ten minutes notice!  Iam fed up of turning up to schools only to be told  'There's nothing left but I'm sure you'll think of something!' and given no help what so ever!

A school would not expect a teacher employed at their school to be able to walk into a classroom with ten minutes notice, not knowing the children or the routine of the class and be expected to deliver a whole day of lessons! So why oh why is it expected that a supply teacher can!!!  We as I keep informing the children are no different to their normal teacher so why is it that we are left so often in the lurch!!!

 Also.... why is it that all of the schools I have been to lately do not seem to have planning anywhere in the classroom.  I have been appalled lately of the lack of planning I am seeing nothing on the walls, no file in sight  and nothing that could possible be considered to be helpful in way of plans anywhere in the classroom. 

I have even been to schools recently that have said to me ' for maths were doing shape... you'll find something to do!'. It is shocking that this is happening! When I was a class teacher I always made sure planning was available to be seen if I was planned to be off! I always planned each lesson as though I was delivering it and had these plans available to my supply!!

Basically I am fed up of turning up in classes and there being nothing or little left for me to do. I am not as much as I would love to be a miracle worker nor a mind reader!!! And Iam fed up of feeling like the work Iam doing with theclass isn't important so why plan for it anyway!!!

Okay deep breath and counting ten now!

Rant over!! feel free to add your own if you need to blow off steam... I am done... for now... :-)

hx

Anyway a supply teacher is someone a school buys in when they have exhausted every other opportunity. In secondary the call in the morning.

What I find sad is I feel unoticed. I have to get it right all of the time. Because if I get it wrong they will notice quick enough!

However I have a regular two days in a nice school were I am valued.

But I bet the sodden teacher comes back after half term.

Nu labour set the scene for insanity in schools, Gove and the coalition are just finishing it off.

This really annoys me too!

When I had my own classes, I would leave detailed notes, planning and all resources copied and available. If only this was the case with the majority of the teachers I was covering!

The worst planning note I have encountered in a Year 1 class simply said 'Read, Write Ink - Yellow book' I've never heard of this and surprise surprise there wasn't an even remotely yellow book to be found in the classroom! I asked the LSA, she had no idea either. To make matters worse, I am KS2 trained and my knowledge of KS1 consists of about 3 days recent supply and a 4 week teaching practice around 8 years ago (back in the days when they were taught as a whole class and sat at tables!)

Of course, when I informed the class teacher (very politely!) that I was unable to teach this lesson she looked at me as if I had 2 heads! Sorry, of course it must be my fault for not being able to follow a non existent book and teach a lesson on something I've never heard of!

In another school, I arrived 40 minutes early for an afternoon's work and couldn't find any planning left. I enquired and was told that the class teacher would come and discuss planning with me. When he finally turned up (5 minutes before the start of the lesson) I was told just do PE - throwing and catching (with class from hell!) and ICT lesson 3. When I asked what lesson 3 was I was rudely told that 'he usually finds most supplies know all of the lessons' Excuse me for not knowing every ICT lesson for every year group for an entire year!!

Needless to say, I won't be going back to either of those schools! Don't get me started on the 'design a poster' activities, mind numbing comprehension lessons and of course, all work having to be completed on paper because supply teachers obviously can't teach work that is good enough to go into their usual books! Rant over!

Yesterday I was covering secondary Welsh for 1 lesson, tagged onto a day of my specialism, English. Turned up to the lesson 10 mins early, no work set, no teachers around, no ideas!! Given that I don't even speak any Welsh myself i was completely flummoxed. Luckily I begged a French teacher, who also spoke no Welsh, but was at least a language teacher to set them something.

Needless to say, the year 9 class, were badly behaved given the ramshackle start to the lesson, and I ended up having to call for a senior management cover staff to sort out various issues.

The best bit though, the class teacher actually turns up, 25 mins after the start of the lesson, once all the drama is over saying, "so, sorry, I was held up, here's the work".

"Gee, thanks!" Why they couldn't have spent 5 mins the day before, or earlier that day sellotaping some simple instructions to the desk, goodness only knows. But hey I am only a supply teacher - what I do with the class and how I cope is far less important than whatever the class teacher was doing!

I sound bitter already! But lack of organisation, and just plain rudeness really, really annoys me! Great rant thread, thanks!