Tempest Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 I started supply teaching at the start of this term (so am only in my fourth week) and am trying to switch from secondary to primary so have mainly been working in primary schools locally at KS2. I'm registered with a few agencies and there seems to be no shortage of work (I only want to work 3 days a week anyway). The problem I'm finding is that recently I've been sent to a couple of, shall we say, *challenging* schools but am finding it difficult as I don't know much about our local primary schools so don't know which are good and bad. Today was the first day I had with a new agency and the school was a complete nightmare. I'm finding that I keep getting sent to Basildon and in all honesty most of the schools there aren't great (no offence to anyone that lives in Basildon) and I think today's must have been one of the worst I had year 5/6 in a mixed class the teacher told me that they were a 'nightmare' and basically to batten down the hatches and try and survive the day The morning was surprisingly fine but this afternoon all hell seemed to break lose resulting in a couple of full on 'fights' amongst a couple of lads and I ended up having to get the deputy head in and even he couldn't really deal with the situation. Then one lad decided to throw a chair at another child and there was a second when I thought it was going to hit me and I actually felt quite scared of being injured The supply teacher for year 1/2 was asked to leave at lunchtime as she couldn't control the class and the day ended with the head calling me into her office and offering me a full time job I'm already booked in for 3 more days at Basildon schools this week/next week and now I'm feeling like I just really don't want to take them. I don't want to upset the agency as I'm already booked in for them but don't really know what to do? I think part of the problem is that I seem able to 'cope' or shall we say 'survive the day' in the challenging schools the agencies are keen to put me back in there as they know I can hack it and I'm not going to ring them up and say I want to leave by 10am but at the same time I'm really not enjoying being in such tough environments Part of me is feeling like I really want to develop the flu by my Friday booking (which the agency has already prewarned me is a 'challenging class' and I need to go in 'tough' ) and see if something better comes along with another agency (which I know sounds terrible!) but I'm afraid that if I ring my original agency and say I don't want to go to these kinds of schools they'll stop getting me the work The kids in these schools aren't bad kids but they're coming from horrible home environments, lots from homes with substanstial amounts of violence and domestic problems and they just have a lot of anger that they're trying to deal with. The head told me that Mondays and Fridays are always worse - Mondays because of the things the kids have seen/had to deal with at the weekends and Fridays as they know they have to spend 2 days at home err.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elricc Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 welcome to my world, can't give any advice as I do it full time as I'm a SENCo in a high school;. I now work at a relatively quiet school, but for 5 years was a SENCo in a very big tough high school and it wore me to a frazzle. I do think its is much harder being a supply teacher than having work in a school permanently as you don't develop rapport and as such kids don't respect you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazydaisy Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 I have had the same problem as you - ie I can cope with difficult classes and can maintain order. As soon as the agency know that you can cope with this they will persist in sending you to the same type of schools, because teachers who are willing to return are in high demand. I have usually found that the staff in "difficult" schools are great, and that teachers in "nice" schools are not very friendly, (obviously this is a generalisation). My advice would be to think of yourself, it will take its toll having to deal with difficult children. Tell the agency that you will not go to really tough schools. You will quickly find out which schools you feel happy in. But, if you do persist with a tough school it usually gets easier. I had a class of Y5's once which the head described as the class from hell. I went to the school on a Wednesday and I was the third teacher that week. At the end of the morning the kids asked me if I would stay for the afternoon because usually supplys left at lunchtime! I stayed for the week and ended up teaching the class for 6 mths and then had a temporary contract. You will have to be firm with the agency - good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lots of lurchers Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 I have been in the same situation, as Lazydaisy said, once the agency knows that you are able to cope/not walk out they will continue to place you in these schools. The flip side is when you are good the schools will request you back. I worked on supply for 3 years while I was doing my TTouch Training. There were a number of schools where the heads would come and speak to me at dinner break to check I was not going to walk out before the afternoon One of these was a failing school and the teacher was on long term sick. By the end of the day the head had offered me a long term placement to cover the illness. I had the 'toughest' class in the school, fights were quite common between the boys. I did enjoy it thoough, in the long run. There was only one school I would not have gone back to. That was for a number of reasons, but mainly because of the lack of information/help from the other staff information on equipment etc, as well as challenging children. I told the agency this. Three weeks later there was a murder around the corner from that school You also often find that because you can cope, they will put you in upper primary, as fewer supply teachers want to teach those year groups (this is what I found anyway) Supply in one respect is easier. No parents evenings, staff meetings, subject co-ordination etc. One thing that helped me was I used to think at least I don't have to teach this class day in and day out. That helped me get through the day You will have to be firm. If there is a particular school/class you do not want to teach, tell the agency. Or say that you only want to teach in them for a few days a month, or whatever you want it to be. However the three days that you are booked in for next week, I would do those as you have already agreed to those. Otherwise you could be seen as unreliable. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted January 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Thanks for the feedback guys - it definately seems quite common that once you can 'cope' you end up back at the tough schools After hearing what you said about the murder round the corner from the school that reminded me what one of the teachers told me about the school I was at last week. Apparently a severed head was found in a bush near the school last year and basically it was the mother of a pupil - the father had murdered her and dumped her head in the bush It was all over the news apparently but I must have completely missed it. It honestly beggars belief what these kids must see going on at home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lots of lurchers Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Thanks for the feedback guys - it definately seems quite common that once you can 'cope' you end up back at the tough schools After hearing what you said about the murder round the corner from the school that reminded me what one of the teachers told me about the school I was at last week. Apparently a severed head was found in a bush near the school last year and basically it was the mother of a pupil - the father had murdered her and dumped her head in the bush It was all over the news apparently but I must have completely missed it. It honestly beggars belief what these kids must see going on at home Horrifying isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherlock Bones Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 You know wot Jules - this isn't going to help you one bit, but I had to say it (and it applies to the others of you here). But. IF i had kids (I don't) and IF i had kids who went to those though schools, and IF they were one of the ones who wanted to learn, I'd bl**dy pray every day that someone like you went into the school and helped my kids. I know you don't want to work there, I know you would be frazzled if you did it all the time - but if you make just one flipping day's difference to those kids, then you're a star. Don't forget it, for that kid will probably remember you for the rest of your life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted January 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2009 Only just read that Dee but just wanted to say thanks for saying that I think that's what you have to tell yourself in those kinds of schools - that the kids actually do need you much more than in the good schools quite often as school really offers a 'safe' and 'stable' place for them that many lack at home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts