Surviving As A Relief Teacher | 3 Tips

Relief teaching is something that all teachers will encounter in their education journey. Some teachers love relief teaching, as it provides them with flexibility in their work week, whilst others hate the inconsistency and challenges that come with being a relief teacher. Regardless, it is something we all have to encounter at some point and it comes with its own unique set of challenges. Here are a few tricks that I have picked up during my time as a relief teacher.

Always Be Prepared

When I started my teaching journey, I spent a few weeks dedicated to collecting a range of resources from a few of teaching resource sites that are out there. I also created my own resources and had them ready to go, in preparation for relief teaching days (Even ones that were not booked yet). I would keep these in a folder and always have them ready in case I was thrown into a subject area I was not familiar with or had students who completed the task set out by their teacher. This preparation will make your day less stressful and never leave you in a situation where you have a class but nothing to teach.

This also IMPORTANTLY allows you to take relief teaching days on short notice as you will already have something prepared. Lets be honest… a majority of your relief days will be on short notice due to the nature of the role, having something prepared will reduce your anxiety and open the door to many teaching days that you would normally reject due to lack of time to prepare.

Being prepared can be the difference in being stressed when thrown into a crazy day of teaching, or being able to adapt and at least have activities for students regardless of the circumstances of your day.

I always have a range of printable worksheets, early finisher tasks, get to know you tasks and of course a range of P.E activities if the students want to go outside at some point throughout the day or lesson.

Heres a few options for you to start collecting your resources:

Teachstarter.com
Twinkle.com
Check in on our resources available here on this site!

Manage Your Expectations

Relief teachers can have very high expectations of the class during their time teaching them. This is fantastic! Having expectations and boundaries in your classroom is important and ensures that learning occurs throughout the day. There may also be a chance that you will be back for another day or even work at the school as a full-time teacher in the near future, so creating a positive reputation is important.

BUT….

Please understand the behaviour of the class is not a reflection of you as their relief teacher. Students across many schools act very different when they have a relief teacher, this is due to a wide range of reasons but the main reason is that these students have spent a great deal of time building a relationship with their teachers and testing the boundaries over a long period of time. To think that students will not push your boundaries during the day is an unfair expectation to put on yourself and I think any school and teacher you are covering will not expect everything to run the exact same as if they were there themselves. Modern day classroom management is has a lot to do with student teacher relationships, as we know these are developed organically over time.

The days where any teacher could walk into any class and have students hanging off everyone word is few and far between unfortunately! This is not a bad thing at all, rather a normal progression of cultural school norms and how today’s generation adapt to their teaching environment.

It Is Okay If…..

Not every task gets done
You take more breaks than needed
You spend time building relationships with students
The classroom is a little messy!

I think it is much better for a school to hear from their students that the relief teacher was awesome, understanding and spent time getting to know us rather than the relief teacher was unkind forced us to do all the work whilst not spending time getting to know us. Which relief teacher do you think the school will get back……. ?

Relationships are Key!

Spending the first part of the day discussing who you are, interesting things about you and then spending time doing an activity to allow you to get to know your students will go a long way. The modern classroom is very much built on the success of teacher student relationships. Gone are the days where students will listen and learn on command, students very much are engaged in a lesson if they have a positive relationship with their teacher,

Even if you don’t get to know the students well in one ‘get to know you’ activity, it breaks the ice and allow students to share and ask questions about you. Whilst you might not remember their name, they will remember yours. I can guarantee that.

‘Hey that cool relief teacher is back today!’ Is something I have heard countless times.

This will create an awesome start to your day and if you are back that school and even if you are teaching in a different class, these students will remember you and will look forward to the next time you are taking their class for a relief lesson!

Relief Teaching Can Be Hard, Why? What does the evidence say?

Lack of Classroom Control: Relief teachers often struggle to establish authority and maintain discipline in classrooms where students may test boundaries more readily. A study published in the “Journal of Educational Psychology” found that substitute teachers reported higher levels of disruptive behaviour from students compared to regular teachers.
Limited Preparation Time: Relief teachers often have minimal time to familiarize themselves with lesson plans and classroom materials, leading to difficulties in delivering effective instruction. A survey conducted by the National Substitute Teachers Alliance found that over 70% of substitute teachers feel they do not receive adequate preparation or information before entering a classroom.
Difficulty Building Rapport: Building relationships with students is essential for effective teaching, but relief teachers may struggle to establish rapport in a short period. An article in the “Journal of Educational Research” noted that substitute teachers often face challenges in forming connections with students due to the transient nature of their role, impacting classroom dynamics and student engagement.
Limited Support and Resources: Relief teachers may lack access to essential resources and support systems available to permanent staff, hindering their ability to address diverse student needs effectively. A report by the National Education Association highlighted disparities in professional development opportunities and access to instructional resources between substitute and regular teachers, contributing to difficulties in meeting instructional objectives.