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Supply teaching is a career path that can offer many benefits and great opportunities for you as a teacher. Whether you’re considering a career move or you’re just at the beginning, it’s worth finding out what the benefits of supply teaching are.
So, what does supply teaching have to offer? Let’s take a look!
Flexibility:
Flexibility has become an increasingly important factor when it comes to a job, with more people now considering this when taking on their job search.
As a supply teacher, one of the biggest benefits you have is flexibility. You are able to choose what days and hours you wish to work and take control of your schedule, without having to worry about organising lesson cover or cancelling other commitments you would usually need to take a day off for. This makes it a great fit for parents coming back to work, retired teachers, NQT’s or simply if you have other responsibilities to consider. Not to mention it can improve your work-life balance which is important to maintaining good health and wellbeing.
Experience and Variety:
With supply teaching, you aren’t limited to a particular age group or school so you have the chance to work with different ages, subjects, schools and even staff. This offers so much variety, which you don’t usually get as a permanent teacher.
Having this option not only develops your experience, but it also allows you to figure out what kind of students, schools, and subjects suit your teaching and lifestyle - it also makes supply work more exciting! Additionally, you have the freedom to decide where you work. For instance, if you don’t like working at a particular school, then you can choose not to work there again in the future. It’s completely up to you.
A great way to get the experience and variety you may need or want is through working with a supply teaching agency which can help you find placements that match your preferences.
Career Development:
For newly qualified teachers, supply teaching is great opportunity to develop your skills and gain experience. If you’re unsure which direction you want to go in, being a supply teacher can give you a clearer idea of the route you want to take.
What’s more, whilst experiencing different schools as a supply teacher, you will be exposed to different learning styles and this will provide opportunities to learn new teaching methods throughout each placement. This will support both your career and professional development as you gain experience which you may not get going straight into a permanent teaching role.
Having this experience can make you an appealing candidate, whether that’s to continue supply teaching or eventually move into a permanent position.
Career Break:
On the flip side, after a career of working in the same school for many years, you may be looking for a change. Supply teaching gives you the opportunity to experience other schools, and the flexibility means you can choose when you work if you’re looking to take a break from full-time. You can even use supply to help you try find a new permanent role.
Long-term Vs Short-term Supply:
You can decide whether you wish to do long-term or short-term placements with supply work, but what’s the difference and the benefits of the two?
Long-term supply work is pre-booked, so you know where you are every day and you have the ability to be in and out of new schools and learn a lot from other staff after spending more time with them. Long-term work can lead to permanent offers, if that’s something you’re interested in, and lets you ‘try before you buy’ so you can decide if you would like to permanently work at that school. It can build your confidence if you are returning after some time out of the classroom and it doesn’t actually have to be full-time long-term work so you can still have a great work/life balance.
So, if you value a career with a flexible schedule and opportunities for variety and experience or you’re simply just looking to take a step back, supply teaching could be the perfect fit for you. There are many supply teaching agencies available to support and benefit you on your supply teaching journey and if this is something you’re looking for, why not consider Opus Teach.
Why Opus Teach?
We understand the issues that can be faced by both schools and supply teachers and have developed a service that works with the best interests of both in mind that places quality, transparency, and fairness at the forefront.
Our focus is on matching you to a placement that suits your needs and skillset and allows you to deliver the best possible outcomes for students. We aim to build positive, longstanding, working relationships between schools and supply staff and take the time to understand exactly what type of role will work best for you.
Our easy to use, online system allows you to update your availability and preferences in real time and our wonderful team of account managers are also on hand to provide additional support and help you to find the right supply teaching role for you. We currently work with schools across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to find our teachers and support staff the perfect placements.
If you’d like to have a chat with one of the team to find out more about us or just to discuss your options, please call 03301 242801 or emails us at enquiries@opusteach.co.uk and we’d be more than happy to help!
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