– Flexible schedule
Being a supply teacher offers much more flexibility than being a permanent teacher. Your hours and schedules aren’t as set in stone as those who have committed to full-time teaching. You can choose when you want to work, giving you the opportunity to have a better work-life balance.
This flexibility gives you the ability to take breaks or holidays without the constraints of the fixed school year. You’re also able to study at the same time or pursue a secondary career or side hustle. It’s all about choosing what is valuable to you. And if you’re a parent yourself, being a supply teacher allows you more time to spend with your own children.
– Less admin work
Permanent teaching staff will often tell you that a lot of their time is spent on admin work – whether it’s grading papers, filling in administrative forms, or reporting incidents. As a supply teacher, you won’t have the same amount of admin duties. The majority of the time, you can focus purely on teaching without too many of the additional responsibilities of lesson planning, parent-teacher meetings, and long-term curriculum development. There will be some admin, but not an excessive amount.
You simply get to focus on the part you enjoy – connecting with the students and helping them learn. It means that most of your energy goes directly to your learners.
– Exciting new experiences
As a supply teacher, you get a far more diverse experience as you move between classrooms and schools. You’ll get to meet new people, interact with different communities, and encounter unique school cultures.
This diversity can help you grow as a teacher and contribute to your professional development.
– Less overall stress
You don’t go into teaching because you’re looking for a stress-free career. But being a supply teacher is significantly less pressure than being a permanent teacher. Supply teachers don’t have to make long-term commitments and have the ability to switch between schools, which can alleviate some of the pressure associated with administrative tasks (mentioned above!), planning, and maintaining a continuous presence in a single classroom.
If you’re unhappy in a certain role, you don’t have to worry because you aren’t expected to be there on a permanent basis. You have the freedom to move around when it suits you, and you aren’t under pressure to deal with difficult classroom situations for long periods of time.
– You can explore different teaching styles
Supply teachers have the ability to experiment with different teaching styles and methodologies because they don’t have the long-term commitment that permanent teachers have. In your career, you’ll be exposed to many unique types of students with their individual learning needs.
You’ll be able to adapt your approach to better suit the requirements of each unique classroom. This ability to adapt can help you foster a creative and innovative teaching style. This is especially important if you’re in the early stages of your teaching career, as you’ll be able to determine what works best for you.
We can help you find the right supply role
At Now Education, we help supply teachers find their perfect roles and handle all the admin that comes along with it. Get in touch, and we’ll explain exactly how we work and how we can help you further your career as a top supply teacher in the UK.
