Supply teaching ideas

As a supply teacher, you should find that work has been prepared for you. Sometimes however, this is not the case. It doesn't happen too often, so don't worry too much about it, but having a handful of great, adaptable supply teaching ideas up your sleeve can help calm your nerves, increase your confidence, and improve your chances of being invited to do supply work again!

I have a few emergency lesson plans here you might want to take a look at for one off lesson ideas, and there are plenty of time fillers to be found on the forum.

 As for other ideas, you might want to start by writing a literacy lesson plan based around one story or poem (look at the 3rd category in the shop for inspiration). Then think about how this could be adapted to each year group, each ability.

Guy the Grumpy Gargoyle by Gill JepsonIf you do this exercise properly, it should give you the confidence you need to take it into any classroom. Don't sweat the small stuff: if no planning has been left, the Headteacher should be suitably embarrassed and will not be looking so closely at your planning that they notice you haven't included any visual stimuli for the visual learners!

When you've brainstormed that lesson idea, see if you can eke out a numeracy / history / geography idea from the same story / poem – you should be able to find something that's not too tenuous!

Where next? There's a great quick read here on teaching your own child whilst on supply.
Check out our resources area here too.

NQT thinking about doing supply work?

Unfortunately, in today's climate (mini-rant: Government efforts to increase the supply of teachers to improve choice / quality, coupled with falling birth rate) many NQTs are finding themselves without that first, longed-for contract.

Supply teaching - invaluable experience for an NQT?

If you're unsure about becoming a supply teacher, you'll probably want to read the whole of this website!

Simple arguments for and against being a supply teacher are:
(Please note, these are quick notes, they are explored in further detail throughout this site and the supply teacher support forum)

  • Potentially introduces you to all the schools in your area. You discover the schools you'd love to work in. You also uncover the schools that you'd rather not visit again.
  • Potentially exposes you to all the schools in your area! You will no doubt leave an impression on the staff, make sure it's the right impression.
  • Income. Nuff said!
  • Experience. You've had a somewhat chaperoned experience of teaching so far, on your placements. Now the fun starts!

Are you an NQT considering supply teaching? Tough decision or no-brainer?

How does an NQT become a supply teacher?

Congratulations on becoming a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT)!

You probably found this website as you didn’t cement a job contract as an NQT for September. It doesn’t mean that  you cannot work. You can work as a supply teacher. Supply teaching is an experience that I believe every teacher should experience at some point, educational conscription you might say.

Can an NQT be a supply teacher?

There is the worry about losing your NQT status if you do not complete your NQT year within a certain time scale.

I’m not going to write about the 4-term rule, or the 5-year rule, or whatever the Government have come up with recently here, as they change their minds more often than I can practically revise this website.

You’ll have to look at current regulation based on how long you can work for, and take an educated guess as to whether or not to start supply work.

If you do decide to take the plunge, first grab a cup of coffee, then take a seat and start reading. You might want to take a look at Getting Started As A Supply Teacher first, and then why not pop by the supply teacher support forum and say hello?

Are there too many barriers to NQTs becoming supply teachers? Does the idea of supply teaching scare you or can’t you wait to dive in?

Mixed Year Group Emergency Lesson Plans

Lesson plans for supply teachersA very short list (so far) of mixed year group, emergency, resource-free, lesson plans… More to come, but if this isn't enough, please do browse the rest of SupplyBag.co.uk where you will find hundreds of year group specific one-liner lesson plans!

Geography

Before using these plans, please make every effort to follow any that have been left, talk to the children and other staff. These are meant for emergencies only, when you have been called in at short notice and have no other choice. They are however, based on the curriculum, and so you can use them with confidence.

Year 6 Resource-Free Lesson Plans

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans are meant to be used by supply teachers, when no planning is available. Please follow the guidance here.

Click on the relevant subject to access my emergency, one-liner lesson plans for Year 6.

Literacy
Numeracy
Science
History
Geography
DT

Other subjects are available in the supply teacher PDF download above.

Before using these plans, please make every effort to follow any that have been left, talk to the children and other staff. These are meant for emergencies only, when you have been called in at short notice and have no other choice. They are however, based on the curriculum, and so you can use them with confidence.

Year 5 Resource-Free Lesson Plans

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans are meant to be used by supply teachers, when no planning is available. Please follow the guidance here.

Click on the relevant subject to access my emergency, one-liner lesson plans for Year 5.

Literacy
Numeracy
Science
History
Geography
DT

Other subjects are available in the supply teachers PDF above.

Before using these plans, please make every effort to follow any that have been left, talk to the children and other staff. These are meant for emergencies only, when you have been called in at short notice and have no other choice. They are however, based on the curriculum, and so you can use them with confidence.

Year 4 Resource-Free Lesson Plans

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans are meant to be used by supply teachers, when no planning is available. Please follow the guidance here.

Click on the relevant subject to access my emergency, one-liner lesson plans for Year 4.

Literacy
Numeracy
Science
History
Geography
DT

Before using these plans, please make every effort to follow any that have been left, talk to the children and other staff. These are meant for emergencies only, when you have been called in at short notice and have no other choice. They are however, based on the curriculum, and so you can use them with confidence.

Year 3 Resource-Free Lesson Plans

Lesson plans for supply teachersThese emergency lesson plans are meant to be used by supply teachers, when no planning is available. Please follow the guidance here.

Click on the relevant subject to access my emergency, one-liner lesson plans for Year 3.

Literacy
Numeracy
Science
History
Geography
DT

Other subjects are available in the download featured above.

Before using these plans, please make every effort to follow any that have been left, talk to the children and other staff. These are meant for emergencies only, when you have been called in at short notice and have no other choice. They are however, based on the curriculum, and so you can use them with confidence.

Resource-Free Lesson Plans for Numeracy

As a supply teacher, you may worry that no work will be left for you when you arrive in school. Even on a pre-booked day! I have found these fears to be largely unjustified, yet all the same, it's good to have something up your sleeve – it can happen!

These one-liner Numeracy lessons plans are intended to be used as a prompt when no planning has been left for you as a supply teacher. They are relevant to the Primary Framework for Numeracy announced in October 2006. They are not intended to be replacements for full lesson plans, and no liability can be accepted by us if you decide to use them. They are mainly from the top of NuttySupplier's head.

Work is split into year groups, and then further split into blocks as defined below:

  • Block A – Counting, partitioning and calculating
  • Block B – Securing number facts, understanding shape
  • Block C – Handling data and measures
  • Block D – Calculating, measuring and understanding shape
  • Block E – Securing number facts, relationships and calculating

In the Primary Framework, Blocks are intended to last 6-9 weeks work. Each Block includes objectives from Using and Applying Mathematics, plus two or three objectives from the other core strands.

The strands of learning objectives are:

  • Using and applying mathematics
  • Counting and understanding number
  • Knowing and using number facts
  • Calculating
  • Understanding shape
  • Measuring
  • Handling data
Resource-Free Lesson Plans for Numeracy

Emergency, Resource-Free Lesson Plans for Numeracy

As you will see from the supply teacher ideas below, I have followed a further breakdown of the Blocks in order to make the teaching of individual year groups more relevant.

Emergency lesson plans for Year 3  Numeracy

Emergency lesson plans for Year 4  Numeracy

Emergency lesson plans for Year 5  Numeracy

Emergency lesson plans for Year 6  Numeracy

Return to the Emergency Lesson Plans index

Resource-Free Lesson Plans for Science

Click here to download all 289 of my supply teacher lesson plans in one handy PDF file.

New to supply teaching? You may have a constant worry that no planning will be left for you, in an unfamiliar school, with eager children. It doesn't happen that often, and I believe it doesn't ever have to happen, but I won't get on my soap box now about it!

These one-line emergency Science lessons plans are intended to be used as a prompt when no planning has been left for you as a supply teacher. They are not intended to be replacements for full lesson plans, and no liability can be accepted by us if you decide to use them. They are mainly from the top of NuttySupplier's head. Work is split into year groups, and then further split into the Science Scheme of Work units.

Emergency, Resource-Free Lesson Plans for Science

Emergency, Resource-Free Lesson Plans for Science

Emergency, Resource-Free Lesson Plans for Science[/caption]

Emergency lesson plans for Year 3 Science

Emergency lesson plans for Year 4 Science

Emergency lesson plans for Year 5 Science

Emergency lesson plans for Year 6 Science

Return to Emergency Lesson Plans index.

Science doesn't have to be practical. If no resources are left for you, you could pop outside at lunchtime and see what you could find to help you along, such as fallen leaves. However, faced with no science lesson plans, no Head would expect you to produce an all-singing, all-dancing interactive lesson, so don't beat yourself up over it! Do try and make it memorable for the children in some way though… Think kinaesthetic. Get the children out of their seats, to the front of the class, pretending to be kettles, hair-dryers etc., not just listening to you talking about them!