Part time teacher, full time parent

Since becoming a part time teacher, full time parent, I, every now and then, take a look at myself in the mirror and remember the person that I used to be. The person I was before I had children of my own. The person who, on a regular basis, slept more than a few hours a night, and went shopping for her own clothes, rather than small ones, and the person who had time to straighten her hair on a regular basis before dashing out of the door.

I miss some of being that person. An occasional lie in would feel amazing, and it would be nice to go out for the evening without worrying about whether or not the children will wake up while I'm not there. I'd love to get my guitar out and twiddle unhindered, without a small audience, or indeed, sit on the sofa and read my very own book. And yet. Yet. I couldn't go back. Ultimately, she could, and did have to, put other children before her own. And, while some professionals manage to do that very well, and I have a great deal of respect for them for exactly that reason, I am not in that place. Not yet, and perhaps not ever.

Part time teacher, full time parentPart time, or rather supply teaching appeals to a lot of mothers of toddlers and young children. It allows them to exercise their professional skills and still be there for their children, and that appeals to me immensely. Here's why.

 

Benefits of being a part time teacher, full time parent:

1. Teaching can be all-consuming. I remember a colleague telling me the story of how her son used to say “You love your children at school more than me,” and I used to promise myself that I wouldn't be that mother. I want to be the mother who is present while my children are small enough to appreciate me. There is time enough as they grow up to change my mind.

2. And…children grow up so fast! Blink and you miss those first few milestones. I have been fortunate enough to be able to see both my children take their first steps, and hear them say their first words, and develop an amazingly close relationship that makes my heart happy. My husband, on the other hand, has often been at work, because that has been the practical arrangement in our household. I remember the times he has, he thought, spotted something new, and it's actually not. His face says it all. I'm so glad that I have had that opportunity. Many parents do not.

3. I'm sure it's not in any doubt, but once you have children of your own, they have to become your priority. I think one of the hardest things to deal with as both a parent and a teacher is guilt. That we're either letting our families down, or we're letting our class down. Sometimes both. They are all children, and they all do, and all should, matter. I think as a parent with a young family, it is easier to give of yourself in small bursts, preserving much of yourself, and your time and energy for your own children. It's difficult to balance and weigh up what is important, but supply teaching provides the space to do just that.

4. One of the things that we have had to do as parents is to prioritise what our needs as a family are. We've thought long and hard about things we can live without (my husband's annual travel pass has bitten the dust, and he now commutes by bike). Holidays are few and far between, but less expensive experiences with us as a family are abundant. We make savings where we can, but of course, we are also in tune with the ever changing needs of our family. Once again, supply teaching has advantages for us at the moment for this reason.

5. There are days when, as a parent of young children, you just aren't at your best. Illness, tantrums, sleepless nights, all take their toll. There are days when you're glad of an opportunity not to have to dress for the day ahead and put your best foot forward.

Not, of course, that you can just go back to bed and hide under the covers when there's no call.

By Resident Writer Jenny Smith
Want more from Jenny? Try this: Work Life Balance: A SAHM’s guide to getting back into supply teaching
Or this: Show Me Show Me Skills!

Show Me Show Me Skills!

I've been fortunate enough to be able to stay at home full time with both of my pre-school age children, and while I'm not quite ready to make the leap back to work, I recognise that what I do day to day doesn't stand in isolation, and that I will be able to transfer the experiences I have developed in my job as a parent to my role in the classroom, and enhance my skills and expertise along the way. It has taken time to believe in myself, and to appreciate that being a stay at home mum has added to, rather than detracted from, my portfolio of skills. When you're not a member of the workforce for any reason, it's easy to forget your professional capabilities, and not see them in yourself. I decided to sit down and write a list of some of the skills I use every day that would prove useful in a classroom environment, and share them with you.

Parenting Skills transferred to supply teaching1. Facilitation

My children have many and varied interests…from space to sticker books to singing. They love to make, create and imagine. And one of my most important roles is to help them do that. I encourage their passions, and help ignite their enthusiasms and bring them to life. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly confident this is something I'd be able to utilise in the classroom!

2. Problem solving

In our house, we spend a lot of time talking about being “problem solvers”. I encourage my three year old to look for solutions and try to think of creative ways of arriving at them. It enables her to think for herself and to value her own contribution. I hope this will help her to develop a growth mindset, and allow her to see herself as a resilient learner. This is also something that we want for the children we teach.

3. Teamwork

My husband and I believe parenting is something we do as a team. We each have equal responsibility for our children, and we each have equal input into how we choose to raise them. And we believe it is healthy for our children to be involved in our family decisions. Teamwork means sharing responsibility, creating a dynamic where everyone is valued and where all contributions are recognised. It's just as important to the family as in the work environment.

4. Organisation

Mums have to be organised. Getting from A to B on a wing and a prayer is not only difficult with two young children to cater for, it's also absolute chaos! Being ready to go out first thing in the morning, and being prepared to spend the whole day outside, plan for changes in the weather, anticipating hunger and thirst, and even toileting accidents, are all part and parcel of the job. Keeping my children as engaged and entertained as possible, and looking after their belongings, are all valuable attributes in the class teacher.

5. Prioritising

Making things happen when you need them to happen. Knowing what the most important thing on the never ending to do list of motherhood is, and ensuring it gets done. The small things that oil the wheels of family life, and keep it running smoothly. Something every good teacher needs to be able to do effectively.

6. Communication

Communication is a two way process. Learning to listen as a parent is just as important as what we say. In our house, we encourage our children to engage with us, and hope they see themselves as having an active role within our family dynamic. We want them to feel valued and invested, and I hope that this is something that would translate well to the teaching world.

7. Compromise

As parents, we all soon learn that our children may not have exactly the same idea for the outcome to any given situation that we do. We learn to be flexible with our approach, and we develop any number of ways of saying the same thing. We try one thing, and if that doesn't work, we try something else. Sound familiar? It should.

8. Discipline

My job as a parent is to give my children the tools to help them to grow into successful and capable adults. They don't need me to do things for them. They need me to teach them to do things for themselves. They need someone they can trust to help them to develop their own moral compass. This is something that has direct correlation in the classroom. Students need teachers who believe in them, and are committed to helping them to become self motivated learners.

There you go. Eight skills I have honed outside the classroom. What are yours? Let us know below!

By Resident Writer Jenny Smith

Where next? There's a great quick read here on active supply teacher professional development.
Check out our resources area here too.

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!

Resource-Free Lesson Plans for Literacy

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

Not often do you walk into a school as a supply teacher, and find that no planning has been left for you. But it does happen sometimes. And, especially if you are new to supply teaching, it can throw you / terrify you / send you running to the door! Never fear:

These one-liner Literacy 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 Literacy 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.

Emergency, Resource-Free Lesson Plans for Literacy

Emergency, Resource-Free Lesson Plans for Literacy

In the Primary Framework for Literacy, literacy is organised into three main blocks:

  • Narrative/Plays/Scripts
  • Non-Fiction
  • Poetry

I have labelled the supply teacher's ideas below accordingly, and also included word and sentence level work in relation to the old Literacy Strategy, placed within terms in year groups.

The learning objectives within the Primary Framework for Literacy are as follows:

  • Speaking
  • Listening and responding
  • Group discussion, interaction
  • Drama
  • Word structure and spelling
  • Understand and interpret texts
  • Engage with, respond to texts
  • Creating and shaping texts
  • Text structure and organization
  • Sentence structure, punctuation
  • Presentation

As you will see from the supply teacher ideas below, I have followed a further breakdown of the Blocks for each year group in order to make the lesson plans more relevant.

Emergency lesson plans for Year 3 Literacy

Emergency lesson plans for Year 4 Literacy

Emergency lesson plans for Year 5 Literacy

Emergency lesson plans for Year 6 Literacy

Return to the Emergency Lesson Plans index