Thank God It's Friday - Posts From the Past : A Supply Teacher's Lot

Thank God It's Friday  - A Supply Teacher's Lot 

Monday                                                                                                                                                   

 I'm scheduled to teach "Key Skills" (English, Maths, Basic Information Technology) to a class of  

prospective` of prospective plumbers and painters & decorators - aged between seventeen and twenty 

 one years old. "I left school to get away from all this,” says one. “I wanna be a plumber not an English 

teacher,” says another. We practise writing job applications and I comment on the incorrect spelling of 

words such as 'course', 'plumber' and 'decorate'.

"I won't need to write", says Mark. “I'm having me own business.”

Tuesday                                                                                                                                                        A Year 1 class. As I attempt to take the register of those present, one child lies on his back, banging his  heels on the floor. His support teacher implores him to sit up and listen. He doesn't. Other children decide that his is a better game than looking for “ai” sounds in a text. They lay down and bang their heels too.  I feel like doing the same.

Wednesday                                                                                                                                              Key Skills with Art and Design FE students. Their task is to set up a studio/ workshop, working to a budget. There is a continual bleep-bleep of text messages and notifications. I ask Claire if she can think of a more efficient method of working out prices than the one she is using. She replies: “I would have used the calculator on my phone, but you told us to turn them off.” I say "Good work !". 

Thursday                                                                                                                                                    Year 6  today and I am impressed with the appearance of the school. Immaculate displays proclaim the school’s philosophy: “We care for each other ... Our targets this week are... We show respect ... We always do our best”. My class arrives and noisily come into the room where I wait patiently for order. They kick chairs, yell and throw books. I ask them to sit down. A few comply, the rest ignore me and continue their rampage. 

Friday                                                                                                                                                Another school in a “difficult” area. I’m disillusioned after yesterday and dubious about today. As the children come in they smile and introduce themselves. They listen to what I say and do what I ask them to do and the day is productive and enjoyable for everyone. Later I discuss with the Head Teacher about how the school achieves as it does. “Simple,” he says. “A commitment to doing what we believe in, and what is right for the children we teach, not what others say we should do.”  Simple.

This was written in 2003 after I had been teaching full time in Primary Schools for a number of years and then supply teaching in Primary and in Further Education. The piece was published in the TES Times Educational Supplement in their Thank God It's Friday column.