You’ve probably worked extremely hard to gain the qualifications that allow you to take up a career in teaching. However, there are those of us who aren’t ready to commit to a full-time job at any one particular school. Maybe it’s because you still want to do some travelling before you settle down, or maybe it’s down to the fact that you’d like to get a taste for a range of school before deciding exactly what you want to achieve in your teaching career. It doesn’t matter why you’re not ready to commit to a full-time teaching role, there are other ways to develop your career while still maintaining some flexibility in your life.
Supply teachers are in higher demand than you might think. At the end of the day, they’re necessary for when full-time teachers fall ill, or when permanent teachers leave and vacancies need to be filled temporarily before another permanent teacher is recruited. Plus, there are many reasons as to why short-term teaching jobs can be very beneficial.
The Benefits of Short-Term Supply Teaching
Short-term supply teaching usually refers to roles that need filling for a maximum of six weeks. They’re largely available when permanent staff members are off sick for an extended period of time, and here are just some of the benefits of taking on such a role.
- The pay isn’t half bad – All things considered, the pay isn’t far off that of a permanent teacher, and given the fact that you might not have to take on responsibilities such as marking and lesson planning, that’s hardly a bad thing. You’re there simply to fill in until a permanent teacher can alleviate you of your responsibilities.
- It’s a flexible option for teaching – You’ll probably have many more positions to choose from if you’re willing to take on a job for a very short period of time. If you’re teaching young children between the ages of five and eleven, you might be able to test the waters with regards to subjects and age groups and see what you might want to aim for when/if you’re ready to go permanent.
- You can retain your freedom – You might simply not be ready to settle down and take on the full responsibilities inherent with a permanent job. If you take a supply teaching job for a short period of time, you’ll be earning cash doing what you’ve been trained to do while retaining your freedom to travel and spend time with friends and family.
The downsides include the fact that you won’t get much chance to bond with your students, and you might end up filling a role that you fall in love with that you won’t be able to continue for very long. You could look into long-term supply teaching jobs if you’d rather really get to know a school and its students. Whatever kind of job you’re looking for, you’ll be able to find it all on Capita Education, but short-term teaching is definitely perfect for certain people.
