Be Professional..Leave a note!

Yesterday, my relief day was what I call, "Round the World." By this I mean that I was asked to relieve teachers in 40minute blocks so they could meet with a specialist teacher regards the term ahead. I literally worked with every teacher and year level in that one day. While the teaching focus was already preplanned by the class teacher, I needed to be able to adjust the the new age group and the learning very quickly so as to hold the attention and momentum of the day. This is what I would call the "Tricks of the Trade" as well a splash of profession experience!

I actually the challenge of the pace of the day! I also enjoy trying out new strategies that may enhance the learning environment especially when you don't know the children's names and learning styles.

However, yesterday the one thing that I received the most positive feedback about was the appreciation of a concise note detailing the work covered and any other information of note e.g students who had to attend another specialist lesson at the same time, parent collecting a child from the room and at what time, work that had been collected and students that require follow up to name a few examples.

This note was not just written on the back of a scrap piece of paper but presented professionally and placed with any other collected work on the desk. The affirmation of this system tells me that this is appreciated but it also sends a message that I respect my role in the smooth functioning of a school day and see my contribution as valuable. Teaching is all about being professional in all that we do and say.

Actions do speak louder than words though don't they!

Live, laugh and learn every day...

Carmel

Substitute, Supply or Relief Teachers.... we are all in this together!

“Unless you try something beyond what you have already

mastered, you will never grow.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

No matter what your teaching experience, if you are reading this blog you are preparing to move into a distinctly unique aspect of the education profession known as substitute ,relief or supply teaching.

Congratulations on being prepared to grow. Growth takes courage and on occasions so does substitute teaching! Every day you face a new set of children, a new grade level, a new set of individual needs, a new classroom environment and a new set of ground rules. Don’t be put off by the challenges, consider the positives. Every day is a fresh beginning with the opportunity to do it better and make a difference. One day, one kind word, one learning experience can stay with a child for a lifetime. I am always humbled when a child (sometimes years later) can remind me of a moment when I touched their life or anchored a specific learning concept firmly in their mind. These tiny moments cannot be undervalued. You must never underestimate the power of the moment and how God may choose to work through you in this important role of relief teaching.

Without the team of dedicated professionals providing this service our schools would not function as efficiently and smoothly as they do. However, you must be aware that you are responsible for your own professional growth and development. In the context of the role, you must be proactive in seeking out in-services that may suit your needs, colleges who form part of your mentoring team and resources that inspire you to journey on in your chosen career path.

If you live in the Brisbane , Australia area, I am conducting another workshop for Supply Teachers on Saturday the 31st of July. (More details in following blog) This workshop goes hand in hand with my workbook and many participants give feedback that the three hours of professional fun and learning really make the ideas come alive! The other benefit of this workshop is that you can add these three hours to your QTC professional development log requirements for 2010. Yeah! You also gain the added advantage of networking with other like minded professionals who are experiencing all the same things. It really does help to know you are not alone!

If you are not local, so to speak, don't worry...this is exactly why I was encouraged to start this blog...so you could find me and access the workbook on line. You are downloading the same book with the added advantage of being able to slide it into a display book for longevity and additional pages for ever-increasing ideas you will gain along the way! Should you choose to do this you will find it on the left at the top of the blog page. Simply click on the picture icon the open the link.

Can't wait to read your feedback. Sharing is a wonderful gift...thank you.

The book was primarily generated to give the reader “insight” into some of the key aspects of the relief teaching day. There are already many fantastic resources for lesson content. These humble ideas are meant to be the glue that can hold your teaching day together; the strategies that teachers develop over a lifetime of constant refinement and re-evaluation. As a fellow traveller, it is my hope that some of the strategies and suggestions contained in these pages (and workshop ) do exactly that…..inspire you to move forward, doing more and being more for the betterment and enrichment of the students in your care.

Live,laugh and learn every day!

Carmel Kuhr

“Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid of standing still.”

Chinese Proverb