What Are Your Options as an ECT?

After all of your hard work and qualifying as a new teacher, you may be wondering what your next step is? How do you apply for your new role? Are you interested in a particular sector?

Supply teaching can offer you a great work-life balance, a variety of experiences in several school settings and can be the first step to a rewarding career. It will give you the chance to explore different classroom settings, so you can decide how you want to progress in your teaching career.

Not only will you be at the beginning of your new career, but you will also be likely to face a more challenging classroom environment since the Coronavirus Pandemic. This is the reality for today’s trainee teachers: school closures, remote teaching and, for some, personal circumstances may have overshadowed your training year.

Here at Sugarman, we can provide short or long term work to suit you. There are many benefits to both, which will help you gain exposure to a range of different learning styles and receive great training opportunities first-hand. Now that classrooms are full again, we are guaranteed to find you a suitable school to gain the experience you need.

So what are your options?

Short Term

Short term work allows you to sample several different schools, ranging in a variety of age groups and learning capabilities. You will gain exposure to a wide range of teaching styles, with mentoring on the job and the chance to observe experienced teachers who are happy to offer support.

By gaining ideas from various learning techniques you can use that knowledge to become an established teacher, which can guarantee regular work and consistent pay.

Long Term

Monarch can offer long term roles such as maternity cover, which is a great way to cover your ECT induction period. Every ECT must complete an induction period which is equivalent to 3 school terms including regular observations. Completing a long term role is a great way to sample different subject topics that you may not have a chance to teach in a short term role.

Tempany McFadden, an ECT, told us: ‘Going into different schools allows me to see the different ways in which they teach, behaviour management strategies, new schemes of work and I ‘magpie’ these ideas and apply them to my teaching which has been recognised in other schools.’

What makes a successful supply teacher?

Go the extra mile – make yourself available at all times and be flexible when it comes to placements. Offer to work whenever you can at short notice, this will give you a better chance at securing something more permanent

Come prepared – Have a structured lesson plan and always arrive on time

Be confident – Teaching a classroom of students can be challenging, be firm and have your discipline plans in place from the beginning of the lesson

Listen – Children may be more anxious/curious about being back at school after lockdown and may find it hard to settle back into learning. Be sure to be patient and acknowledge if there are pupils who may be struggling

Talk – Be sure to communicate with colleagues around you and ask as many questions as possible. Always seek advice from more experienced teachers who can provide tips on how to make your first year a success

Ask for feedback – This is the best way for you to improve in each lesson and to make sure you have a proper handover at the end of the day

Petrina Gaile has reaped the benefits of our supply work during the last year. She says: ‘There are so many good parts, from meeting new people, gaining a vast amount of experience and getting your name in schools for possible long-term work. Another good part is the fact that despite having the main consultant, many other staff members who try their hardest to get you out into schools’.

Sugarman is here to take you into your new career, offering guidance and providing the best support for your new role. Get in touch with our friendly recruitment consultants today via our Contact Page and see how we can help you.

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