Tag Archives: supply teaching ideas

Spring Flowers and Literacy – or how to use the same image in 6 different lessons on supply

When on supply, sometimes you get the lovely little post-it notes that simply say ‘Do what you want!’  It shouldn’t happen, and it doesn’t happen as often as you might think / worry about, but sometimes it does.
I used to look forward to those days, days when I could go off with the children wherever the lessons took us.  It’s a great idea to have a laminated image in your supply bag for days like these.  Take this tulip for instance… Given just a couple of minutes, I bet you could think of two Literacy ideas based on it, a numeracy idea, a science lesson and an art lesson or two… And there you have it, a day’s work already!

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on Valentines Day activities. Check out our resources area here too.

St Valentine’s Day Supply Teaching Activities

Oh, how blissful, those heady St Valentine’s Days in school.
Oh, how awkward, those cringe-worthy St Valentine’s Days in school!

No matter what your take is on the big day, St Valentine’s offers many teaching and learning opportunities… Here are a few easy ones for starters:

Lots of fun (especially in Numeracy) with these Giant Love Hearts [Image click is an affiliate link]!

Love Hearts - lots of fraction fun on St Valentine's Day!


What is the average number of yellow ones in a pack?
Can you do a tally of how many letters on individual sweets?
(Clean hands and then) estimate and actual of how many you can hold (in your hand, not mouth!)
How can we measure the circumference accurately before Mr Peachton eats them all?
Compare a pack of these ‘Giant’ Love Hearts to a pack of normal sized Love Hearts – how much bigger are they? Apply that percentage to your own heart. How big is your own heart? How big, therefore, might the giant’s heart be in a fairy tale?
Nutritional values: how much ‘love’ is too much in one day?!


Great resource for sorting activities on St Valentine's Day

These heart shaped buttons [Image click is an affiliate link] come in bright colours and are perfect for sorting challenges with the little ones (colours, sizes and shape) as well as motor skills activities. Crafting with the older children would be darling with them: think glue, threading, sewing, rubbings, printing and sequencing!

 

The perfect stickers for kids on St Valentine's Day
And who can resist a sticker? Not me. I can see these form stickers adorning cards up and down the country this year – and hair accessories, and cardigans, and pencil cases, an untold number of opportunities to get PVA glue stuck to your fingers for picking off later 😉 Go on, you know you like it, treat yourself, it’s the day for it! [Image click is an affiliate link]

 

Your turn – give me your thoughts on St Valentine’s Day in school

Tell me, what do you like to do on this lovely day in school? Do you embrace it with all your heart? Or would you rather hide it under the carpet and pretend it doesn’t exist?

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on starting out at school. Check out our resources area here too.

Supply teaching ideas

As a supply teacher, you should find that work has been prepared for you. Sometimes however, this is not the case. It doesn't happen too often, so don't worry too much about it, but having a handful of great, adaptable supply teaching ideas up your sleeve can help calm your nerves, increase your confidence, and improve your chances of being invited to do supply work again!

I have a few emergency lesson plans here you might want to take a look at for one off lesson ideas, and there are plenty of time fillers to be found on the forum.

 As for other ideas, you might want to start by writing a literacy lesson plan based around one story or poem (look at the 3rd category in the shop for inspiration). Then think about how this could be adapted to each year group, each ability.

Guy the Grumpy Gargoyle by Gill JepsonIf you do this exercise properly, it should give you the confidence you need to take it into any classroom. Don't sweat the small stuff: if no planning has been left, the Headteacher should be suitably embarrassed and will not be looking so closely at your planning that they notice you haven't included any visual stimuli for the visual learners!

When you've brainstormed that lesson idea, see if you can eke out a numeracy / history / geography idea from the same story / poem – you should be able to find something that's not too tenuous!

Where next? There's a great quick read here on teaching your own child whilst on supply.
Check out our resources area here too.

NQT thinking about doing supply work?

Unfortunately, in today’s climate (mini-rant: Government efforts to increase the supply of teachers to improve choice / quality, coupled with falling birth rate) many NQTs are finding themselves without that first, longed-for contract.

Supply teaching - invaluable experience for an NQT?

If you’re unsure about becoming a supply teacher, you’ll probably want to read the whole of this website!

Simple arguments for and against being a supply teacher are:
(Please note, these are quick notes, they are explored in further detail throughout this site and the supply teacher support forum)

  • Potentially introduces you to all the schools in your area. You discover the schools you’d love to work in. You also uncover the schools that you’d rather not visit again.
  • Potentially exposes you to all the schools in your area! You will no doubt leave an impression on the staff, make sure it’s the right impression.
  • Income. Nuff said!
  • Experience. You’ve had a somewhat chaperoned experience of teaching so far, on your placements. Now the fun starts!

Are you an NQT considering supply teaching? Tough decision or no-brainer?

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on CPD for supply teachers. Check out our resources area here too.

How does an NQT become a supply teacher?

Congratulations on becoming a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT)!

You probably found this website as you didn’t cement a job contract as an NQT for September. It doesn’t mean that  you cannot work. You can work as a supply teacher. Supply teaching is an experience that I believe every teacher should experience at some point, educational conscription you might say.

Can an NQT be a supply teacher?

There is the worry about losing your NQT status if you do not complete your NQT year within a certain time scale.

I’m not going to write about the 4-term rule, or the 5-year rule, or whatever the Government have come up with recently here, as they change their minds more often than I can practically revise this website.

You’ll have to look at current regulation based on how long you can work for, and take an educated guess as to whether or not to start supply work.

If you do decide to take the plunge, first grab a cup of coffee, then take a seat and start reading. You might want to take a look at Getting Started As A Supply Teacher first, and then why not pop by the supply teacher support forum and say hello?

Are there too many barriers to NQTs becoming supply teachers? Does the idea of supply teaching scare you or can’t you wait to dive in?

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on how to get more supply work. 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.

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on mortgages for supply teachers. Check out our resources area here too.

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.

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on A Helping Hand with CPD. Check out our resources area here too.

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.

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on Year 6 Emergency Lesson Plans for DT. Check out our resources area here too.

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.

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on Year 5 and Year 6 Emergency Lesson Plans for History. Check out our resources area here too.

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.

Where next? There’s a great quick read here on Year 4 Emergency Lesson Plans for DT. Check out our resources area here too.