10 Tips For Casual Teachers

When working as Deputy Head of Primary I managed staff absentees and casual covers. It’s not a glamorous job. But it is a very important responsibility for the smooth running of a school. Excellent casuals are incredibly valuable. I really appreciated the casuals who I knew could competently step in and take any class. There are some casuals that I employed almost every day, so what is it that made them stand out? Here are my ten tips for being an excellent casual.

1. Arrive Early: Whilst our casuals didn’t technically need to arrive until 8:00am, the committed casuals always arrived early so they could look over the lesson plans, familiarise themselves with the teaching resources and greet the students. This meant the day didn’t start with a flurry and they could easily be on time for morning lines.
2. Positive Tone: Teaching is a privilege and a great responsibility. Of course, not every day is easy, but on the whole teachers should be positive about their vocation. However, are some casuals who have a negative tone and regularly complain about their classes. Students rarely respond well to a negative approach. Therefore, put a smile on your face and walk in the school gate filled with optimism for the day.
3. Speak Respectfully: As a casual it is important to be guarded with your speech in school and out. It is rarely your place to provide negative feedback on school policy. Likewise, when you are outside of school and in a public context, it is important to speak highly about the staff and students you work with. If you genuinely don’t like working at a school, then you have two choices. Firstly you could find casual work at another school. Secondly you could just keep your thoughts to yourself. It reflects poorly on you if you speak in an overly negative manner and you never know who might overhear your conversation.
4. Mark Work: A teacher who has been away sick does not want to return to a mountain of work to catch up on. Making is one of the best ways to impress a teacher and a school. This doesn’t mean you have to provide detailed comments and feedback. It is reasonable to just correct the spelling and grammar errors, sign and date the page. It is also okay to mark activities as a class and then stamp and sign to acknowledge you have seen the work.
5. Tidy Up: Leave the classroom as tidy, if not tidier than when you walked in the door. If you teach in a classroom that is very organised, nothing will frustrate the class teacher more than coming back to a classroom that looks like a tornado hit. Leave time at the end of the day for the students to pack up thoroughly and ensure the teacher’s desk is neat. If you have time off during the day, go a step further and organise the book case or tidy up the craft supplies.
6. Dress Up Not Down: Every school has a different dress code. But it is important that as the casual teacher you are not underdressed. Far better to be overdressed, as this communicates that you are professional and take your work seriously. If you are too casual in your dress, it can look like you don’t care or don’t value the work. Of course, if a school has a more casual dress code, then dress in line with the other staff members. Leggings for sport are acceptable in some schools but not others, so this is important to be aware of if you are a female teaching PE.
7. Clear Expectations: When you start you day on a class, set very clear boundaries and guidelines for behaviour. This might be a simple set of rules or reinforcing class rules if you can see them displayed in the classroom. Make sure you do this while the class is settled and listening. Speak in a positive tone with conviction and certainty. It can be a good idea to have a reward system such as earning class points towards a game of silent ball. Once you’ve outlined incentives for positive behaviour make sure you also give expectations for difficult behaviour. But keep the tone upbeat when you do this. For example ‘I’m sure we won’t have any silly behaviour today, but just in case we do this is what will happen. First I’ll ask you to return to your desk for some quiet work, second you’ll need to have some time out from the class and third you will need to spend some time with me at recess reflecting on your behaviour’.
8. Manage Behaviour: If student behaviour escalates, make sure you step in quickly with proactive management. This will be easier if you have set clear expectations for behaviour at the beginning of the day. Act quickly, don’t let behaviour slide. Effective management can be as simple as moving a student to sit up the front as soon as they start talking to a friend. Don’t engage in a debate, if a student questions your decision just repeat it again clearly and firmly. For example ‘Sam I need you to focus, so come and sit up the front next to me’. If a student misbehave follow up at recess or lunch so they know there is an immediate consequence. Don’t keep the whole class in, this means you are punishing students who have displayed positive behaviour. It is important to let the class teacher know if a student has misbehaved, but they will appreciate if you have managed the follow up in a timely manner.
9. Be Attentive: It can be easy to tune out at morning lines, prayers, assembly or walking the class to a specialist lesson. But this is the time to be engaged and watch out for your class. In group settings it’s important you are checking to see your students are settled and paying attention. If a student is being disruptive, quietly ask them to move to the back of the line. Don’t make a scene or embarrass the student, just remove them from the distraction and help them refocus quickly. Similarly, when walking a class to a specialist lesson give clear expectations before you leave the classroom and ensure they are walking with you rather than running across the school. On playground duty actively engage with the students and do not use your mobile phone.
10. Follow Up: Leave follow up notes for the class teacher either on paper or via email. Include information on what was covered in each lesson. If you were unable to complete an activity, make sure you note why this was the case. Record positive and negative behaviour so the teacher can follow up if needed. Always thank the teacher for the opportunity for taking the class and that you look forward to teaching them again.

Question for you: What can you do as a casual teacher to stand out and become the preferred candidate for work?