5 Tips for Succeeding as a Casual Teacher

1. Get There Early

I cannot stress this point enough, especially if you are going to a new school. As a casual teacher, you need to familiarise yourself with the school and its policies. This includes any bell times, classroom location, behaviour expectations, printer location, etc. Furthermore, it gives you time to see if the teacher prepared any lessons for the day and organise yourself if not.

Arriving early also leaves a good impression with the school. It shows that you are ready and prepared.

2. Be Prepared

As a casual teacher, you are often walking into the unknown. Sometimes the day has been planned out very clearly. There will be a programme for you to follow with lesson plans or overviews attached. However, at other times you will need to prepare the resources for the day yourself. It is always a good idea to have a set of activities you can fall back on.

My favourite resource to bring to every casual teaching job is a quality picture book. I often have a couple of different books (lower and higher years). These can be read to students but can also be extended into multiple activities (e.g. drawing, writing). If you have a picture book available often there will be many activities available online. Remember those activities.

Additionally, having some mathematics activities ready will simplify your day. Dice and cards are a great resource that are easily adaptable.

Fun activities if a task is finished early. Think about individual and whole group games or tasks. For example, Greedy Pig is an engaging mathematics game for students in Years 3-6. Drama-based games are also a fun way to pass any spare time in the day.

There are a plethora of amazing resources online that you can use. Find the ones you like, familiarise yourself, and have them ready.

3. Ask Questions

Each classroom is different. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Usually, the main points will be explained before you start teaching the class. You need to know if any student has a health care plan or potential behaviour concerns that may arise.

4. Be Helpful

Being a casual teacher has many perks, including having a reduced amount of admin work. As a classroom teacher, there was nothing I loved more than a casual teacher willing to help out. For instance, offer to do playground duties, or lead lessons if in a co-teaching space. Find where the work is needed and put your hand up to do it.

5. Clear End of Day Process

Leave enough time at the end of the day to tidy the classroom. Every teacher I have spoken to appreciates their classroom being left tidy.

Mark work completed during the day. A signed and dated stamp can be a useful tool to assist in this process.

To ensure a smooth transition, provide an overview of the day. This includes notes such as completion of activities, positives from the day, and any challenging behaviour.