1. Be always at least 15 minutes early to get ready for lessons. Be polite and professional and have your DBS and photo ID with you.
2. Have your own markers, pens and fall-back material in your bag!
3. Look professional (suits preferred for men and women, no sandals, no trainers, no jeans, no transparent clothes or bare legs, or tank tops! All body parts should be covered, no full arms uncovered, skirts should be below knees or longer). Minimal jewellery like wedding rings and watches.
4. Look clean and presentable without body odours or cigarettes/alcohol smell! Clean, unblemished clothes which of course, must be ironed.
5. Don’t give your own food/ drinks to kids and don’t accept anything from them as well. This includes money.
6. Be polite to everyone you meet.
7. Introduce yourself to students (Mr or Miss + your surname). Do not tell students your first name and do not accept them using it to address you. It should always be ‘Sir’ or ‘Miss/Madam’.
8. Check uniform at all times and let students know if it doesn’t look right (shirts tucked inside trousers, tie straight, blazers on, black shoes). Report to head of year if a student consistently refuses to adhere.
9. Students in some schools wear their lanyards/ID; make sure this is visible where necessary.
10. Make sure you stick to the cover and don’t change it. Write it on the board and explain, help and check in class. Students should ideally work in silence if it’s a written task.
11. Keep the noise in class to minimum or you will risk other teachers complaining from next door or even to SLT. You need to keep a peaceful and successful learning environment as much as possible.
12. You should never to sit-down when in a lesson! Even if you are tired. It isn’t a great look for any passing Headteacher to see the supply they have booked sat down whilst chaos ensues….
13. Walk around the class and make sure students are on task and not damaging something or doing something that they shouldn’t be doing…
14. Confiscate any smartphones and hand it in at reception with paper + name of student.
15. Never use a phone yourself (even if it’s emergency) in the classroom or corridors. It must be on silent. Any personal calls or screen-time should always be in the staff room on breaks.
16. Ensure to take register within first 5 minutes of lesson. All lateness must be registered and only accept a reason that is written down on paper by a teacher who may have kept the student back.
17. Leave the classroom you were using tidy. This is really important. Any Teacher who enters this classroom next may feedback negatively if you haven’t done so. Delegate students to tidy the room and ensure they clean under their seats. Make sure all tidying up is done as quietly as possible as lessons will be continuing next door.
18. Do not leave students alone in classroom during lesson or at break (not even for toilet). You are responsible for them and the classroom you were using.
19. Don’t give pens out from the teachers’ desk if not yours, or at least write students’ names down so they return them.
20. Don’t let students leave the lesson to go to toilet unless they have a slip/ medical condition. If you let them go you are risking they might not return or go somewhere else instead. You are responsible for them. SLT will find them wandering in corridors and it will come back on you.
21. Separate students who are talking in lesson, ask them to move seats and tell them where to sit instead. (Swap good with naughty). Have a seating plan if possible. You can always ask HOD for them.
22. Don’t let students leave their lesson before the bell under any circumstances. Have a good watch on you and stick to times if there is no bell ringing.
23. Be familiar with lesson times and never be late and never leave earlier.
24. Report any abuse, write statements and be clear about following through on poor behaviour.
25. Watch your language and how you speak to students as well as the vocabulary you are using. Be professional at all times and remember one small mistake will likely be reported by the students.
26. Don’t touch students under any circumstances (unless you see them fighting in lesson or outside and other students see you separating those two fighting). Don’t get too close! Safeguard yourself as much as the students.
27. Don’t talk with students about other subjects/ topics other than the work set. Be professional and keep firm boundaries.
28. Don’t eat or chew a gum in lessons! If you have a drink ensure its water or coffee from a flask.
29. Don’t give your address or personal telephone number or any other personal information to any students.
30 . Don’t invite student on FB or twitter etc
31. Your social media accounts must be set to private and for your trusted friends and family only.
32. Don’t give students lifts home or into your vehicle under any circumstances
33. Don’t shout but you can raise your voice if needed. Count down and wait for silence. If they don’t listen you can tell them to keep talking (it’s easier for me to give you detentions) or ask a question “raise your hands who wants detention?” It works most of the time especially for younger groups.
34. Ask them to line up outside the classroom in a single file if you are picking them up from anywhere. You have opportunity to check their uniform and tell them to be quiet/ get ready to enter the room in silence. Be firm but fair.