Relief Teaching and Word Games

Relief Teaching pay is good. But you can't go and purchase hundreds of resources for your job.

I am very selective about where I spend my money. Some would call my a tight-wad (or worse).

Fishing gear - YES.
Relief teaching resources - NO.

Relief Teaching & the Curriculum

Relief Teaching and the Curriculum

Honestly, how on earth can relief teachers know the curriculum for every year level?

Simple answer is you can't.

However it is vitally important that relief teachers have an GENERAL understanding of what each year should know. 

This way they can cover activities relevant to the skill level of each year level.

Relief Teaching and 10 Key Professional Behaviours

New to the Article Bank. Every teacher and relief teacher should read (and practice) these 10 Key Behaviours.

No: 32 Relief Teaching and 10 Key Professional Behaviours

Addition Left to Right

When I am relief teaching, I love mental math activities as an activity that engages the whole class.

I am amazed at how kids, even the turkeys, respond to mental math challenges and this one is up there with the best.

It is the skill of adding numbers from left to right and kids love to take on this challenge as the problems becoming more and more complex.

There is an excellent opportunity to scaffold the less capable learners. They can do a written form of the mental activity until they develop the mental skills themselves.

Check out Article No: 30 - Addition from Left to Right

Reading Comprehension.

There is nothing like a well designed reading comprehension passage to create active engagement. When I am relief teaching active engagement is my single most important goal.

PLUS putting together a good exercise take heaps of YOUR time - you want kids to spend 10x the effort you put into the activity.

What dinosaurs?

Walking with Dinosaurs

I have to say I LOVE the teaching opportunities that this series offers.

Kids LOVE it and it makes for a productive relief teaching activity where effective learning occurs AND the kids are totally engaged.

Did you read the last section? KIDS ARE TOTALLY ENGAGED - even the turkeys! Hoo-rah!

Motivating Students who Don't Care?

It is crying shame that this is such a common problem, especially for relief teachers?

What to do when it goes PEAR SHAPED.

Relief Teaching isn't easy. In fact teaching isn't easy. I've been a teacher since 1972 and I've laughed off the jokes from my mates about holidays, pay, kids, working 9-3. I'm sure you have heard it all before.

But a teacher's day or a relief teacher's day is CONSTANT. You have no let up the minute you drive in the gate until the time you drive out - and not always THEN.

I get it. All teachers get it. That's probably why teachers are one of the few professions that talk work out side of work, because you never have the chance AT work.

And then you have THOSE days where it all goes pear shaped. So what do you do?

READ MORE

How many ways can you teach number facts?

Anyone who teaches will know how important number facts are to success in mathematics. Gosh, all I can remember about my own primary school years is reciting my "tables" - and you know what? I think I am a pretty good mathematician as a result.