Hey there!

Welcome to our first ever PK Education newsletter, dropping all the latest education news (and some super fun content) straight into your inbox. The aim of these newsletters is to give you an overview of the latest education sector news, some tips from teachers who have already done some hard time and lots of extra stuff we think you’ll find useful.

Whether you’re on the job hunt or you need some light relief before facing a difficult class, grab yourself a coffee and have a scroll…

This month, we’re sharing:

• The best Blue Light discounts available for teachers
• Handy resources for supply teachers
• Classroom management shortcuts
• Key budget announcements
• CPD ideas to add to your CV (including free courses with certificates)

Teacher Cheat Codes – Recommended Resources

As you’ll know, one of the biggest challenges of being a supply teacher is taking classes when there is no work prepared in advance (yes, thanks for that!). While mastering the art of “winging it” is a huge skill to have in your locker, having some fallback resources can certainly help.

Here’s some handy resources for supply teachers:

TES – There are hundreds of free and paid resources covering different subjects and year groups/key stages. You can sort them by highest ratings to find the most useful resources including lifesavers like:

• Supply Teacher Pack
• Music Lesson Activities for Non-specialist Teachers
• Revision packs based on past exam paper questions
• General knowledge quizzes

Twinkl – Many schools have a Twinkl subscription so teachers can access all the great resources on Twinkl for free. Alternatively, you can get a free trial for a month or sign up for a monthly subscription to download resources such as:

• Years 1-6 Short-term Supply Teacher Toolkits (Unit Pack)
• Behaviour Management Tips for Supply Teachers
• A range of lesson plans

Classroom Management Shortcuts

Without the benefit of building up long-term rapport with students, classroom management can be challenging for supply teachers. Even when you are working at schools where behaviour is generally of a good standard, students often change their usual behaviour when they see their regular teacher isn’t taking their lesson.

Running down the corridor and heading out the nearest exit may be tempting but won’t pay the mortgage, so arm yourself with some classroom management shortcuts instead.

1. Familiarise yourself with the school’s Behaviour Policy. If the school operates a warning system, mention this at the get-go, so the students know you’re going to use it if necessary.
2. If you have chance, speak to other members of staff about anything specific to look out for in the class, they may give you some useful tips on dealing with the usual suspects.
3. Give a clear outline of your expectations, introduce yourself and if you have a seating plan, use student names while making eye contact.
4. Use positive reinforcement. Praise the students who are displaying good behaviour to create a positive atmosphere.

Get Your Rewards

They say teaching is one of the most rewarding jobs you can have! Okay, so the holidays aren’t bad and it’s nice to make a difference in the world, but a bit more appreciation wouldn’t go amiss, right? Someone must have been listening because teachers are now eligible for the Blue Light Card Discount Scheme. You can now smugly flash your card and see some decent discounts drop off your bill.

To apply, you’ll need a work ID or payslip dated within the last three months and the fee is £4.99 for two years’ membership.

So, before you do your Christmas shopping, check what savings you can grab and make Christmas a bit easier on your bank balance.

Some of the best discounts include:

Restaurants: 50% off at Dominos (collection only), 25% off at Pizza Hut, 20% off at TGI Fridays, Prezzo, Zizzi, Toby Carvery and many more popular restaurants.

Retail: Discounts of 10% to 30% from retailers such as Currys, Samsung, JD Sports, Dorothy Perkins, Harvey Nichols, H. Samuel, Kurt Geiger and The Perfume Shop.

Holidays: If you’re thinking of getting some much-deserved winter sun, there’s loads of discounts available, check the website for a full list.

Budget Breakdown

If you haven’t had time to digest the details of the latest budget, here are some of the key announcements affecting education:

• Core school funding will increase by £2.3 billion a year, including £1 billion in SEND funding, supporting Labour’s pledge to hire “thousands of new teachers”.
• Increased capital funding, including £1.4 billion for the school rebuilding programme.

Sounds good – but if we’re being realistic, it will take a lot to recover from years of underfunding.

Power Up Your CV: CPD

Whether you’re in an area where there’s a lot of competition for jobs or you simply want to enhance your teaching knowledge and make your CV stand out, doing some free online courses will show that you’re passionate about CPD.

Here’s some ideas for free courses:

OpenLearn (Open University)

• Learning to Teach: Becoming a Reflective Practitioner
• Take Your Teaching Online (how to use new technology to improve teaching)

Alison

• Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Inclusion in Schools
• Working as a TA
• Fundamentals of Classroom Management

Explore thousands more courses including ones that provide completion certificates.

Brainteaser of the Month: Turn me on my side and I’m everything. Cut me in half and I’m nothing. What am I?

You can wait until next month to check the answer, or you could probably just Google it if your curiosity gets the better of you!

Get in touch…

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed our newsletter, and we’d love to hear from you about what you’d like us to include in future editions.

If you’re currently looking for a teaching role, check out our latest jobs. We have offices across the Midlands and Yorkshire, so feel free to drop in if you are passing and we can help you with your job search.