A new year brings new opportunities, and for supply teachers, it’s the perfect time to reflect, refine, and refresh your professional skills. Whether you’re an experienced supply teacher or just starting out, professional development is key to staying competitive, confident, and ready for every classroom.

Here’s how you can invest in your teaching future this year—and how Three R’s can help every step of the way.

Start with a CV Refresh

Supply teachers often have a wealth of diverse experiences, and January is the perfect time to update and tailor your CV to showcase your versatility and expertise. January is when there is an influx of longer-term roles, and also when schools find themselves short a teacher or two when term restarts. In these instances, your CV is your first impression, so make it count. Making sure it’s readily up-to-date means Three R’s can send out your CV as soon as the enquiries start rolling and we’ve run them past you.

Tips for a Standout Supply Teaching CV:

• Highlight Your Adaptability: Mention specific examples of stepping into different classrooms, age groups, and subjects with confidence.
• Showcase Transferable Skills: If you’ve worked in other sectors, highlight skills like communication, organisation, and problem-solving that apply to teaching.
• Keep It Concise and Relevant: Focus on your teaching and education-related experience, making sure to include recent placements or assignments.
• Speak School Language: Familiar with different resources, schemes of learning or education systems i.e. SIMS or White Rose? Include this on your CV to make sure you stand out. 
  

Explore Professional Development Opportunities

Staying current with educational trends and best practices is essential for supply teachers who work across a variety of settings. Workshops, online courses, and webinars can help you build skills and expand your expertise.

Areas to Consider:

• Classroom Management: Gain strategies to quickly establish authority and rapport in new classrooms.
• Special Educational Needs (SEN): Enhance your understanding of how to support students with diverse learning needs.
• Digital Skills: Familiarise yourself with the latest technology and tools used in classrooms.

Three R’s often partners with schools and training providers to offer workshops and resources tailored to supply teachers. Follow us on social media to stay up to date with upcoming CPD opportunities and make sure you’re registered with us as we regularly email out resources that may be of interest.

Networking and Building Relationships

January is also an excellent time to strengthen your professional network. Connecting with schools, fellow teachers, and a specialist agency like Three R’s can open doors to new opportunities and resources.

How Three R’s Can Help:

• Job Matching: We work with schools across Kent to match supply teachers with placements that suit their skills and goals.
• Career Guidance: Our team provides personalised support to help you navigate your career and find opportunities for growth.
• Supportive Community: Join a network of like-minded educators who share experiences, tips, and encouragement.

Transferable Skills: Turning Experience into Strength

Supply teaching is about more than delivering lessons—it’s about adapting to new environments, thinking on your feet, and building relationships. Highlighting these skills on your CV and in interviews can make all the difference.

Key Transferable Skills for Supply Teachers:

• Flexibility: The ability to adapt to different classrooms, age groups, and teaching styles is crucial. Supply teachers are often called upon at short notice and must seamlessly integrate into various school environments. Quickly understanding and implementing existing lesson plans is a necessary skill, balanced alongside adjusting your approach to suit the needs of different learning abilities and classroom dynamics.
• Problem-Solving: Managing unexpected challenges with ease and professionalism. Surprise situations are part of the job, and supply teachers excel by thinking on their feet. Examples include handling last-minute schedule changes or missing resources, managing behavioral challenges effectively without prior knowledge of the students and creating backup activities when original lesson plans fall through.
• Communication: Building rapport quickly with students and staff is essential for creating a positive and productive learning environment. Ensure students remain engaged through your clear explanation of instructions, collaborate with Teaching Assistants and other staff to understand and manage classroom expectations, leave detailed notes for permanent teachers to maintain continuity in students’ learning.
• Resilience: Supply teachers thrive in dynamic and ever-changing roles, often juggling new challenges daily. Strong supply teachers are confident and composed in unfamiliar situations, bouncing back from though days with positivity and focus on the next assignment.
• Creativity: Bringing a creative flair to your lessons can help you engage students and leave a lasting impression. By adapting content to make it interesting and accessible for various age groups and using innovative techniques to maintain student focus during unexpected downtimes will make you stand out as one of the best supply teachers. Whilst it’s easier to display this first-hand in the classroom, think about how you can showcase your creativity within the content of your CV.

Three R’s specialises in helping supply teachers showcase these skills and translate them into exciting new opportunities. From CV, interview and on assignment we’re here to support you at every stage of your journey.  We’re here to ensure you feel confident and prepared for the year ahead.

This January, invest in your teaching future by partnering with Three R’s. Let’s make 2025 your best year yet!