Cover supervisor interview - one lesson - help! :)

Hi - the role is for a GCSE cover supervisor.

So I had the interview (went awful but the interviewer was so nice - he hinted a lot) and was told I can come next Tuesday, and have a one hour lesson with the class.

I will be observed by the head.

What can I do to get the job and not become nervous... or lose control? It is in a 'challenging school' i.e. the dropout and SEN kids attend it. REALLY need the money and would be good insight into the job too!

Original post by TeaAndToast22

Hi - the role is for a GCSE cover supervisor.

So I had the interview (went awful but the interviewer was so nice - he hinted a lot) and was told I can come next Tuesday, and have a one hour lesson with the class.

I will be observed by the head.

What can I do to get the job and not become nervous... or lose control? It is in a 'challenging school' i.e. the dropout and SEN kids attend it. REALLY need the money and would be good insight into the job too!

Unless the school is absolutely dreadful, the students are going to be on their best behaviour with the Headteacher in the room so there should be little chance of losing control. Make sure you understand the school consequences system and apply it consistently. Repeat each instruction you give to the class and write them down on the whiteboard. Try to get them working fairly quickly and then monitor the room to make sure each student on task. If you are helping someone, try to position yourself so you can still keep one eye on the room. If you are given a seating plan, try to use student names. Good luck!

Reply 2

sp00kymcflukey

8

Ask for a class list (identifying the students who are disadvantaged/SEN/most able-least able) and a seating plan.

Ask for key names - safeguarding lead and deputy lead

Ask about the scheme of work they are following. Ask about their prior learning and future learning so you can guage where your lesson will fit into the 'bigger picture'.

Ask about the behaviour policy and what protocols you must follow, e.g. 'warn, move, remove' or something different?

Read up on the school's values, uniform policy, marking policy, mobile phone policy.

Be firm but fair during the lesson. If there is low-level disruption while you are delivering instructions, make it clear that those students are heading down a wrong path and that you expect to see them doing x,y,z. So, refinforce expectations and positive behaviours rather than pointing out the negative behaviour. Give attention and acknowledgement to students who do what you expect and have asked for. Praise, praise, praise (a little extra than normal, since you are being observed).

If you have to challenge disruption: remain grounded and don't engage in negative interactions with them - ignore secondary behaviours such as "it wasn't me, i didn't do anything!", don't raise your voice, use non-verbal cues and your circulation within the classroom to suppress whispering and soft low-level disruption. Use your seating plan to challenge students by name who persistently cause low-level disruption. Remember to reinforce positive behaviours and expectations.

Smile and look like you are enjoying being there. Be passionate and enthusiastic in your delivery - this will help engage them.

Try to come across as professional and in charge in whatever you do while under observation.

Reply 3

bwilliams

13

For a start, avoid labelling children as 'SEN kids' or 'dropout kids'. This could be harsh, but it is a pet hate. In future, refer to them as children with SEN. You should not define them with an SEN label and for a school rooted in inclusion, this would be detrimental at interview.

Otherwise, I agree with the above posters. Good luck.

Reply 4

sp00kymcflukey

8

Original post by bwilliams

For a start, avoid labelling children as 'SEN kids' or 'dropout kids'. This could be harsh, but it is a pet hate. In future, refer to them as children with SEN. You should not define them with an SEN label and for a school rooted in inclusion, this would be detrimental at interview.

Otherwise, I agree with the above posters. Good luck.

Perhaps OP wouldn't really use 'dropout kids' while in the school environment, but you never know... Regarding 'SEND/disadvantaged/looked after kids', there isn't a practical way around those terms, since those pupils are already labelled and you are expected to know who they are and what 'challenges' they have before you've even said hello to them.

Reply 5

TeaAndToast22

OP

8

Original post by sp00kymcflukey

Perhaps OP wouldn't really use 'dropout kids' while in the school environment, but you never know... Regarding 'SEND/disadvantaged/looked after kids', there isn't a practical way around those terms, since those pupils are already labelled and you are expected to know who they are and what 'challenges' they have before you've even said hello to them.

Yes, I wouldn't call them ever to their face 'dropout kids' ... it's more to show the environment that I will be working in i.e. uninterested in education types. It wasn't that deep. Thank you SO much for your help! I have to give a presentation from a powerpoint for like an hour so that's that. REALLY need money too, ahha.

Reply 6

bwilliams

13

Original post by sp00kymcflukey

Perhaps OP wouldn't really use 'dropout kids' while in the school environment, but you never know... Regarding 'SEND/disadvantaged/looked after kids', there isn't a practical way around those terms, since those pupils are already labelled and you are expected to know who they are and what 'challenges' they have before you've even said hello to them.

I feel you’ve misunderstood my comment. With regards to labelling children as ‘SEN kids’ I am not saying you shouldn’t know they have additional needs. However, it is unhelpful to call them SEN kids as you’re already mentally excluding them from the other children. You’re lowering your expectations. They are simply just children. I understand what the OP meant and I know it wasn’t “deep” I was just pointing it out, perhaps it’s none of my business!

Reply 7

bwilliams

13

Original post by TeaAndToast22

Yes, I wouldn't call them ever to their face 'dropout kids' ... it's more to show the environment that I will be working in i.e. uninterested in education types. It wasn't that deep. Thank you SO much for your help! I have to give a presentation from a powerpoint for like an hour so that's that. REALLY need money too, ahha.

Maybe you’ll be the person to bring their interest back to education. It sounds like the students you’ll be working with will have had negative experiences. Hopefully, you can have a positive impact.

Apologies for sounding sharp, good luck with the interview.

Reply 8

Muttley79

20

Original post by TeaAndToast22

Hi - the role is for a GCSE cover supervisor.

So I had the interview (went awful but the interviewer was so nice - he hinted a lot) and was told I can come next Tuesday, and have a one hour lesson with the class.

I will be observed by the head.

What can I do to get the job and not become nervous... or lose control? It is in a 'challenging school' i.e. the dropout and SEN kids attend it. REALLY need the money and would be good insight into the job too!

Are you suppose to plan a lesson? That's not what a cover supervisor does ... what subject is it?

Reply 9

TeaAndToast22

OP

8

Hey guys - this is an update.

So: got to the school 5 mins late from when asked as bus was 36 MINS LATE - NEVER EVER THIS LATE - initial impressions were 'damn, this is ROUGH, I want to RUN' but stayed put. Kids walking around shouting and swearing etc. But I realised that this is a different type of school and to not judge the kids - they each have their own story.

Waited for about 40 mins before I received a laptop from the head with a presentation - he didn't introduce himself to me or shake my hand - was told not covering a lesson but doing a 1to1 - felt relieved.

The kid was incredibly well behaved. He tried his best. He opened up to me and had a chat with me. I learnt that a parent isn't around and he doesn't speak to his two siblings (hasn't for years). He was really polite. About 20 mins in (about this time, had finished my presentation) a teacher comes in to observe. He speaks and teaches the lad at certain points (made me nervous as I had run out of things, it was their presentation (like 5 slides in 50 mins?) and I started to chat rubbish lol. When I tried to respond to his interjections like 'oh yes, this happened in etc etc' he ignored me lol. But that's ok.

Uhm, so then I asked the lad when his lesson finishes and he said in 5 mins. so I let him go, not a min. after the head and my interviewer come in and ask how it was. I tell them that I really enjoyed it and he's an incredibly good lad. I really liked it. Was told by the head that this child usually walks out of class if he's bored so that's a good thing. Spoke to the interviewer when head left and he said that the boy is autistic so does struggle and has hurt himself in the past - this explains why he opened up about bullying to me. I felt for the kid :frown:

Anyways, told that they have another interview/lesson with another grad. so that's that. Will find out next week. I hope I get it as I need money and tbh, it felt really good speaking to the kid. I feel like I really want to help him out in anyway e.g. he got a free sandwich from the canteen and if he's struggling with hunger, I would like to help him by making him a small lunch that I 'packed as an extra' type of thing... thinking ahead already. Anyways - that's that.

Guys, what do you reckon? Will be obv. judged on the kids reaction (head said he looks really happy once over too) and of course the observation from the teacher (that I think didn't like me).

Thanks for all the tips!

Cover supervisor interview - one lesson - help! :)

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