You’ve heard the saying, “You need a bag of tricks to be a CRT.” It's true. But it doesn’t have to be a suitcase full of worksheets or resources you lug around everywhere. Here are 5 things I believe are essentials for any CRT looking to survive & thrive within a foreign classroom. They might be of use to you this year. 1. A Mobile Phone with a Hotspot Connection I took for granted high speed Wi-Fi internet working at a school. Thrust into the unknown, equipped with my laptop full of good back up plans is a sensational idea, IF you have an internet connection. You cannot count on being able to connect to the internet at school. Come armed with your mobile phone & a hotspot connection. It will save your sanity! The greatest of planned lessons that go horribly wrong can be saved with the following: www. GoNoodle.com (An awesome brain break activity) www.smilingminds.com.au (A great way to calm kids down after lunch) www. ed.ted.com/ (Awesome educational videos on a range of topics. www. getkahoot.com/ (Great if you are in a 1:1 Ipad environment) Not that any qualified teacher would ever want to kill time, but on days where things were headed south for whatever reason, these were great to kill 20 minutes. If you’re starting to struggle with their attention or behaviour, it's great to have some kind of fall back alternative.
4. Wellbeing, Teamwork & Literacy Games If you’ve never heard of Robert Marzarno, he is a guru in education in America and written a heap of books filled with research (and teacher jargon!) . The first one my Leadership Team bought never got opened) In hindsight, that probably wasn’t the smartest move. What is relevant is that Marzano talks about the keys for Engagement within the classroom.
The 4 points that are relevant all can be incorporated into two of my favourite teaching programs of all time. Wilson McKaskills Play is the Way program, which teaches social interaction, communication, Wellbeing, resilience etc in the form of Games WHICH ARE ALL AWESOME! And secondly, literacy Games based on the VCOP & Big Write program. You do not need to know about VCOP to play quality and engaging Literacy Games but it’s awesome nonetheless.
Final Thought: THE MORE GAMES YOU KNOW THAT AREN’T JUST SILENT BALL OR DODGEBALL THE BETTER 5. CONFIDENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The best piece of advice I’ve ever heard is about how easy it is to make a good impression by portraying and even faking confidence. Imagine you saw some flash new car pull up on the side of a road at a school. The guy who climbs out is wearing an expensive looking suit, designer sunnies and a cool haircut. You might think ‘who is that guy?’ But in truth, this guy is a primary school teacher that has rented the suit and car for a wedding. Neverthless, without that information, you might feel impressed. What’s the point of this story? Appearances matter! And I’m not talking about what you wear. I’m talking about your demenour. If you walk into a school with confidence, smile and look everyone in the eye, you will make a good impression. Just the same as you would a job interview. Even more beneficial, is the chances are the person greeting you will react with a smile and a warm and welcoming demeanour, which will alleviate some of your fears and make you confident. And in a way, each day you turn up to a new school is a potential job interview down the track. How many CRT’s have gotten full time positions at schools after firstly CRT’ing for some time? LOTS. Cons: Walking into a staffroom can be the most intimidating thing on planet earth. Pros: You will be remembered and asked back. The thing to remember is if you’re walking into a school as a CRT, you ARE qualified and capable. If you worry about not knowing enough or are somewhat unprepared, well guess what? I’ve taught for 7 years and most days of working as a CRT had no idea what I was doing! And you know what? I loved every second of it because I had a kit full of these 5 things that could fill an entire day if I needed to. If you want to know more about my thoughts about Casual Relief Teachers, check out this:
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As I sit here in my favorite café contemplating a return to full time teaching, I find myself reflecting upon this opportunity to work as both a Presenter and a CRT for the last 6 months. Travelling across the country to present on the Big Write and VCOP Program has not only provided me with an enormous opportunity to reflect upon the teaching profession, but reinforced the knowledge that I am very fortunate to have a position in a fantastic school. It also gave me the chance to work as a CRT on my off days.
I managed to get to maybe a dozen schools, met dozens of teachers and hundreds of students. Not to mention numerous CRT’s. It’s been an eye opening experience that has helped formulate my belief that the profession at large often underestimates and undervalues Casual Relief Teachers. Without them, schools would fall apart. I am also somewhat ashamed of my very much ‘generalised’ perceptions of CRT’s. CRT teachers are just like other teachers. Just because they don’t hold a full time position makes them no less of a teacher than anyone else. In fact, in many cases, the exact opposite is true. I want to make it clear from the outset, I am fully aware my situation differs to that of other CRT’s. I have an ongoing position and took 6 months leave without pay to pursue an opportunity for professional & personal development. I’ve essentially had a “free crack” at something different, knowing that if something went horribly wrong or my situation changed I could go back to my job. I understand many people don’t have this luxury. I didn’t feel the financial pressure of needing to work as much as possible, getting your foot in the door & making a good impression with leadership that I know others live with every day. However, I hope this gives some insight into the world of CRT's and can give you some tips or at the very least get teachers with permanent positions think about how they interact and treat CRT's. 1.Every day can feel like your first day You know that feeling. the impending sense of excitement mixed with dread of walking into a place unfamiliar to you. Being a CRT is like that every day. You awake in the morning, prepare to leave not necessarily knowing where you’re going. Waiting for a phone call is torture. Will you get a call? Won’t you get a call? How will I fill the day if I don’t? However, the excitement and freshness of arriving at a new school does break from the routine and was always for me a positive experience where I learnt a great deal. 2.You’re in a permanent state of limbo Being a CRT means you are never officially a "staff member" at a particular school. You can “buy” into everything that’s happening there, but you are never “officially” a part of it. And it's hard to feel a part of it sometimes. It’s like constantly walking in between two worlds. What I mean by this is that people can make you feel welcome and you can really try to make an effort to talk to other teachers, but you never really feel like one of them. It’s like trying to hang out with the “cool” group at school. Having said that, I have met crt’s who work predominantly at the same school, and they have said that they do feel a lot more comfortable and a part of the school, but for me it’s not the same. Strangely enough, I even felt this CRT’ing at my own school. How quickly you fall out of the loop with everything was a big surprise. 3.Schools have clicks that are hard to crack and inadvertently make you feel like a 2nd class citizen. Upon reflection, I am certain I have contributed to this feeling for others. For me, entering a schools staffroom is more nerve racking than public speaking in front of 50 people. Everyone in that room knows each other. They are comfortable in their surroundings and the people that surround it. You, on the other hand are an outsider. Sure, some people make you feel welcome and have the time of day to make the effort. (I had mostly pleasant experiences of this) As well as a few that were the complete opposite. Imagine sitting next to someone at work and them not even acknowledging you? It happens ALL the time. Experiencing this made me contemplate my own interactions with CRT’s. I was ashamed to realise I had done this myself. I think it comes down to the fact that teachers are so busy. And sometimes, making the effort is so mentally draining It’s not worth the effort. On top of that, teachers just sometimes don’t see you as a CRT. You are there, but almost invisible. You’re in the periphery. Someone who might not be there tomorrow or never again. So what’s the point of trying to build a relationship with them when you could spend your energy somewhere else? This is a tricky one, but I know for a fact now that I will always make an effort to make sure a CRT is comfortable at my own school. (At least, I say that now…) 4. CRT= instant judgement Would you believe that CRT’s aren’t CRT’s, but TEACHERS? What struck me quickly was the way I was perceived and viewed by leadership people and other teachers. I wasn’t viewed as a teacher with 7 years’ experience. I was a CRT. Sometimes, the detail they went into explaining how things worked and ensuring I knew everything made me feel inept. Some of course, were being friendly and accommodating, but at times it had the opposite effect. By explaining programs and how things work under the assumption I didn’t know anything about was interesting experience. But this would obviously be different if you were a Graduate Teacher and would be an important discussion point for you and your point of contact. But this got me thinking. How many different types of experiences and skills CRT teachers bring to a school. There are so many different types of CRT’s after all. There are the graduate teachers. Some who are CRT’ing to make money to go travel and haven’t tried to get a full time position. Others, who despite their best efforts missed out on a full time position and are trying to make the effort to get their foot in the door. The teachers on maternity leave who have ongoing positions elsewhere, doing a day here and there. The retired teachers with decades worth of experience. (These CRT’s I found speaking with fascinating. their views on the profession and CRT’ing itself were really eye opening and i learned heaps from their experiences!) Even more interesting, is the generalisation of the teachers you are replacing and the notes they leave for you. Some days, trying to interpret meaning from the notes and planners of the teachers whose class you were relieving was like trying to break a code. It would be so much easier if they left a blank a4 pieces of paper that just says “do whatever you feel like.” There’s robust discussion online about this and it’s fascinating to hear what teachers think about the expectations of CRT’s. What do you think? And this leads me to my next point… 5. You have little right to judge what a CRT does in your classroom when you’re not there. Once upon a time, a colleague said to me, “I’m going to tell (whoever is in charge of booking CRT’s) to not get that CRT again. They did hardly anything I left on the planner!” Sure, CRT’s have a right to use your planner, but to follow it step by step to the letter with no prior knowledge of your daily routine or your students? I don't know about that. A CRT can talk to students about the rules and how they’ll leave a note for the normal teacher on their behaviour. But they’re not stupid. Kids know you’re not their teacher. They’re going to test you out and try to get a read on what they can get away with and what not to get away with. But what’s the point of yelling at kids as a CRT? (I'm not a massive fan of yelling anyway) I think trying to find a level where you can give and take a little with them is way more effective than appearing from nowhere and ruling with an ironfist. Give respect and you will receive respect. It's a juggling act. If you’re grade is challenging, leave a planner, but be careful how much information you put in there. The majority of teachers know how to teach subtraction or how to write a Recount. Give them some credit. Your Grade will survive without you. Two things you should do next time you’re leaving a note for a CRT. 1. Thank the teachers in your team or next door who will be able to answer any questions for the CRT. 2. Leave a note that says, ‘do whatever you feel you need to so that you have a positive experience with my students.” (Even if that means, not doing what you've planned) 6.You get a decent gauge on the school by the time you’ve interacted with 3 people. I read a book once that said people create perceptions and judgement after only a few minutes. And it’s true in relation to schools. A part of my views on this aren’t just on being a CRT but presenting in schools. It’s hard not to judge a school on the first few people you meet. First Impressions count big time. I’ve walked into schools where the principal walked passed without a second glance. The opposite was also true where a principal made the effort to talk to me each of the three times our paths crossed. I felt incredibly welcomed. It hadn’t taken much effort on their behalf. This interaction in the beginning tells you pretty quickly what the leadership is like and how organised people are, which in turn has a flow on effect on the overall behaviour of the students within the school. Why does this even matter? Well, CRT’s talk. and so do teachers. It’s amazing what a little leading comment might do… ‘I’ve been a bit all over the place at this school…” ‘yeah, that’s this person for you…” It’s amazing how quickly these perceptions can develop. It doesn’t even matter if they’re true or not. One negative experience from a CRT can inadvertently outweigh a positive. 7. Glorified babysitting I hate to say it, but some days… I literally did nothing but babysit. The teachers had such a good structure to the way the days operated that the kids knew exactly what to do. For example, teachers whom had strongly implemented Daily 5. The odd intro lesson here, brief explanation and the students were off and away without a comment. Team teaching rooms made it even easier. Some days, I basically sat back and went on a ride watching them teach and counted the $$$ going into my bank account. Not because I didn't want to help, but because it was 'easier' for the other teacher to 'do everything'. (Don't get offended if this happens to you.) It's actually easier for everyone if this happens. As bad as that sounds. Other times, I was tossed into a grade while a teacher caught up on laminating or some assessments. This is awkward and often unproductive. Sometimes they stayed in the room, working at the desk or just outside the room, probably not getting much done and sometimes telling kids off. It made no difference to me. As an experienced teacher and CRT I bumped into regularly during the past 6 months would often say. “CRT'ing is 120% care/ zero responsibility.” Meaning, you put in 120% to do a good job, but at the end of the day you're not responsible for that grade once the bell goes. 8. In comparison to a full time gig, CRT work can be monumentally less stressful You might be saying, ‘that’s obvious’. But it’s so true. Yes, there’s no sick pay and financial security. No holiday pay. But you work about 6 hours a day and get paid about $300 for it. You can walk in the door at 8:30 and walk out at 3:30pm knowing you can switch off entirely. You might have had a challenging class? For sure. For me, I once had a shocking day in a grade 4 classroom. I was walking on egg shells trying to ensure 3 boys didn’t explode. I felt stressed and was on edge for every minute! But as soon as I walked out, I switched off. In fact, I didn’t even think of those boys until I returned to that school a few days later. Imagine facing that every single day instead? There is a monumental difference with full time teachers. reports, interviews, meetings, planning, organising, phone calls, etc. etc. etc creates a heavy toll on mental health & wellbeing. CRT’s don’t have that 'in classroom' stress. 100% care – zero responsibility. 9. At the same time, CRT’ing can be less rewarding Towards the end, I found myself getting tired of being a Relief Teacher. There was very little intrinsic reward some days. I didn’t build relationships like I could as a permanent teacher with students and staff members. You can’t take an active involvement in the school community and see the results of both. Yeah, you might get a kid say to your an awesome teacher and that is fantastic. But a lot of the time, I feel that comes from the novelty of being different from their normal teacher. When a student says that to you after teaching them for a year, it is incredibly more powerful. 10. You need a serious bag of tricks It is said a lot, but a bagful of tricks will get you through the day with or without the classroom teacher having left a planner. That doesn't necessarily mean a suitcase full of resources!!! For anyone starting out as a CRT, check out my post on what to put in your CRT kit. http://mrstevecrowe.weebly.com/blog/january-09th-2017 11. The ridiculous amount of programs running in schools. You can do it, Play is the Way, VCOP, Writers Workshop, Writers notebook, 7 steps, Daily 5, CAFE, Kids Matter, Ymer maths, PLC, 1 to 1 Ipad Programs… etc.etc. etc. All schools are different & I’m sure there are schools everywhere that will tell you and be able to back up with results that these programs work. Then there will be others that say it doesn’t work. In my, inexperienced and non-researched opinion, I believe it doesn’t matter what programs you are running. what matters is if it’s happening at a whole school level & everyone knows about it. Programs that operate at a whole school level where leadership people with a clear understanding about them will work much better than those that don’t. From what i have seen, teachers that are doing different programs in different year levels and different teams will not work. something like vcop & daily 5 work so well because of this: Every students knows what it is Every teacher knows what it is When a school says it is running an effective program and only half the staff aren’t doing it. it won’t get the results you’re after. It is imperative that it runs at a whole school level. And if you are new and don't know what some of they are, try not to stress about it. You will get there in the end and learn on the go! Conclusion I am very grateful to have had this opportunity & have a better understanding of the great work Casual Relief Teachers are doing. Without them, schools would fall apart. And for anyone out there struggling to find full time work, stay positive and know that you are invaluable to every school out there. Being enthusiastic, staying positive and working with a growth mindset will being you the chance or opportunity you've been waiting for. My final thought is to teachers working in schools. The next time you see a CRT in the room, go and say hello to them. You might learn something new, or something that will benefit you in the future. At the end of the day, we are all TEACHERS. |
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