Teaching in Someone Else’s Space

You may have a gig teaching in a school or an after school programme, where you’re actually in another teacher’s classroom.

Rule #1 – respect the space and make sure your students do too.  Some kids a bit cocky, especially if they go to that school or it’s their own classroom.  But because you’re in charge, and ultimately the responsibility of the room is down to you, the students need to follow your rules.

Take a note of how you find the room.  Take a photo on your phone if needed.  Then make sure that if you have to move anything, you put it back EXACTLY how you found it.  Imagine I came into your flat, rearranged all the furniture, then just left it.  Then did it week after week.  Same thing.

Don’t use anything in the class unless you have the express permission of the teacher.  Bring your own whiteboard pens and erasers.  You most certainly are not allowed to touch any computers or look at anything that may be confidential.  Please discourage your students from touching things in the classroom.

When you use someone else’s space you will need to bring all your gear with you.  With the after school classes I run, I have a big kete I keep just for these classes.  In it I keep all lesson plans I need, resources, spare pens/pencils/paper, crayons, scissors, sellotape, blu-tack, a couple of lollipops (you never know!), speakers, and a small, portable whiteboard.  It seems like a lot, but this way I know I have what I need and, more importantly, I’m not going to cause too much disruption to the classroom.

And in classic case of sucking up to the teacher, at the end of the year I always a candy cane on their desk as a wee thank you.