Are you thinking of moving to Australia to become a casual relief teacher or simply want to know more about it?
Here are all the things you need to consider before making your decision.
After teaching for nearly a month here, I thought I would share some of the reality of what to expect when you start.
For me, and I know many others felt this way, everything was overwhelming since you have no idea what to expect.
It is like starting any new job (stating the obvious here) where you find yourself feeling anxious and eager to begin. However, when you have just moved half way across the world and trying to settle into your new home, it can be daunting.
This is the reality.
If you have continued to read to this part then you are curious, which is good. You are also ready for the challenge.
My first advice is to let yourself feel.
Don’t be afraid to feel everything at the beginning and remind yourself that it is normal and that with time it gets easier (take it from me who is now looking forward to each day).
On my first week, I jumped to the assumption that Primary teaching wasn’t for me anymore. I felt as though I was having a mid-life crisis when really I just had to give myself time to find my feet, to adjust to the newness of it all.
Secondly, you need to remember that you are literally starting from scratch.
You are not only trying to navigate your way around the area but the transport, people, job responsibilities, the social life and finding time for yourself also.
At the beginning, I felt a dip in my confidence and it was like I had to remind myself of all the training I had already been through and that I was a good teacher.
I have now shifted my mindset to using the time as a CRT to focus on myself since you leave as soon as the school day finishes and you aren’t having to use your own time to plan, be at meetings and filling out paperwork.
This is one of the biggest positives that I can think of that you gain from becoming a CRT as you now have the time you complained about not having before.
Below is a list of what I have found/learned when teaching here:
Before you continue I just want to highlight that these experiences are personal to my own, people have their own opinions about CRT based on their own experiences.
- Majority of schools leave plans that are clear with resources left for you to teach that day.
- Pupils are going to act up when they see you standing and not their teacher (do not panic about this though as most of the time, when you set clear boundaries at the beginning of the lesson, the pupils understand what you expect of them).
- More relaxed atmosphere, with pupils also. Be realistic with your expectations and what you think you can achieve with the class.
- Teachers appreciate a note, detailing what you have covered in the day and how your day went with the class (communicate with them and you will feel the appreciation).
- Teaching tends to be whole class learning (this could be due to the fact you are the CRT for the day).
- Depending on the school, staff can be very welcoming or not so welcoming (this is expected though as you may only be needed for the day) I always think to myself if the staff are nice to me when I enter the building, I will have a good day as I feel welcomed.
I just want to expand on this point. Many people I have spoken to are very welcoming so when I come across a school who do not appreciate CRT’s or blatantly ignore you are clearly not a nice environment to work in. People may disagree with this.
I do understand that some CRT’s are not as good as others but we shouldn’t assume that the CRT isn’t going to go above and beyond for you that day – give them a chance.
I have also heard CRT’s saying they understand when they ignore them as the teachers are busy or are stressed, which I completely understand. However, I do believe that this does not give that person the excuse to treat them unfairly. We are all in this together in the end.
If this does happen, which it is very unlikely that it will, it just gives you a clear indication that the school isn’t for you which is good to work out.
I also feel like you should try your best not to take it personally as hard as this sometimes can be.
I had one school where I felt the support was very slim which resulted in a chaotic day. I then spoke to my consultant, who was very understanding and reassured me that if I did not want to return to the school, I wouldn’t need to.
I feel like it is important from the get go to put yourself first in these situations since you will be working with these schools more than once (sometimes on a longer contract).
So there you have it, my list of things I have learnt these first 5 weeks in Melbourne. This will differ for each state but overall, I love it here. Give yourself time and the rest will flow.
Comment below if you are thinking of making the big move and any questions you may have.
More than happy to help.
Speak soon ~ C
authenticallyc 