Just graduated and becoming a CRT? Welcome to the madhouse!

It's that time of year again and mid-year graduates are heading out into the CRT workforce.  Some of the most common questions we get asked at the Wodonga CRT Support Network revolve around "exactly what's my job as a CRT?"  This usually revolves around short-term non-contract work and I thought I'd provide a few of the more common answers new CRTs are looking for.

I really can't stress strongly enough that first and foremost it's not "your job" when you are in classrooms for short periods, it's you doing someone else's job.  In this sort of work it's really important (usually for your own sanity as much as any other reaosn) to understand that classroom teachers don't get to do whatever they'd like to either.  They have a curriculum to work to, their students have individual learning styles they need to plan around, school initiatives and policies to follow and so on.  They need to get to know their students and then plan an adequate path that meets their schools guidelines and initiatives to get all of their students to where they need to be by the end of the year.

As CRTs we hold a great potential to throw a rather large spanner in the works.  A day here and a day there without the plan being followed adequately and suddenly the class can be thrown into disarray.  The teacher finds themselves having to do extra work to re-plan for the short term to get them all back on track and this is something that the teachers, and the schools they work for, aren't likely to view in a positive light!

While you often won't be recognised for following someone else's lesson plan perfectly, it's when things don't go quite according to plan that you get your chance to shine.  Being good at your job is more than teaching the lesson, it's teaching it in an enjoyable and engaging way that ensures the knowledge transferrs to the students effectively.  This invariably sees you finishing some sections early and you are able to throw those few extras into the mix.  The time fillers from your bag of tricks and even full-blown lessons of your own design.

The key to having teachers and schools aware of your skills is communication.

Communicating with the teachers you replace and the schools you work in should not be seen as optional.  It's their job to communicate a lesson plan and other appropriate information to you and it's your job to communicate to them how you followed through on it, what you weren't able to follow through on and why.  Even if you are in a school that you don't feel is holding up their end of the bargain you should still do your best to hold up yours.

Don't let formal communication be the limit of how you inform teachers and schools of who you are as a Teacher!

• Communicate your dedication to teaching by always being 15 minutes early!
• Communicate respect for the teacher by cleaning off whiteboards etc and leaving their desk as tidy as when you arrived!
• Communicate your professionalism by providing a full day of engaged learning in the best and the worst of circumstances.

Open lines of communication are, by far, the most effective way for you to break the mould and step away from the moniker of "just a CRT" and the implied "lesser teacher" label that is all to often applied to us.


Regards,

Mel.