Schools as a general rule want quality CRTs who are reliably available. Familiarity with a CRT simply leads to a greater incidence of settled classrooms working productively. Looking at this aspect, if a CRT is seen frequently around the school there are inherent benefits which go beyond pay issues and legal obligations to have a teacher in classrooms. CRTs which are seen around a school often enough to become familiar leads to them being viewed as "the school's teacher" rather than a CRT. This allows CRTs to access the same pool of authority as any other teacher does through the ability to enforce long-term consequences.
This authority can enable a CRT of lesser experience, and therefore their skills aren't as refined, to deliver a lesson more effectively than their more experienced counterparts who may be hampered by a higher degree of behavioural issues associated with CRT work. This makes a teacher willing to work half days more desirable than one that isn't. The school is able to institute the CRT as one of "their teachers" .
Being the most skilled available on the day is simply not enough to guarantee you will be offered the work on offer on any given day.
So when considered in the greater context of how much you earn in a year than in a day; while you potentially receive more pay on the day (there is no guarantee that you will get a full day instead) you are also risking less work on an ongoing basis which means you will quite possibly earn less money over time.
As an inexperienced teacher, the bonus in this is that through this you gain more work and therefore gain a higher level of experience in any set period of time. Taking half days in specific schools is an excellent strategy to receive more work and help you catch up to more experienced colleagues. Make no mistake, it's not an easy job market out there at the moment and chasing a larger pay packet this week may see your yearly pay less than it could have been and also be detrimental to your overall career because of the amount of experience you are able to accumulate.
My personal advice to any CRT is to NEVER flatly refuse half days for any reason. Instead, signal your preference to not work half days but tell the school/s you are available for "break glass in case of emergency" situations. You are proactively showing that you are a team player who genuinely cares about the schools you work in and when push comes to shove you will support that school and their students even though you obviously have concerns about your own hip pocket.
Teaching is not a job, it is a CAREER. In some ways CRTs need to pay a little more attention to certain aspects than other types of teachers. Making decisions when looking at it like you would a 'job' where you just turn up and perform a series of tasks which you get paid for is a very easy way to make decisions that end up making things worse in the long run rather than better.
When looking at it as a career instead of a job, loyalty is a MASSIVELY EFFECTIVE tool for CRTs in career productivity, advancement and longevity.
When I first started I essentially took the first position offered to me no matter how far I had to travel or otherwise inconvenient it was. I was spread across multiple schools in multiple areas and had a solid chance to build a name for myself within the CRT and School communities. After that I was able to begin picking and choosing the schools I worked for without damaging my long term prospects.
I also took a one year contract doing literacy for half a day a week. This, of course, barred me from being able to accept any conflicting contracts and in that year my overall income certainly suffered because of it (though not by as much as you'd think). At the same time, that year of experience gave me fabulous insights as it allowed me to focus on literacy and refine my skills.
That in turn allowed me to develop my own Literacy PD workshop.
Which then saw me working for the VCAA presenting the MoneySmart professional development workshop.
I am certainly no longer "the typical CRT" and I can tell you that my average yearly earnings are all the better off for it too.
I sometimes harp on about Teaching is a Profession and being a career and that we, as CRTs, are still professionals even though many just treat us like we're doing "a job". Remembering that we are Teachers and therefore members of a profession, refusing to just consider ourselves as part time public servants like so many others do, helps us make informed decisions that effectively improve our future in Teaching.
As someone who specialises in helping CRTs to excel I assure you that this one key point is a fulcrum on which many other things can be levered.
Don't think I'm saying you MUST work half days, that's an individual choice that each CRT should be making based on their own circumstances. The choice on whether to work half days or not, however, should be made in an informed way that empowers you to proactively influence the direction your career takes.
Regards,
Mel.
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