Teaching hub

Gaining QTS can seem daunting, but we're here to help!

A rundown of 7 great books for teachers' development.

Start off on the right foot with these 10 tips!

How can we recognise neglect in children, and make the all-important call on intervention?

Play is not a luxury or an afterthought.

Becoming a supply teacher: from the qualifications you'll need, to finding roles.

Greg, a Zen registered Teaching Assistant, shares three helpful tips for making a positive impression in schools.

Dylan, Teaching Assistant with Zen Educate, found his love of teaching through his passion for Ultimate Frisbee. In this article, he shares top tips for introducing this sport to children, and how supply work allows him to carry out two passions in one!

Looking for a flexible way to balance a career in education with other things? Teaching supply might be the perfect job for you.

A comprehensive introduction to British Sign Language! 👋

We’ve been speaking to teachers about what resources and tools they use to support behaviour and control within their classrooms.

Watch back our event about managing behaviour in the classroom!

Beckie, a supply teacher, children’s well-being mentor and forest school practitioner, shares a fun activity for National Tree Week 2021.

An interactive workshop to help you deliver high quality lessons in Phonics.

An interactive workshop to help teachers and teaching assistants deliver high quality lessons in Reading Comprehension.

Watch our free workshop to learn how to land more your favourite jobs.

Prepare for the new academic year with three workshops from our September Success Programme

Now that the September 2021 update to the Department for Education’s guidance for keeping children safe in education (KCSIE) has been published, we want to ensure that everyone who works in education is informed on the changes.

Sean shares his journey from Engineer to Teaching Assistant. He has a few tips for people eager to make a career change!

Robert has 8 years of teaching experience and has a few tips to share with supply teachers heading into new classrooms.

Resources and effective strategies for supporting children with autism from our workshop on April 8th, 2021

Why choose work in a special school? Olivia, our SEND Lead and former SEND Support Worker, discusses opportunities to upskill and develop experience in the special needs sector.

Amifa, a Supply Teaching Assistant with Zen Educate, describes how her school role was changed by having children.

Rakhee made the switch from full-time teacher to supply teacher when she found Zen Educate.

Why should you refine your professional profile? We hosted a workshop to explore why it matters, how to develop your CV and suggest effective frameworks to take forward.

Beckie, founder of Bhumi Yoga and supply teacher with 20 years of school experience, shares yoga-inspired activities which help with behaviour management.

A recap on 'The 4 R’s Approach to Coping with Stress' from our webinar: Towards Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Who uses Makaton, how can I learn it, and how can I introduce it in my classroom?

Are you finding time for fitness right now? The Zen team has lockdown fitness ideas to share with teachers and anyone working remotely.

Robert, an experienced London supply teacher, shares ways to succeed on your first day of primary supply teaching. A helpful guide if you’re wondering what to bring to school.

It’s Anti-Bullying Week, which is a great opportunity to emphasise the collective responsibility of students to end bullying and respect each other. With powerful illustrations and encouraging messages, picture books are an ideal way to help children understand and celebrate their differences.

Robert, a supply teacher working with Zen Educate, shares his insight into how teaching supply can provide the flexibility, extra time and experience to start your own business.

Here we share 4 tips for teaching assistants returning to work in September

A collection of books and online courses for any teaching staff to explore during the lockdown

Some useful insight on how to best deal with the transition of SEN students back to school

I’ve written this post to share some ideas to support early years reading at home.

3 fun and engaging activities for children with Autism from our SEN specialist, Olivia Sheppard, in honour of World Autism Day

How to welcome your students back to your classroom and get behaviour on track as quickly as possible

The summer is over, you’ve enjoyed your holiday, and it’s time to get back to teaching. The start of a new academic term may feel daunting, but following these tips will help you reduce stress and get back into the swing of things.

Worried about how to engage students after a long summer break? One of our supply teachers offers valuable insight into how she keeps students interested once the new academic year starts.

After a long summer holiday off, it can be tough to get back into teaching. Leigh shares her tips on how to re-energise yourself as a supply teacher and get back into the swing of things come the September term.

Teaching supply allows you to work in a variety of contexts. As an experienced secondary school teacher now teaching daily supply, a Zen teacher shares how they have adapted their teaching practices to be effective in a primary setting.

So many pupils today do not seem to value language subjects in the same way that they value the core subjects. As one of the biggest obstacles when it comes to teaching languages in UK schools, it is necessary for teachers to overcome this.

A supply day can be overwhelming if you're not prepared. Consider the advice of Nathanlie, a supply teacher, who shared her tips and tricks for a typical teaching day.

Navigating how to find the right supply agency for you can be an overwhelming process. It’s important to understand the differences between them and what each has to offer. Follow these guidelines to ensure that you find the best agency for you.

Explore the main benefits of supply teaching with one of Zen's best teachers, as she recalls how she became drawn to supply and how she ended up working with Zen.

Supply can offer a lot of benefits for teachers depending on personal needs and wants. Working as a supply teacher with her own business on the side, Gerrie shares some of the advantages of supply.

Mental health, stress and workload are hot topics at the moment. Many schools are raising the profile of wellbeing and making a real commitment to improving the mental health of their staff, children and the wider community.

Each SEN student will have different needs and learning habits. Whilst each child is different, there are a number of things you can do to prepare when taking on a new class with SEN requirements..

One of Zen's best teachers looks back on the earliest days of his teaching career and shares the main things that every new teacher should know.

Mary, a supply teacher with Zen, shares her personal reasons for teaching supply and sheds light on the benefits of supply work.

As an ex-Spanish teacher and talent finder at Zen Educate, Sarah offers advice on one of the hardest parts of finding a role: The trial day.

This week’s podcast recommendation features Sandy Speicher, partner and managing director of education at IDEO, with Tom from Getting Smart, breaking down what design thinking is and why it’s so important for teachers and education leaders right now.

As an experienced supply teacher to many organisations and schools, there are some vital tips to support your practice when working with volunteers, teaching assistants, mentors, higher teaching assistants and one to one support.

It's not just about the classroom; schools now expect teachers to engage in the school and show an interest in extracurricular activities. Mary, a supply teacher, shares various ways for a teacher to integrate themselves into a school community.

Congratulations! You went through a rigorous training programme overseas and are now a qualified teacher. How do you transfer your training and experience to schools in the UK?

Stress management for a teacher can be a difficult task, sometimes seemingly impossible. Whether you are in your first years of teaching or have many years of experience, stress and teaching can often go hand-in-hand. Often times as a teacher, the work doesn’t end once you leave school. Learning management strategies for dealing with anxiety and a significant workload is important not only for your mental health, but for your overall well-being both in and out of the classroom. Consider the following tips to have a little more peace of mind, remembering that the first person you should take care of is yourself.

It is a hard adjustment from classroom teacher to supply teacher. There are substantial differences to the job both within and outside the school. It is important to be prepared for these changes so that you can make the most of your experience as a supply teacher.

Coming back into supply teaching after leaving a full time teacher position after 5 years was a daunting prospect. I was familiar with the same school and the set procedures on a day to day basis. The children knew what I expected of them and were aware of the consequences of not following instructions or school rules. There are certain steps you can take to eliminate the "substitute teacher effect" and have a successful supply day.

Safeguarding refers to the processes and policies in place used to protect children from abuse, including physical, mental, neglect, and bullying. It is designed in the best interest of the child in order to promote their own health and safety. As educators, it is imperative to understand how to handle a potential crisis situation and be able to offer the right kind of help.

As a follow-up to her first interview, we sat down with Sarah from our Teacher Success Team. Read our conversation about her experience teaching Spanish at secondary state schools in Birmingham and London.

An overview of Tom Bennett’s relatable, humorous and no-nonsense guide to behaviour management.

Ever decided to take the leap before realising you don’t quite feel prepared for what’s to come? Read Zen’s guidelines for how to find a new role that suits you.

We asked our teachers and TAs what drew them to supply work. The results may surprise you.

New to supply work? An experienced supply teacher shares her top tips for having a great day.

Changing jobs may be an easy decision for some. For others, it may cause more stress than excitement. If that’s the case, here are some things to consider before making your choice.

Here at Zen, we're revolutionising supply teaching. Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what one of our teachers had to say about her experience with us.

Supply teaching brings with it a number of new, exciting experiences. If you find yourself having to cover an unknown subject, there are certain things you can do to prepare.

Managing disruptive behaviour in a class where the students do not know you may seem like a daunting prospect. Read ahead for some valuable tips that will boost your confidence when working with a new class.

Teaching children in Key Stage 2 can be quite the challenge. One of our experienced teachers shared their top tips to improve your experience and boost your confidence.

Starting out as a teacher after working as an HLTA can feel like quite a leap. One maths teacher shares their advice when making the transition with a PGCE.

Marking work as a supply teacher can be difficult, but it doesn't have to take hours. One of our teachers has shared her top tips to help you mark efficiently after a day of supply.

New to teaching in the UK? Here is one teacher's advice to help you find your feet.

Moving to teach in the UK? Here's how to make the transition as smooth as possible.