Faces of education

Arwen Bennett, 28, is a supply teacher in north London, working regularly at one school and filling in at various others when teachers are sick.

I write this after having spent two hectic days teaching in a north London primary school where I am employed as a long-term supply teacher.

My role is to cover for class teachers' non-contact time in both the main school and in the school's unit for children with speech and language difficulties.

The children are well behaved and motivated and the staff have been really welcoming.

I really enjoy the variety of this job as I get to work in lots of different classes which will change over the term.

As well as this regular work I am hoping to do a day of general supply.

Although I trained in primary, last term I worked at a comprehensive in East London teaching children with special educational needs. So I could end up working anywhere, with any age group.

Sometimes I do miss having my own class, a stable job and paid holidays

I started teaching in 1999 after getting a Primary PGCE teaching certificate at the Institute of Education.

My first year was hard work and pretty stressful and I contracted an unpleasant virus which knocked me out for half of the spring term.

As a result, I worked part-time in my second year, doing a similar role to the one I have now. Eventually I supplemented my two days a week with three days regular supply as my health improved.

After spending the autumn term of last year teaching a reception class, I took a couple of months off to rethink the direction of my career.

Creative therapies

I knew that I wanted to continue working with children and use my psychology degree and teaching qualification creatively, but I also knew that I was unfulfilled as a class teacher.

I spent some time working for a natural remedies company and doing some research into the therapeutic arts.

I have always enjoyed teaching art, drama and music as well as being quite artistic myself and there is a growing movement in schools towards the use of creative therapies for children with special educational needs.

Sometimes I do miss having my own class

After lots of reading and a course, I decided on art therapy and enrolled on a foundation course at City University, beginning this October.

Right now I feel everything is fitting into place nicely. I feel that I am in the ideal position, teaching special needs and mainstream kids for two days a week in a lovely school.

I expect that I will be able to get a day a week of general supply and I am looking forward to the start of my course.

Pressure

I like the flexibility of day-to-day supply as I can pick and choose when and where I work, but there is never any guarantee of work on the days I am available.

It's usual for the first few weeks of term to be a bit slow and that is fine for now, but I'd like to have some more days to keep me going later in the term.

Sometimes I do miss having my own class, a stable job and paid holidays. But with this kind of work I get to fit my workload around my life and the demands of my course.

I like having a regular position as I can get to know the staff and children without the pressure that goes with being a class teacher.

• Arwen works through Select Education supply agency

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