My Account
Finding appropriate relief teachers at short notice often proves a major headache for schools, but a Matakana teacher has come up with a solution that is ready be launched across New Zealand.
As a former teacher at Matakana School, Erris Scott was responsible for finding substitute teachers by using a phone and painstakingly calling those on a preferred list of names, with no way of knowing if those she was trying to track down would be available or not.
“It was a time consuming and frustrating task,” she says.
When Erris became a relief teacher herself in 2017, the process proved no less irritating.
On days she wanted to work, she would wait anxiously by the phone hoping for a call.
Other times she would receive multiple calls when she had already made other plans for the day.
Erris thought there had to be a solution for both parties to help eliminate the aggravation.
Inspired by the website Bookabach – which uses a calendar to allow users to book available accommodation – Erris wondered if a similar approach could be used to book a teacher.
Erris connected with local digital specialists Robin Southgate, in Whangaripo, and Hamish McDonald, in Warkworth, to found Substi (short for substitute teacher), with the aim of developing a website and associated mobile app that would connect schools with available relievers.
Erris says while there are other digital platforms on the market that aim to locate substitute teachers, they tend to relay general information to relievers.
She wanted the Substi platform to be more specific, providing details such as the absent teacher’s name, the class level, and information about the absent teacher’s work plan and about children
with specific needs.
“Armed with this information, the relief teacher can step in and take over with minimum disruption to the children’s learning. It also means they know what resources they need to bring to the classroom, without having to take up time by asking someone,” she says.
The platform took two years to develop and was trialed in four Mahurangi schools during the latter part of 2018.
The response has been enthusiastic. Teachers quoted on the Substi website say the platform saves them hours hunting for relievers. Instead, they can often be found in minutes.
Erris says following the trial, Substi is now promoting its system to schools throughout New Zealand.
In future, Substi plans to go international and expand into other service industries.
Info: substi.co.nz
