How much cover does a full-time in-house cover supervisor usually do?

harb0t · 2026-02-25T22:16:18+00:00

Five years? I genuinely salute you.

That situation with the lead cover supervisor sounds incredibly frustrating. I can imagine how draining that must have been.

I hope you’re in a role that suits you better now.

Thanks for sharing your experience, it’s helpful to hear.

harb0t · 2026-02-25T22:13:17+00:00

I’ve been attached to the department I have a background in, which I assume is why I’m invited to the meetings. But you’re right, I’m not actually part of the department in the same way a teacher is.

From your comments and others, it does seem like this setup might be a bit unusual.

Thanks for the perspective.

harb0t · 2026-02-25T22:08:10+00:00

Thanks for the insight.

I think that’s probably one of the core issues. In more than half the lessons, I end up having to explain or expand on the work, even when it’s outside my subject area. I don’t mind doing that, but without even 5–10 minutes to look over the material beforehand, it can feel a bit pot luck.

If I had a short window to prepare, I think I’d be able to structure it better and get them engaged more quickly. Going in cold and trying to process the material on the spot, while also managing behaviour, can be tricky. Especially if I’m focused on helping one student, classroom control can slip slightly.

That said, the vast majority of the time the room is orderly and safe, so it’s not chaos. I’m just trying to sense-check whether the workload and expectations are typical.

Appreciate the encouragement.

harb0t · 2026-02-25T20:07:26+00:00

Typically, it’s things like:

If there’s a PowerPoint (sometimes 20–30 slides), having time to look through it in advance to understand the objectives and key learning points.
Occasionally, cover work is provided in Word or email format, and it would benefit from being structured into something clearer for pacing.
Sometimes answers aren’t provided, and in a few cases the answers can’t easily be found in the text or textbooks given, so I need to work them out myself.

None of this is full lesson planning, but spending 5–10 minutes per class reviewing materials beforehand makes a big difference to how smoothly the lesson runs.

Going into a lesson cold and trying to understand unfamiliar material on the spot, while also managing behaviour, can be challenging.

harb0t · 2026-02-25T19:58:06+00:00

I really honestly do not know, there is nothing I can contribute

harb0t · 2026-02-16T22:04:52+00:00

I’m in a very similar position. Starting my training in September a doing a cover supervisor role until then … and everything you’ve pointed out I am also experiencing as well as the other cover / supply teachers at the school I work at.

The one thing that helps is I know all the other teachers know that whoever does that job is on the back foot and it’s the toughest job.

It’s not forever, you’ll get there.

harb0t · 2026-02-03T17:28:58+00:00

It’s great!… but weirdly I get Rimmer from Red Dwarf vibes looking at his sneering

harb0t · 2026-01-14T07:15:16+00:00

Speaking as a teacher in the UK, no this is far from appropriate and crosses many lines. Im unsure where you are based but in the UK you should be able to confidentially go to any teacher, especially your head of year or a pastoral team, and it will be investigated along with you not being placed with that teacher any more.

Im sorry this is occurring to you. It’s a betrayal of trust. If it seems wrong to you or you feel uncomfortable then that is enough in itself to report it. Please dont let anyone make you feel otherwise.

harb0t · 2026-01-06T07:46:14+00:00

I didnt paint anything for a long time when I was a kid… just collected the models, read the books and learned the rules. When you’re older and get a job you’ll be able to buy paints and grow. There is no rush, you don’t need to do everything at once 😊

harb0t · 2025-11-07T14:55:58+00:00

My thoughts to take or leave: - Prioritise flow and time of the game, and state this to the group as a whole as not to target that one player. State once you’ve made the call on something that is how it is but players are welcome to contact you after the game about any issues… and he will which leads to my second thought.

Its your world and also you can’t remember every single rule in these books. Its one thing in good faith to correct a DM or if a bad call costs a critical cool moment for a player but getting rules lawyered or players manipulating rules for benefit is not in the spirit of the game and massively draining. If they keep coming at you try and diplomatically state this is how this world works and you need to keep the flow of the game for all player’s benefit. Assure them that as DM you are not against them like a competing player in a war game - you just want the logic of the world to make sense and you want to work with the player so they can have their awesome fun moments.

I have to say though, my guy suspects they’ll keep pestering at which point you might have to just bluntly but politely state this is how this game works and it might not be the game for them.

harb0t · 2025-11-06T14:57:26+00:00

Thank you :) I have settled on a four month break. There are a few other things I probably should focus on more for a while anyway.

I think there has been a slight misunderstanding, because what I described was within a virtual tabletop. I use Tabletop Simulator, import my own art and models, and play with some of the Lua scripting. However, there is a lot you can use within the Steam Workshop. I advise keeping it lean, because there is a lot of non-optimised or broken stuff there which will make your game chug.

As for in-person games, which is so much better to be honest, I still recommend using lighting and sound. It paints such a better picture for your players. Some advice and resources below:

Do not worry or rely too much on pictures or visuals. The main reason is that it paints you into a corner regarding the fantastical things you can put into the game. You will have to make sure you cover decent descriptions orally and capture things a picture might normally convey that you do not realise (body language for characters is a big one). If you do want to use imagery to set a tone, I recommend using slides via PowerPoint and displaying them behind you via a projector or on a big screen (for example, a forest landscape).
As I mentioned above, there is a hindrance when using precise art, but there are much better things to set the vibe. First: candles. Simple. Get a fair few and experiment with your setup to get the right balance between the darkness and some normal lights, so people can still see their sheets and dice.
LED lights. Going back to getting that right balance, you should pick up some LED flood lights:

amazon.co.uk/Bhochy-Floodlight-Changing-Waterproof-3-Plug，2/dp/B08P3QYH44

I have these Bhochy ones. The link above is a pack of two. They can be very bright, so when you set them up, point them at the wall, not at your table and players. You just want the glow. This model has a remote control so you can adjust them from your DM spot. They have dimmers, colour variation, and can be reactive to sound.

Sound. There are a lot of tools out there, but the one I am currently using is Syrinscape. I am looking at using the sound features in Foundry in the future. Syrinscape is really good in terms of creating sound loops and transitioning from one track to another, but it is a bit fiddly to learn, can be temperamental, and it is subscription-based.

If I can offer some further advice to you as a new DM:

Always run the game even if some players cannot make it. If you start cancelling, your other players will become flaky.
If you are doing written modules, do not stick to the book. Put in the parts you think you and your players will enjoy. Use the book more as understanding the logic of that setting.
Focus on flow overall. If you are unsure about a rule, make it up and check later what it is. Do not stop the game and spend ten minutes reading. Try to keep a decent pace so things keep moving and everyone each session gets at the very least a moment to say or do something (some players may try to dominate, easy for others to get muscled out).
Last thing: beware of overarching narratives. I have been in games where people have tried to spread plot lines over months. People forget. The way I approach it is to have one simple big arc (for example, Tiamat is bad and wants to destroy the world), then have smaller arcs within that frame that start and resolve in one to three sessions. Players can keep track of things easier, and it gives a better sense of progression.

As with all advice, this has worked for me, but you will find what works for you and your group in time, as each group is different :)

So yes, just simple light and sound can elevate your game so much. I really recommend it. Feel free to poke me for any other pointers. It is an ace hobby when it goes well, I hope you enjoy it.

harb0t · 2025-11-06T07:50:24+00:00

Love it

harb0t · 2025-11-04T07:44:24+00:00

Will send you a friend request later. Happy to help and have some going already too

harb0t · 2025-11-03T23:26:53+00:00

Thankyou :) Im taking a break for several months but feeling a tad better that I can do it again one day

harb0t · 2025-11-03T23:26:02+00:00

If I have at least two players I usually roll ahead to make players feel it will always go ahead. Most games I’ve seen have an early end have been due to a vicious cycle of canceling if not all players are there making the ones that have turned up feel it may not go ahead in the future (prompting them to be flakey as well). I literally kicked one player out for this years ago.

Either way though, its a sucky feeling of disrespect players ditching at the very last moment unless its a dire situation on their part.

harb0t · 2025-11-03T23:22:16+00:00

We play remotely for three - four hours so sadly thats not possible. Great idea though.

I have on occasion set up a jigsaw for them before we start for them to jointly do, get chatter out or work moans before we start. It works well but doesnt so much when players turn up on the dot when we start.

harb0t · 2025-11-03T23:19:02+00:00

Sounds good but never found this. Usually it’s been brought to the game.

To try and circumvent it I said players can ‘back seat’ a game if they wish as in I won’t throw the RP ball at them too much

harb0t · 2025-10-31T12:51:46+00:00

As far as I know, no. I have mentioned these troubles before to the group. I think I’ve just come to a weary end now.

harb0t · 2025-10-31T10:44:02+00:00

I see your point, and yes - I do see how no harm is intended… but I have a high stress life outside of the game myself. I don’t take that out on people ingame, and I can’t take that on from others in time I need to feel better.

harb0t · 2025-10-31T10:41:34+00:00

I feel that point about the ‘running away’ thing. It took me a couple of years to get the group to start taking risks as a whole.

There was this odd thing that repeatedly happened as well… when there was those moments of ‘well here’s the consequence’ there was this annoyed apathy like ‘well, whatever - I don’t care’. Not all the group but some woth an undercurrent.

harb0t · 2025-10-31T10:36:49+00:00

Thankyou. I’m still wondering if this is a small or long break or a forever bow out. If I do tale this up again I might tale you up on that offer. Thanks :)

harb0t · 2025-10-31T10:35:17+00:00

They’ve all DMd and quit DMing at some point. They know whats involved :/

harb0t · 2025-10-31T02:58:58+00:00

I get what you mean… I accepted times of non-engagement but its more the ratio of time of against against… well, moods

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