'Classroom life beats office job'

Linda Cochrane, 55, from Bushey in Hertfordshire, has been teaching in secondary schools for nearly three years despite having no formal training apart from a one-day course in how to handle children with special educational needs.

She has an Open University humanities degree - which covers art, English and history - and has learned her skills on the job. As a supply teacher, she earns £105 a day before tax - £115 if the work involves children with special needs.

She gets plenty of work and says the job beats office work, although bad behaviour is worsening. She previously worked for British Airways and

the NHS. Badly behaved children is the worst aspect of the job, she says. She has covered for staff who are on long-term sick leave through stress.

"Schools are very varied. You get schools where the children are social, they are quite good, they will accept supply or new teachers.

"Some schools are absolute hell - they don't like new faces, they don't like new teachers and they certainly don't like supply teachers." Responding to criticism of supply teaching, she said: "Myself and the other supply teachers I've spoken to have a professional attitude."