To cut a long story short, I left my job in finance this summer after 15 years. The politics there had turned nasty and it seemed like a good time to downshift and spend more time with the children. I ummed and ahhed over whether to do a maths PGCE. It was late in the day to apply though and, with zero classroom experience, I decided as an interim step to take a job as a teaching assistant in a primary school for the year. I rather liked the idea of having little responsibility, very reasonable hours, and no take-home work so that I could focus on my little ones whilst they are still young.
Yet ironically, two weeks in (although only one with the children back), I am absolutely bloody HATING it! Despite being massively overqualified and having taken a substantial pay-cut, I feel like I am frankly crap at it. I am OK at interacting with the children but dreadful at the practical, organisational aspects. I have done so many stupid things this week, e.g. piling-up artwork before the glue had dried properly so that it all got stuck together and had to be thrown out (I could have cried). My first attempt at a display board was an utter joke (not that anybody found it remotely funny, mind you) and it took me at least three times as long as it should have done to get the backing paper to the correct size. Then, when asked to cut circles out of paper, I began cutting them one by one, rather than folding the paper to make several at a time like anybody with half a brain would do. All this from somebody with a natural sciences degree from Cambridge! It wouldn't surprise me if they start making enquiries this week to check that my CV isn't a work of fiction. I should be shot really, shouldn't I?
Perhaps, not having had a new job for so long, I've forgotten what a steep learning curve it is even when the job is fairly low level? I know there are different types of intelligence. Perhaps practical intelligence just isn't my thing and I should go back to something more theoretical? Or perhaps I should ask my GP about a neurological assessment because I truly do find this level of stupidity quite disturbing?
Any thoughts welcome.
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Struggling in a job I am massively overqualified for :(
MeantToStopAtTwo · 10/09/2011 22:28
I think you have made the mistake of thinking that working in a school is easy, but it's not. You need to learn all the skills from scratch.
Things like stacking up the artwork before it had dried is just a mistake anyone who had no experience of that might do.
Display boards are hard! I'm a teacher of several years experience and I still struggle with backing paper 
.
My suggestion is don't mention your old job (if you were) and just watch the experienced people like a hawk, and learn from them.
Come on OP! Buck up! No need for dramatic gestures like resigning.
Yes you need a bit of help but mostly you have to have the will to do it. Maybe a bit of planning and practice would help? Talk to your supervisor they may be more supportive than you think. After all they did give you the job so will have seen something to work with.
Nobody likes a martyr 
I have read this thread with interest.
I am a TA. I am unqualified, I haven't done any training or courses for it, but apparently I am quite good at it, and was told at my last school (was tehre for 6 months) that I am a natural and was one of the most intuitive workers the head had seen .
Although I am told that I work well, that I am good at it etc, I always feel that I could do better.
I started at a new school last week and seem to be settling in ok.
I have no qualifications at all, just a few low level GCSE's.
The thing is OP, it is not an easy job, and you do have a huge responsibility in that you are responsible for the children's education and wellfare as part of the team. The children (depending on age) may not understand you are 'just' the TA and will view you as their teacher.
It's good that you are confident with the children and the parents too.
I think that resigning may be a bit extreme at this time, you aren't the sort of person who just quits when things get a bit tough are you?
Thought not.
What I suggest, is tomorrow morning you tell the teacher that you would like to have a chat with her at the end of the day.
Then when you sit down, tell her you are aware that you have made some silly mistakes over the past few weeks and that you are hoping it is just nerves.
Tell her that you want to do this job, that you want to be good at it, and you want to learn. Tell her that you would appricate her feedback on how you perform and you are open to tips and constructive critisism(sp) in order to develop your skills within this role.
When I first started in my old school, the teacher used to talk to be through other people, she'd say things like "Sue, if you back the board silvery can laminate the pictures. Is that ok Sue?"
She'd never talk to me directly and she always looked at me funny. After the 3rd day, I grabbed her at the end of the day and said I wanted to learn and wouldn't be able to do it without her help and feedback, and yes, had to be a bit arse-licky, but from that moment on, things changed, she took time to explain things to me, and when I did fuck up we were able to laugh.
Don't give up, it is a very rewarding role, but you need the passion for it.
But like others have said, you can't think this role is beneath you, because it;s not and take a moment to think of the NQT, she has alot to prove in her role. She may be completely overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork she has to do etc.
You really need to be a strong team in the classroom. Is it just you and the NQT or is there another TA too?
It's not going to work if you all can't communicate properly, f you don't help each other and don't trust each other.
Good luck
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