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Original poster

Correcting Teaching Assistant's grammar and spelling

202 replies

UpSheGoesJosephine · 19/09/2026 20:28

If you were a TA in a primary school, would you be comfortable correcting a fellow TA if they spelt something incorrectly or used bad grammar. Such as, 'I done this' or pacific instead of specific.

OP posts:
TerracottaWorrier · 19/09/2026 23:27

Make a joke about how you're bad at spelling or whatever. Give a few examples of words/rules you hate. Once they are laughing and agreeing, point out one of their issues and say something like: "I've got called out on this one so many times that I'm pretty sure it's meant to be xyz". Maybe still be a little unsure. Google together. Laugh and say omg what are we like.

Waterdaughterio · 19/09/2026 23:02

Campanulaceae · 19/09/2026 20:46

Do you live in Essex by any chance?

Probably not, but I do. I've never heard anyone say this in real life. Anti-Essex commentary gets pretty boring.

Sereine · 19/09/2026 22:59

ElefantAndCastle · 19/09/2026 20:39

I wouldn't. TAs are badly educated and badly paid. A lot of teachers can't spell or write anyway.

Nothing like a bit of wild generalisation. My friend who is a graduate and has a professional qualification works as a TA, just because she fancied a change. Apparently it's quite amusing when teachers try to patronise her.

Minasama · 19/09/2026 22:57

I once corrected my teacher when I was 10 and he misspelled anaesthetic! Now however I’d be careful to have this addressed in a group setting by the appropriate person.

Minasama · 19/09/2026 22:53

pinkpony88 · 19/09/2026 22:51

😱

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That’s outrageous.

Minasama · 19/09/2026 22:53

That’s difficult. Do you mean that she spells things wrongly in front of the children?
You can’t correct her in front of them, could you tell the teacher she mainly works with or her line manager?

pinkpony88 · 19/09/2026 22:51

Growlybear83 · 19/09/2026 20:47

Many teachers have atrocious standards of spelling and grammar. When my daughter was in Year 2, her teacher marked her English work, and crossed out part if a sentence where she had written ‘I would have’. She changed it to ‘I would of’.

😱

fashionqueen0123 · 19/09/2026 22:47

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 19/09/2026 21:17

I’d feel perfectly comfortable, yes, especially if they were in danger of teaching children incorrectly.

I was perfectly comfortable telling the teacher (not TA) that made my (very) dyslexic DD spell the, correctly spelt, word ‘Repeatedly’, three times as ‘Repeatidly’. Why wouldn’t you?

Omg 🙈

CalamityJane81 · 19/09/2026 22:45

I was in a school assembly where a teacher used the line “She never fails to disappoint.” about a student who had been brilliant. I really don’t know what she was trying to say but I wanted the ground to swallow me up from second hand embarrassment. I likely wouldn’t say anything but you really should.

OldWallpaper · 19/09/2026 22:43

TheSunIsAlwaysThere · 19/09/2026 20:30

Does anyone really say or write pacific for specific? Really?

I once told a teacher she had made a mistake on the spelling list for the test.

Yes, I’ve heard ‘pacific’ quite a few times.

seahorsessky · 19/09/2026 22:42

They shouldn't be doing this work if they're unsure how to do it. Yes, correct them, as what's the point in children going to school if they get the wrong advice. Of course school staff do a very difficult job and don't get paid enough, but you could say the same about carers/some medical staff. Before anyone says those people could kill others if they give medication incorrectly (and that's happened), the main point of children having education is to learn.

fashionqueen0123 · 19/09/2026 22:40

WrigglyDonCat · 19/09/2026 21:07

I'll just leave this here as method for correcting poor English...

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Haha I’m saving this! The amount of times I’ve told my kids this 🤣

NCTDN · 19/09/2026 22:34

Awkwardisfunny · 19/09/2026 22:24

Unless he's teaching in a school where it's his job to ensure even the most deprived students have access to the best outcomes so they can gain entry into top universities, if they choose to apply.

Schools are not the place for placating adults and their personal hang ups. School staff need to have a high standard of English and be able to model this to students.

I'd ask the school's leaders to address the issue holistically. Choose a word / phrase / area of colloquial language or dialect that is non-standard and ask all staff to focus that week on ironing it out of their language "at work". Making a concentrated effort not to use it around the children.

OP: have a list ready for SLT to work their way through(!)

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Ooh I like this asking SLT to address it with words of the week. The issue for me as a teacher is that the headteacher is the worst one!

Awkwardisfunny · 19/09/2026 22:24

durdledoris · 19/09/2026 21:57

Oi oi l'm from Essex but know my spag!! Husband from London and l will never stop him saying we was, you was, they was!

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Unless he's teaching in a school where it's his job to ensure even the most deprived students have access to the best outcomes so they can gain entry into top universities, if they choose to apply.

Schools are not the place for placating adults and their personal hang ups. School staff need to have a high standard of English and be able to model this to students.

I'd ask the school's leaders to address the issue holistically. Choose a word / phrase / area of colloquial language or dialect that is non-standard and ask all staff to focus that week on ironing it out of their language "at work". Making a concentrated effort not to use it around the children.

OP: have a list ready for SLT to work their way through(!)

Awkwardisfunny · 19/09/2026 22:18

Growlybear83 · 19/09/2026 20:47

Many teachers have atrocious standards of spelling and grammar. When my daughter was in Year 2, her teacher marked her English work, and crossed out part if a sentence where she had written ‘I would have’. She changed it to ‘I would of’.

Surely not??

WishIStudiedScience · 19/09/2026 22:12

ElefantAndCastle · 19/09/2026 20:39

I wouldn't. TAs are badly educated and badly paid. A lot of teachers can't spell or write anyway.

I have an MA, a BA and an BSc. Plus a PGCE, a TEFL qualification, 4 A-levels and 9 GCSEs.

Don't be so judgemental and narrow -minded.

EternalFogInMyNotSoSpoltlessMind · 19/09/2026 22:09

I totally corrected DS's daily feedback sheet competed by a PSW, stating that he "done literacy" that day. He's non verbal and has a very high level of needs re his intellectual disability, but still....

babybythesea · 19/09/2026 22:06

ElefantAndCastle · 19/09/2026 20:45

None were in my childrens' school.

If I had a master I wouldn't work for a TA's pay.

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I also have a Masters. In Education.
I do it because DH works away a lot and the job means I can guarantee being around to manage my own kids.
And I love it. I can make a difference to the kids I work with.

HoppityBun · 19/09/2026 22:06

TheSunIsAlwaysThere · 19/09/2026 20:30

Does anyone really say or write pacific for specific? Really?

I once told a teacher she had made a mistake on the spelling list for the test.

Yes loads of people do. It’s a well known quirk. I once heard a linguist explain why but I can’t remember the reason.

Hankunamatata · 19/09/2026 21:59

Depends. If they are teaching kids bad spelling and grammar then yes I would. Otherwise no

nearlylovemyusername · 19/09/2026 21:58

Airconfan · 19/09/2026 21:25

Please be careful correcting someone’s speech. I had to have hours and hours of speech therpy as a child and it took a long time for me to build my confidence.

There are certain words now I still struggle with and honestly if you pulled me up on it I would probably go home and cry. Then be extremely anxious to speak and I would avoid saying that word as much as possible.

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People are usually very tolerant to accents and misspellings in workplaces and social settings. But I do think that one of the job entry criteria for teaching is a strong SPAG and clear speech.

durdledoris · 19/09/2026 21:57

Campanulaceae · 19/09/2026 20:46

Do you live in Essex by any chance?

Oi oi l'm from Essex but know my spag!! Husband from London and l will never stop him saying we was, you was, they was!

VioletsTale · 19/09/2026 21:51

I’m a TA and I do it to teachers(politely and most of the times quietly, unless I’m asked)if it’s written work. They’ve all been grateful.

nearlylovemyusername · 19/09/2026 21:50

PrayForPlagues · 19/09/2026 20:37

One of our SLT says ‘pacifically” instead of “specifically” 🙈 and she was head of English before she was SLT 🙈

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Native speaker? gosh...

Stinkybooks · 19/09/2026 21:48

TheSunIsAlwaysThere · 19/09/2026 20:30

Does anyone really say or write pacific for specific? Really?

I once told a teacher she had made a mistake on the spelling list for the test.

Yes of course. Lots of people do. Often.