Feeling that people don't really like me

[londonmamma]

Stupid post from a grown woman here but just needing a little outlet tonight. I know I'm
Being more than likely silly and I probably need to be told to just wise up but basically I started a job as a classroom assistant a few weeks ago. The job itself is wonderful as I finish at 3:30 and obviously there's no nights weekends and the little boy (year 9) I'm with is just lovely. I'm really only with him for medical reasons and he's a very bright boy in the top class in the year. Sometimes I feel very uncomfortable with the teachers as although I'm with my pupil he tends to prefer me sitting away from him so I respect that and get a seat at the back. He knows I'm always there should he need anything. But I feel the teachers don't like me and I can't seem to find a way to get past this. I mean it goes without saying im extremely polite and well mannered and will offer to help with any photocoping jobs that they may need done once my pupil is happy getting on with his work- sometimes they give me things and other times they don't . I get the impression that they hate me being there and that they think im lazy or just pointless being in the room, but the child is allocated the hours for me to be there.

I can't work out if im just being a complete sensitive fool or whether the see me and roll their eyes.

I just feel a bit down tonight and needed a little vent because I wouldn't ever dream of telling any of the other assistants that I feel this way.

How can I change my mindset?

How would engaging with pupils about their work be seen as taking over classroom duties?! Even if techniqualy the op is a 1-1 I can assure you just sitting there at the back watching for an hour will probably ultimately lead to OP being let go from this job. Getting up and engaging with pupils is exactly the job of a TA.

She isn't a primary TA!

Year 9 is hard. Children are much more aware then. I've worked with kids in the same capacity as you for 12 years. From ages 4-11.
They always need help.
I find a whiteboard and pen is my best tool. I walk around, check work and sit and chat through the work if needs be.

Is it actually strange to say, no other child needs your help.
They always do.
I appreciate I am primary based so it's different, but checking in. Marking work.
Prompting focus.
Even moving places when you spot children talking and being distracted during input.

Do you have interventions as laid out in the EHCP?
Do you have log books to fill etc?
I can assure you there is always something.

Sometimes, it is beneficial to sit there and listen during into. Especially if the child is dysregulated. But there are times where you can get on with intervention logging, mark. Write up notes. Cpoms. Anything really.

It sounds like you want to do a good job OP (and you are) but teachers are terrible at explaining what the expectation is. That is the job of the SENCO and it looks different in every school.

Have a chat with your SENCO and look at the expectations.
If the school were to get inspected tomorrow, do you have all your monitoring sheets etc up to date? Do you know where your child is in regards to their learning?
Are you aware of the children on pupil premium? All things that can be useful going forward through the academic year.

With the caveat that I know nothing about working in a school - would it make sense to send an email / message / group post to the teaching staff, explaining your allocated role and that, since your student rarely needs your support, you feel like a bit of a spare part in class? You could tell them you're going to bring a book or your laptop in to occupy yourself, but are eager & willing to help out in any ways a teacher may find useful.

I need to add- this is after the teachers input! I sit at the back and do my monitoring sheets during class input! It's only once the work has been set, I will go around and check.

You need to speak to your senco and say that you feel like a spare part.

Speak to your teachers when you all have five minutes (not at the start of a lesson when it’s about to begin- I wouldn’t have the capacity to think of a list of jobs for you) and say that Johnny doesn’t need your support - how can you be of use?

I have also had adults sat on my chair at the back of the room, and whilst I can’t say I ‘didn’t like them’ because I didn’t know them- I found it mind boggling and off putting to have an adult who wasn’t observing me just being a chair warmer at the back.

There will be something you can do to help. Your senco might direct you to make resources if it can be done quietly at the room. Also, the teachers might want to allocate you to different children if Johnny doesn’t want you to be with him. There is ALWAYS something to be done.

Sorry but absouletly do not send them an email saying your going to bring a book or laptop to occupy yourself. No No No! That would look awful. Her job is to support the child.

You can help children without asking if you can help them. Get them to explain the concepts, show you a model, ‘oh, how does that link to what we did last week?’

Have you had any training in questioning and supporting learning? I don’t mean that unkindly. But ‘do you need any help?’ ‘-no’ ‘ok then’ is not how a TA/LSA would interact with the kids.

I'd definitely send an email to all the teachers you are with but definitely not saying you'll bring a book!! But only do this after emailing/speaking to your line manager. You should know who your line manager is, and if you don't then talk to the senco.

I was a teacher at secondary for many years and would have hated a TA walking around checking kids work etc. I used to have a 1-1 TA for a very disruptive child but they sat right next to the child and either scribed or kept them on task. Sometimes they'd just have a chat with the pupil which I always found very irritating. Now I am a TA in primary, but for a small group rather than named individual, and when they aren't in I just help out with other children who I know need support but don't get it, and sometimes walk around the whole class sitting with the different tables. I hate not being busy so always find something. But I checked with the class teacher first that they were happy for me to do that. Depending on the subject, it just wouldn't be appropriate to do that at high school.

I think a lot of this is about the nature of your role and the medical needs of the child. Are you there as a constant presence to ‘monitor’ his health/safety? Is there anything predictable about when you will be needed, or is it something like a seizure that could happen at any time and you’re there to ensure he doesn’t hit his head? Because then, boring as it might seem, your job is to monitor one child for x hours a day.

I can’t really think of much a classroom assistant could do during most lessons in year 9 at top set, she’s not a qualified teacher so how can she check their work? I don’t think someone wandering around during a maths lesson would be appropriate would it?

I've been in a similar role, just check with the teacher if they need you to do anything, some will say no and just just sit there and count down the minutes, some when thrusting out your willing to help will ok start to save jobs for you (one math teacher would give me a page of answers and get me to check work, others would save laminating other prep work etc)

Completely agree

Reading all your responses makes it clear that it's difficult to know the right thing to do as your all giving different inputs. I always make it known that I'm available to teacher so that they know I'm here if photocopy needs done or a message needs sent to other teacher. Some teachers are more laid back and you can get away with walking about and talking to the kids, other are very strict and very unwelcoming so I tend to write up my notes in these classes.

I just hate feeling useless, any other job I'd know what to do or just get on with something but in a school, you're not really shown the ropes so to speak

I'm confused sallynamechange, you appear to be the OP of this thread but your previous thread you made today you say you work in IT?

You haven’t been massively proactive though. I would have used my initiative and spoken to your senco about how you are deployed.

I’m not trying to put the boot in, honestly! It’s just that you appear to have taken this personally and thought the teachers dislike you when actually they probably have just been hugely put off with having a random adult sat in the back of the room. They are too busy to dislike you. They probably have no idea how to deploy you or use you, so this all needs to go back to the senco on your line manager.

asking the teacher at the beginning of the lesson when they haven’t planned for an additional adult isn’t any good. The photocopying is probably long done unless there is anything urgent.

if you don’t get anywhere with the senco- you could be making some revision notes for your 1:1 child to support them outside the lesson.

Your role and what you are paid for is to assist the child. If the child doesn't need assistance frequently, that's not your fault. You are still supposed to be there to assist should the need arise.

Getting too involved on other items may cause you to be unavailable if a need did arise or you may infringe on the teacher by taking your own initiative.

It's probably worth speaking to Senco or the head and explaining that you are willing to assist with other matters once they don't detract from your main role and the child's safety.

If a teacher has a problem with you just sitting there, that's their problem. You are doing the role, you are being paid to do.

I'd say they're busy and overworked and it comes across as rude. It's not you, it's the system. They probably are a bit jealous of your "easy" job - they wouldn't be able to do it though probably - it doesn't pay enough.

Everyone needs to chill out in this world. I'm sorry you feel this way.