To think in being undermined at work?

[Penguinnose]

I work covering ppa at a primary school 2 afternoons a week. I have a TA working with me who is a qualified teacher and have been so irritated today as I feel she is trying to undermine me but not sue if in just being over sensitive as I am quite new to it and a bit insecure that may e I'm just not very good?!

I normally work in he class as a ta for the teacher I cover an try to keep things consistent.

Today when I told a pupil that if she didn't behave I would have to put her name on orange ( a warning) the ta said oh, I think x just want sure what she was doing.

The class teacher always sends the (young chn out with any important letters in hand to make sue parents get them. When I did this today she said. 'No, we'll put them in book bags now. And similar things happen all the time.

When I suggest an activity she will disagree and say no let's do this.

She will take over suddenly and has instigated a prize jar without asking me an started to give out prizes.

We are all going on a staff night out next week an are clubbing together to buy wine. The class teacher is organising it and collecting money and I had told her I will give her my share on Monday. All fine. Then as I was leaving today the ta who was standing with the deputy head suddenly piped up and said' oh, please make sure you bring in your money, it's quite important. Don't worry if you haven't got enough money we get paid on Monday.' Wtf?

I know it all sounds petty but its really starting to wind me up now.
Aibu? Could it just e that she thinks I'm crap and is trying to put me straight or is she being unprofessional ?

:)

Bump:)

Its unprofessional/undermining definitely if done if front of the children. You do need to tell her if she disagrees to pull you aside or speak to you about at a later point. Maybe suggest you have a 10 min meeting before or after the school day to discuss 'any issues' and anything should be kept to this period.

Regardless of whether you are actually crap or not she shouldn't be disagreeing with you in front of the children. The only exception being if a child's safety is actually at risk without immediate action.

It is something you need to bring up and reinforce though as it is unlikely she will change immediately. People like this tend to do it only to those they feel are weaker and insecure as they rely on them not standing up for themselves or not wanting to 'make a fuss'.

YANU she does not sound supportive at all. Can you discuss with regular class teacher? I cover 3 different teachers in 3 different years at a primary school and although i might seek advice from the TA over routines etc i have never been undermined in the way you describe.

why is she a TA if she is a qualified teacher. What you are saying makes sense to me and she needs to be a bit more humble. you are in charge (is this the case?) not her.

I am surprised. usually teachers are very professional. it is often people who have been a TA and become something else that throw their weight around trying to prove themselves.

Is this TA usually in this class the rest of the week?

I wonder if she feels passed over for the role and is a bit miffed? Doesn't excuse her obviously but the fact she is almost making a show of it seems she is trying to get noticed for her teaching skills and going about it all the wrong way?

Hi, Thankyou so much for the replies and advice. I have been fuming all afternoon and it makes me feel better to know I am not being unreasonable about it. I feel she patronise me in front of the children and contradicts me which make me flustered and question my own judgement. I do need to bring it up with her but I'm not sure how to do it without being creating bad feeling. We are both qualified teachers. I work a a ta in the class I cover by choice as I am a single parent and it allows me more time with my dc's. she was unable to find a job (it is really tough!) and has a contract a a ta in another class. I get the feeling she thinks he could do a better job in my position than I am doing. But I have been employed to teach ppa and am doing my best. If she doesn't think I am doing a good job I would rather she say something!!

is she older than you or similar age. She should be supporting you. You are both there for the children. You sound lovely. If it continues, speak to your line manager - sometimes you do need to talk to someone else who can sort it out and have a word with her. She needs to back off.

I did this recently myself and I am so glad I did.

Try and get time before the lesson without the pupils in and tell her this is what you are doing this afternoon, including activities and if she is insisting that you do something else, be firm and say well no, this is what has been decided and move on. Also mention about what happens to disruptive pupils, but also make sure you give her and the class clear directions for lessons so there is no misunderstanding. Explain that the teacher, and you as her rep, want pupils to give letters and this is what the pupils routine. She also needs to be aware that she cannot instigate prize jars or anything else without discussing it with you, who will in turn discuss this with the regular teacher.

It sounds like she is trying to instill things that are being done in her other class, either because the teacher has instilled these or she is pushing her weight there as well. But you need to be clear with her. I see this quiet a bit, I do a lot of cover for ta's, and go into different classes. Some Ta's just want things their way and will not change what they see as their routine, even when moved into another class for a day. A lot of schools have someone like her, and those that need to know are generally aware.

The school obviously have confidence in your capabilities to teach hence offering you the work. You are mindful of existing routines, which good teachers are. Just be prepared to handle her how you would if she was your full time ta.

know it's a zombie thread but I had exactly the same problem in a school i was doing supply in when a teacher's mother died suddenly several years ago. The TA woman who was 25 years older than me [i was 28] talked down to me and once criticised the 'extortionate' pay us supply teachers got -completely inappropriate and the fact she failed to notice was that I only git a fraction of that fee.

She would constantly tell me the kids would behave much better with their normal teacher -well yeah that's an expectation but to repeatedly say it to my face was a bit like bullying. Worse is that a young volunteer who came in once a week would [like her] take kids out of my class [often for trivial reasons] to sit with the head even though they had not cleared it with me first [the boss who was in charge].

Why reopen a 5 yo Zombie Shane ? The OP will have sorted out her problem long ago, and probably doesn't even post anymore.