To be sad that this woman was embarrassed about being a TA?

[jennymanara]

We were out tonight at a social event where most couples seemed to do well paid or high status jobs such as Dr or in the corporate world. I was chatting to one couple and the issue about jobs came up and she very embarrassed said she was a TA. Her job is really important and much more important than some of the others there doing work in corporate firms. It is a crazy world we live in where someone doing a valuable job is embarrassed about it because that job is underpaid.

My daughter's TA teared up the other week when my daughter finally cracked a concept she was struggling with. Daughter was an almost school refuser and the TA was the only one who could get her out of the car some days. She loves her job, loves the children as do all the TAs in our school. I won't hear a word against them.

To be honest this sounds like it was more about the woman’s own self perception rather than anything else.

Finfintytint - and how would you resolve issues of paid work fitting around family life?

Walk around, I paid for nursery and au pairs because I could afford it to maintain a full time career. Many women cannot afford this so resort to low paid, child friendly careers, reliant on family and school holiday jobs.

and how would you resolve issues of paid work fitting around family life?

Lots of women pay for childcare

I can’t believe someone said a TA job isn’t important they are crucial in ours schools and quite often teach as much as the class teachers. When I was teaching I was so grateful and lucky to have brilliant TA’s to work with.

Finfintytint - and many women choose to give up careers in which they could afford to pay for nannies, au pairs or nurseries, because they don't actually want nannies, au pairs or nurseries doing stuff they don't want to miss out on themselves.

Meh. Missing out on what? Now you are verging on the stay at home parent versus the working parent. Too judgemental, pah!

She definitely shouldn't be embarrassed. They do such an important job. My DD is nearly 5 and has autism and she absolutely loves her TA and has bonded with her so well. Her TA really understands her which isn't the easiest when she's overwhelmed and not having a good day.
I really value all of the time effort and patience that her TA puts in with her and the support she gives. I'm very grateful.

Me judgemental?! You are the one calling TAs unskilled, used and abused! You can't tell other people how they must feel about what they do with their children, or how they feel about their work, and what is worthwhile - it's up to them to decide what is worthwhile to them, rather than having some twunt tell them what they value is unimportant or unskilled.

Well , they are unskilled, used and abused.
Are you stalking me !? Lol.
The rest of your post is a little muddled.... care to unravel?

They're not under skilled. Where are you getting that from?

The basic job description requires no skills but many applicants
are over skilled.

I think that people feel embarrassed about their jobs because they believe they could do better. That's a bit beneath their abilities. I never met a nurse that's is embarrassed about their job and it's massively underpaid I think because it's a very hard but rewarding job. The same as teachers. Maybe this women felt she didn't reach her potential bring a TA for whatever reason

More like unqualified teachers!
Oh the irony.

If your child is struggling with their reading/writing/times tables it will be the TA who works with them 1-2-1 to help them.

in our schools and quite often teach as much as the class teachers.

Perhaps teaching assistants should be renamed assistant teachers

Can people not see how wrong this is?

Most TAs are skilled educators.
really? I'm sure some are, but 'most'?

And I am not talking about TAs in special schools, I think this job should have a different description altogether. Then in mainstream there should be distinct class support assistants and dedicated 1-1s but then I think the whole idea of 'inclusion" in mainstream schools and how that is enabled needs to have a massive nuclear event level change because it is failing so many children.

I think TAs are important, I think it's a valuable job within a school, but it is being talked about in such hallowed terms on this thread (with each TA role being fulfilled by people who sound like they should be working in next level quantum physics they are so overqualified) It's odd you don't get this kind of deification of people who work in nurseries, childcare and early years settings, peculiar.

Finfintytint - if you explain what you think needs unravelling, I'm happy to oblige. The meaning was perfectly clear to me - you are a judgemental twunt.

• being

Oh my word Finfintytint are you kidding me!! It is very important. I am a TA in a senior school, I have a first class honours degree in Education and I am extremely important.

I am the one who is helping that one child who finds it hard to fit in; that one child who has severe anxiety but has a friendly face to go to; that one child who acts up in class but I can get them to work; that one child who has global development delay be in mainstream education; that one child who people find difficult; that one child who has come from a different country and needs extra help; that one child who would struggle every day in class....... I could go on.

You have no idea what you are talking about.

I feel sorry for that lady who was embarrassed as there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

I love my job and I know that I make a difference every single day.

I understand how she feels. I'm a carer for elderly and get looked down on constantly especially by the families despite looking after their relatives for over 13 hours a day. Unfortunately some people in this world will continue to judge lower paid jobs.

Lol at the “I’m important” brigade. First TA on the moon.

The job description lists hoards of skills,ours certainly do and at interview you have to prove you have them through quite a gruelling process. Alongside answering questions from a panel you have to plan and teach a group lesson. Where are you getting this shite from?

All jobs are important IMO- it takes all sorts. We couldn’t have 100 doctors but no one to empty our bins could we? We need people to do all types of jobs.

She shouldn’t be embarrassed and is a shame she was

Could she have been embarrassed about the topic of conversation? I was a postdoc for a long time and every time I spoke with corporate/city workers (friends/family/etc) they felt the need to tell me what a great job I was doing and that it was ‘crazy’ my job was so underpaid but so important. I never really cared, in fact I began to find it amusing as it was so predictable. Currently a stay at home mum and feel that same conversation cropping up again and again. ‘What do you do...oh being a SAHM is so important’. It’s okay. She likely loves her job and knows it’s important. No need to worry!

Your attitude astounds me Finfintytint!

Supporting a child with complex needs - no skills required - what rubbish.