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.

I was chatting to one couple and the issue about jobs came up and she very embarrassed said she was a TA

The lady devalued her self - :

"oh I’m only a TA", with the accompanying slumped shoulder, eyes down, body posture as opposed to :
"I work as a learning support assistant for children with learning difficulties/physical disabilities, I absolutely love my job it's so rewarding" with a bright breezy smile

Same job, two different aspects. I’m afraid it comes down to this woman’s perception of herself and quite possibly her own poor self esteem

OP is long gone, just lit the touch paper and disappeared

My question was what made her think the woman was embarrassed, as that’s such a subjective thing to assume about someone else’s reaction.

Honestly I truly believe that there are some fantastic TAs out there.

Unfortunately my experience is that many are under trained and underqualified, and those that are better trained and qualified are overworked and underpaid. It is a fucking crime that children who struggle to access mainstream education, but can't be placed in specialist provision are left to be 'looked after' by TAs, because it ticks a box that this 'support' enables a child to access a mainstream education despite the complex reasons why a mainstream setting may be inappropriate.

Yes i think she looks after a lot of the most troubled kids when the teachers aren't there. She's never worked with kids in her life before.

Almost all the TAs I know are qualified teachers which should say something about the state of schools that teachers are choosing a TA role instead of a teaching one.

Hazeyjane I agree that for some children, who have really complex needs, the presence of a TA/LSA in their classes - because they have an EHCP - still doesn't enable them to partake in mainstream education.

Several of the longer serving TAs in my school feel that in some cases, it's a tick box exercise to keep the child in education until they're passed onto the next provider/carer. It's heartbreaking. It's a testament to the teachers, TAs and often the caring attitude of their fellow students that they manage to stay in the building all day, let alone learn anything.

@floraloctopus and all the others disputing my assertion that a competent school leaver could do the role- emm yeah they could. Many TA don’t work with SEN kids for a start and all the various tasks you described could be done by a competent school leaver ( care workers would be expected to do all those tasks and are a lot lower paid than TA.s. It wouldn’t suit everyone and there’s no doubt it takes a lot of patience to work with Kids and I’m sure experience helps. But despite all the “all the TAs at my school are teachers, have phds, etc” there is no need for any educational qualifications beyond school. If some schools are using TAs as teachers- they shouldn’t.

It’s an important job and no one should be embarrassed about it. But it’s not highly skilled or long hours and is probably paid about right.

@gingerbiscuits you do yourself and other TAs no service at all by swearing at fit who is just telling you about her sisters experience.

My old nanny had been a care worker with a non verbal autistic man before becoming my nanny. She had no qualifications beyond school but was an excellent care worker and nanny for my toddler.

If some schools are using TAs as teachers- they shouldn’t.

Higher-Level TA's are expected to be able to cover classes.

Actually, TAs without the HLTA status are being asked to take classes. Its happening more and more due to budget cuts.
I am a TA. I am poorly paid. I work bloody hard. I am overqualified (I have a teaching degree)
I am proud of what I do. I absolutely do make a difference to the children and teachers I work with, in a million different ways you couldn't even begin to imagine.
I am also there for my own family outside of school hours. I'm bloody proud of that too.
Those who have so readily dismissed the value of my job, you go and try it for a week. Then you come back and let me know how easy/unimportant it is.

Finfinytint your comments show that you really don't have a clue .My youngest DC suffers from anxiety at times and her class TA is just bloody amazing .My DC adores her and she is fantastic if my DC ever gets anxious about anything and she is a huge support to their teacher .My opinion TA's are worth their weight in gold ,it's not a job i could do i just wouldn't have the patience .So i think they deserve some respect .

I would agree that TAs have an important role in schools, and it is not a job to be embarrassed of, but as is evidenced here and all around me it is one that all too often women (almost exclusively) do because it fits round 'family life', not because they are passionate about and driven to work in education. To say that this is a feminist issue does not devalue the role itself.

I respect TAs but I do not think of it as a skilled job. Like many low paid traditionally female roles its about having a patient, caring personality rather than academic or workplace skills.

zsazsajuju someone with your attitude wouldn't last 5 minutes in the roles people are talking about. My son's class would eat you alive.

Anyone working with children in any capacity should be proud. Really don't know why she was embarrassed. Childcare workers are helping to shape young lives, what could be more important?

I'm a "lunchtime supervisor" dinner lady.We are even less respected than TA's even though we are dealing with 10 classes in an hour who are falling out,falling over,fighting and everything else in between.I can skip off home after an hour and a half though,TA's cant do that,they work long hours and do deserve respect to be fair.

In everyone's desperation to prove fin wrong, they have pretty much proved them right. High expectations for qualifications, ability and role with low pay.

@Pinkblanket Why can we not be both passionate about education and about fitting in with family life? Why are those two things mutually exclusive?
I would argue that a TA job provides the perfect opportunity to have the best of both worlds. I give my all to my job while I am at school and my all to my family when I am at home.

This has been an interesting discussion. It's a good question why these professional women choose to leave the workplace and yes it can’t be everyone deciding their true vocation is to work with children after previously being a city lawyer or whatever - a lot must be the comparative family friendliness of the hours and holidays and also the not taking work home with you (TAs this is, not teachers), as a lot of the mental and emotional load of many families still lies on the woman. That and inflexible, male dominated/suited cultures in some (?) workplaces?

Err, I didn't say we can't be passionate about both?! I'm sure lots of people who are TAs are. But as many people have said on here, it's often chosen as a career to fit round family life. I know plenty of people who have come to it for that reason, and that reason alone. That's not a bad reason to choose a job. People choose jobs for lots of different reasons. But I don't believe that being a TA just also happens, by lucky coincidence, to be the true vocation and calling in life for all those people who chose it for convenience. Therefore, like any job, there will be people who excel and those who don't.

MAYBE ITS BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE THERE FOR OUR FAMILIES AND ALSO WORK WITH CHILDREN. MAYBE THAT IS OUR CHOICE AND WE ARE 100% HAPPY WITH THAT CHOICE.

Sorry to shout but I'm not sure anyone was listening

UnderPompeii you seem to be taking offence where there isn't any. I'm not quite sure why you are shouting.

Back to the op, no I don't think anyone should be embarrassed about being a T A, or any other so called low status job.

@zsazsajuju We will have to agree to differ as we are never going to agree. I know that the dedicated, extremely experienced and professional TAs I work with are dealing with any number of issues that I would not want a school leaver dealing with. They are worth their weight in gold and then some.