AIBU?
How much should a TA intervene in a lesson?
Yadayadayadayada · 11/10/2022 15:44
I'm currently acting as a 1-1 TA in a secondary school. There's another TA in some lessons who also seems to be a 1-1 with someone else.
She's very young, but comes across as very confident.
I've been a TA before and sometimes thought that certain things may be stepping on the teacher's toes so to speak.
If someone next to me were misbehaving I would certainly reprimand them and tell the teacher if I saw anything else, but this TA will shout at the whole class at times, and give out sanctions, but I'd feel like it's not really my job to address the class like that. Obviously support the teacher if they want it but sometimes it almost felt domineering. She just shouts things across the room.
However what was a little frustrating was that she clearly saw I was a boy's 1-1 TA as I was speaking to him and assisting him. Despite this she came up to the boy and asked him if he needed help and if he knew what he was doing, even though she clearly saw I was his TA and capable of doing the job.
I found it undermining and I've had that sort of thing before. Obviously just chatting to them is one thing but this incident was undermining.
I'm new there and I've smiled at her and said hi but she's never introduced herself, she doesn't acknowledge me at all in lessons and is just totally unfriendly.
I almost dread when she's there. I wonder if it makes me look lacklustre and not competent.
If people around me are talking I'll ask them to listen, but I'm not going to dominate the class.
I feel bad that I've let a young woman of barely 21 made me feel like this, when I have got a lot of school experience. I just ignore her but maybe I should say something when she tries to help my student?
I wanted to but wondered if it would come across as arsey.
Am I being unreasonable?
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Yadayadayadayada · 11/10/2022 15:44
I also didn't want to get into some sort of argument in a lesson.
Yadayadayadayada · 11/10/2022 15:45
She will also address the class by saying things like, "You need to complete X work by 3pm or you'll be staying behind." But it's not her job to decide whether students stay behind, she's not the teacher
strawberrysea · 11/10/2022 15:48
You've mentioned her age twice as if this is a massive factor in this issue, when it isn't.
How do you know the teacher hasn't asked her to intervene in this way?
Either way, a polite but firm 'we're good here, thanks' would suffice.
CheezePleeze · 11/10/2022 15:49
Her age has nothing to do with it. If the teacher is unhappy with her I'm sure they'll tell her.
Also have you introduced yourself to her?
Yadayadayadayada · 11/10/2022 15:50
Maybe they did ask her to, I hadn't thought of it. I was just wondering if that's what TAs were expected to do as she's pretty much talking over the teacher at points.
Her age is because I feel almost embarrassed that someone so much younger and inexperienced seems so much more domineering in lessons so yes it's a factor for me.
I will try and say that I guess, hopefully it won't keep happening
Yadayadayadayada · 11/10/2022 15:51
Well I've smiled and said hi but she just looks blankly so I don't really feel like there's any point of introducing myself
Jules912 · 11/10/2022 15:52
Have you just started? Is it possible that she was having to cover both 1-2-1s while they recruited someone and she's now doing it out of habit?
Yadayadayadayada · 11/10/2022 15:55
That's a good point, it's possibly the case..
VariationsonaTheme · 11/10/2022 15:56
As a classroom teacher I never thought of myself as being ‘in charge’ of the TAs, we worked as a team and both of us had an equal say in discipline etc. Obviously it was my role to direct what work they did but I never had an issue with them speaking to the whole class. Maybe they’re just used to wiring in a different way, if you’re new to the school?
VariationsonaTheme · 11/10/2022 15:57
VariationsonaTheme · 11/10/2022 15:56
As a classroom teacher I never thought of myself as being ‘in charge’ of the TAs, we worked as a team and both of us had an equal say in discipline etc. Obviously it was my role to direct what work they did but I never had an issue with them speaking to the whole class. Maybe they’re just used to wiring in a different way, if you’re new to the school?
Used to working that should say!
Yadayadayadayada · 11/10/2022 15:58
Maybe it's true, I'd just wonder if the teacher would find it undermining and also feel a bit bad that it's not really what I do in lessons (shouting at the whole class) but yeah maybe that's just how it is
PinkyFlamingo · 11/10/2022 16:00
Well I've smiled and said hi but she just looks blankly so I don't really feel like there's any point of introducing myself
Of course there's a point, you need to let her know you are 1 to 1 with that particular child.
SarahAndQuack · 11/10/2022 16:01
Might she be a TA at a different level? My DD's school has various TAs who do quite different things; one of them definitely has disciplinary responsibility as she is an absolute queen of classroom management! 
user97645374895 · 11/10/2022 16:04
She sounds weird. I remember having a different TA to normal once in a difficult class. One student was sent out by me and whilst outside was banging the wall of the class (building was pre-fab so rattled). This was normal behaviour from him which I ignored as he was looking for attentions I wasn’t nor was ever willing to give. This stand-in TA tutted so loudly, threw her hands down on the table and jumped to her feet to intervene and I very awkwardly had to tell her to leave it alone. She was astonished that I was allowing this behaviour but it was ultimately my call. She had to sit back down.
I did think it was weird that she was so bothered by it when I so clearly was not. It was just this student’s behaviour which I was used to. She made herself look a bit silly by being so dominant in what was essentially my classroom and my lesson.
Unless told otherwise just take the teacher’s lead and you are there to support them and not the other way round. If this girl was handing out punishments like that in my lesson I would tell her that she needs to calm down and leave things like that to me. I would not be happy with staying behind because she has stated that students will be and I would also not be happy to leave her to deal with the punishment as it would ultimately come back to me as a teacher and the whole dynamic of the class.
If I were you I would just ignore her and do what you feel is right and if the teacher feels you could do more then they will say. But if you don’t want her to continuously butt into your support then ask the teacher to have a word. It is their classroom and their responsibility to control what happens in their lessons.
smelters · 11/10/2022 16:05
I'm a TA. I've done 1:1 and class TA. It's a fine balance between supporting the teacher with both behaviour and learning, and being too intrusive. Shouting at children is never an effective form of behaviour management and shouting across the classroom or when the teacher is teaching would not be an effective way to support the class. I will often speak quietly and directly to a child if they are not behaving appropriately. I do feel confident in giving sanctions in line with the school's behaviour policy, but would always inform the teacher at an appropriate moment.
Without knowing more detail, your TA sounds a bit OTT and I could imagine it being annoying.
user97645374895 · 11/10/2022 16:09
I just want to add that TA’s are a God send and so valuable in lessons. I absolutely do not mind them picking up on behaviours I’ve missed or encouraging student’s to pay attention. But to go as far as to give punishments, no.
formulatingAresponse · 11/10/2022 16:25
She doesn't sound like a good TA, especially if she's getting in the way and being loud.
You are doing exactly what you need to be doing
The TAs at our school in my classes sit quietly 1:1 with each pupil not bothering anyone else around them.
CheezePleeze · 11/10/2022 17:35
You sound like you're insecure in yourself OP. If the teacher wasn't happy with her style, I'm sure she'd know about it.
Seeing someone younger, doing things differently to you shouldn't have this much of a negative affect on you.
Introduce yourself, tell her why you're there and as a PP said, if she tries to take over with your child, just tell her you're good and can manage.
Sandysandwich · 11/10/2022 17:43
If she is only in some lessons and you are not sure if she is someones 1-2-1, is she definitely a TA and not a trainee teacher on placement?
We had one of those in a class occasionally, she was mostly running lessons in another room and acted as a TA for parts of the day in ours and other classes to experience different age groups across the school
TheRubyRedshoes · 11/10/2022 17:47
It's what the teacher want's.
They may have said to her " please help with class control".
I would ask her and the teachers about the level of control she expects.
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