To think the general public don't understand the job role of a Teaching Assistant?

[notyourmummy]

This might turn into an "I'm a TA, ask me anything" and that's fine.
Having been speaking to both my family and parents at my children's school, I've realised that there's still a common misconception that TAs only make displays, mix paint and wipe snotty noses... what do you think a TA does at your child's school, how much do you think they're paid and what hours do they work?!!

I think a lot of parents would be surprised to learn how exploited TAs often are, being used to teach whole classes to cover absence for example.

Teacher here. Most of the general public don’t want to understand because then they’d be forced to appreciate how bloody hard the vast majority of TAs and LSAs worked for so little money when compared to other similarly responsible roles elsewhere. Most TAs I know work roughly 8.30-3.30 and probably carry out a role similar to what many members of the public believe teachers do.

I think
TAs run interventions or look after small groups in the classroom.
They don't plan lessons but do things under direction of the teacher.
They help kids that need more attention.
They are important and underpaid but the working hours make the job parent friendly so places probably easy to fill.
1-1s are assigned to some children but to the parent's despair are then pulled off to help other children and this isn't fair on anyone.
HLTAs can do whole class teaching.

I agree with you. Similarly support workers in the NHS, paid peanuts but do huge amounts of highly skilled heavy work. I believe it’s a left over from the power imbalances between men and women, class and also generations. It’s exploitative and needs to be seen.

Does the general public care, though?

Yep I quite agree. So many people think it's a nice easy, sit in the classroom and hold hands, wipe noses, find missing jumpers and make the teacher a cup of tea kind of thing, so no real loss if we don't have them.
It IS all that, but also eleventyhundred other things in the course of a day. I work 8.00-3.30 (only paid 8.15 until 3 though) and often at home as well and do not stop all day.

I think its the same with a lot of jobs tbh. If I tried to explain my job it would be "is that it?" But it's more complex than I can describe without boring people.

I'm a teacher and honestly think TAs are the heart of a school. They're often the longest serving members of staff, have children who went to the school, they know all the parents and siblings, they know where everything is or who to ask and they've seen every new initiative come, go and then come back again. They also do the job for peanuts and so lots of them do it for a realmpassion for helping children and their families. Theyre massively exploited and the job description has changed massively in my 15 years. I couldn't do it.

TAs often work with the most challenging pupils and have to deal with quite difficult situations with parents. The role of a TA varies immensely from position to position and school to school. The skills required to do this role mid the complexity of the role are not widely understood

My son attends a special school for children with autism and complex needs and I know their role is a challenging one with a high degree of skill and understanding required. Getting bitten etc is seen as part of the role. My son's TAs are fantastic people and deserve more respect and to be better paid for what they do

The TAs in my son's school are highly skilled and so professional. It's outrageous that they are paid so little for such an important job.

My children both have 1-1s.

Youngest is 6. His TA makes sure he understands his learning. Acts as an intermediary because he has a speech disorder and the other kids can't understand him so she helps them to understand him. She changes his nappy. She helps him get dressed. She makes sure he hasn't been hurt at lunch. She does his OT and SALT therapies. She does social skills with him.

Oldest is 8, she has two 1-1s. They help her with her learning, are responsible for regulating her where she can't herself, they do all her breaks, they help her understand, they keep her safe, they stop her running off. They hug her and care for her when she spends an entire lesson crying. 8 can be quite verbally unkind when she's dysregulated so they put up with being shouted at and told they are stupid.

TAs are the reason my children can be in school at all and I think they should be paid far far more. My 8 is quite challenging (luckily not physically) and they take such good care of her.

They have loads of medical responsibilities too.

My friend is a TA. She works 8.15 until as late as 5pm, but her usual hours at 8.15 until around 4-4.30pm.

Think she's paid around 15 or 16k a year.

She does stuff like phonics with the kids, helping them with whatever theyre struggling with in small groups etc. She ran booster maths lessons alone online in lockdown and was left in charge of the whole class for a 2 week period when the teacher was off ill.

Sorry but why would anyone be interested? Even my Dh and teens eyes glaze over if I talk about my job…

Our TA's often teach the whole class. Obviously they are told what to do but then they are left. It's often in the newsletter than a certain TA is taking a class because of training or absence. Seems unfair.

Your comment about TAs assigned as 1-1s and pulled off other children is incorrect.

My children's 1-1s literally would not be in the school if my children weren't. The other children benefit from my children having 1-1s, not the other way round. There is nothing to despair about and other parents should be thankful their children don't require it.

I think parents of primary school kids might be interested in what the other adult in their classroom does.

@iamruth Yep! Spot on! I'm a long serving TA & do teacher PPA cover every week & cover all teacher absence for sickness/training/meetings - most weeks, I'm more teacher than TA!

I plan, run & assess various interventions, do after school SATS tuition, contribute to parents evenings/reports/SEN plans, deal with rude & aggressive parents, restrain violent children, provide mental health support...the list goes on.

To be honest, I'm lucky in that we're very much viewed as part of the year group teaching team at my school & I do feel appreciated by my teacher colleagues & SLT, but my pay is criminally out of line with what I do & parents/the wider community STILL just think it's all about passing messages on to the teacher & sticking plasters on knees!

No one really knows what anyone does in a job.

TA’s are well-respected amongst parents in all of DC’s classes

I think you may have misread?

I was saying that unfortunately some parents find their Sen child's 1-1 gets borrowed for other reasons leaving their child unsupported, and occasionally causing major issues. It is well documented on the SEN board.

My school cannot function without its TAs. We have several children who cannot be left alone for their own safety. There has been an increase in the number of pupils starting in Reception with very severe needs who have missed out on assessments at pre-school level who require 1-1 supervision. We have TAs who have to follow non-verbal screaming kids around the school, likely being hit or kicked too. In my KS1 class I have one TA in the morning but an extremely poor cohort (half the class started the year reading at mid-Reception level), three children with very challenging behaviour, one child who speaks no English. Without a TA it's impossible to meet everyone's needs.

Our TAs also double as lunchtime supervisers so we rely on them for that too.

So, they are used for PPA and sickness cover even though none of them have HLTA qualifications.

I think the main issue is the job title 'teaching assistant'. It implies you're there to support the teacher when in reality the job involves so much more.

In our local schools there are various titles for the same role - curriculum access practitioners / learning support assistants / inclusion support worker. These titles give an indication that the job is so much more than assisting.

Oh and despite these titles, the money is still crap.

TA3 can cover classes.