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?!!

My mum used to be a 1-2-1 TA for a child with sen. What she was expected to do for what she was paid (absolute buttons!!) was madness. Plus she was given other children with possible sen but no statement in her little group, so undermining the fact she was a 1-2-1! I definitely think TA and nursery practitioner wages need re looking at! Disgrace imo!

My friend is a TA and I've seen first hand how hard it is.
She's a single mother, but her children are older now, so no childcare required.
She's part-time and claims Universal Credit to make up the shortfall, otherwise she couldn't do it, and she loves the job, even though she too has faced abuse mentioned upthread.

There is an assumption that TAs will put in extra hours in needed (ie to plan the interventions they've had dumped in them), but for no extra pay of course. If a TA needs time off for any reason, and the head actually agrees to the time off, they will not be paid. There is no give and take unless you kick up a stink.

If a TA goes on a residential trip, they shouldn't assume they will be paid anything extra despite being "on call" 24/7.

Or be able to claim travel expenses for training courses.

I discovered this at Christmas when most of the children in DD’s class came with presents for the teacher but not the TA. When I asked why it was “well they don’t really do anything, do they?” Or “my DC is on the top table so doesn’t work with a TA” etc etc. It seemed to be the pervading attitude that a TA is there for the “lower ability” children and you’d not want anyone to get the impression your child needs any extra support, ever!

Yet it’s the TA who takes the spelling tests with the whole class, does guiding reading with everyone, supports your child, when Heaven forfend, there is a question they needs help on. Runs the break time clubs, administers first aid, the list goes on and on. In many cases I honestly think it’s wilful snobbery.

And the most stresseful of all - the lunch hall (having to be mindfull of dietary needs and allergies, dealing with spills and encouraging the children to eat) and playground duty - accidents, disagreements, fights over toys, dealing with the lonely child who has no friends, bullying)

My TA job was ruining my life!
After 8 years, I was over qualified and training new TAs - who had no qualifications or experience and were earning the same salary I was. I also had to fix when they made mistakes on the exercise books or marked work wrongly.

Riduculous

But what are you planning for?

Yet it’s the TA who takes the spelling tests with the whole class, does guiding reading with everyone, supports your child, when Heaven forfend, there is a question they needs help on.

Again, this isn’t my experience at all. We have very few TAs now-it’s generally just one teacher to a class and any TAs we have are either for specific 1:1 children or are following teacher planning. The teacher does spelling tests/guided reading etc

If I was being expected to teach and plan exactly as much as a qualified teacher whilst being paid little more than minimum wage, I would be off like a shot to a different job that didn’t expect a 50/60 hour week!

I can't speak for anyone else but I plan literacy and numeracy tasks for the group of 6 SEN children that I teach (I'm only a L3 1:1 but take this group all morning). I also plan and resource their continuous provision. For my 1:1 I plan and resource curriculum adaptations, SaLT activities, social skills activities, listening and attention activities and all sorts of other things to help them meet their EHCP targets. I'm supposed to get 30 minutes a day prep time but have had it once since January so I do a lot of prep at home which I print at work and bring home to laminate and cut.

We're planning sessions for maths, phonics, topic and PE mostly. For groups of between 10&30 children.

Planning resources too.

So for example an iPad-based lesson is planned for Friday morning, I need to make sure we have the iPads booked, that they're charged, and that I have them there in the classroom.

Science lesson to test the properties of materials, I need to make sure we have the materials and that they're cut into the right number of pieces and that we have all the equipment. Essentially planning and setting up 24 science kits.

In Ireland we don't have TAs. We have SNAs. They work strictly one to one with assigned students. They have no planning, teaching or marking duties. The wage is low compared to teachers but at least they have strictly defined job roles. A lot of schools don't serve hot meals to students, so they don't have to do lunch supervision or anything like that. All teaching is the responsibility of the teacher. I'm horrified to read about people with no teacher training correcting books.

At my big primary school over half of TAs are ex teachers so have had teacher training.

Do TAs get more in the private sector? I expect a lot will go there once they've got some training and experience if that's the case!

@Dobby123456

Christ I would never want too. I work on supply. Accidentally went into a private school last week (which is directly next to a state). Explained my mistake and I apologised whilst sitting in reception that I had got the wrong school. They were the rudest school ever, like seriously HORRIBLE. The atmosphere was TERRIBLE and the kids looked gloomy as hell. Was very relieved when I got into the state that’s for sure.

This is taking the piss tbf and is explicitly not what TAs are recommended to do. TAs should not be planning maths/topic lessons for the whole class that is the teacher’s job (regardless of if the TA ‘can’ or not). So this isn’t really a misunderstanding in the public’s part as the school relying on the wrong people.

How strange. Did they not just politely direct you yo the school you were looking for? Doesn't seem like there was much opportunity to be rude!

That makes it even worse, I think. It's not in the description of the role,so they shouldn't be doing it. Schools will take advantage of they know the low-paid TA has other qualifications.

Our TAs seem to work the same hours as the teachers. It seems the only difference is the teachers are in charge and decide lesson plans but the TAs are instrumental in getting the lesson plan executed, and also help form it as I've seen them with teachers well after school has finished, helping with the planning. They're just not in charge. Our TAs are also the ones who have to provide 1-2-1 care for the kids who need it despite severe lack of funding. TAs also frequently seem to run a little offshoot classroom for those kids who need a less distracting environment to finish up their work.

The school has a policy with regards to end of year presents were the class reps collect money from the kids and the money is split between teacher and TA who get equal shares of the pot, let's say 30% each, and then the rest is divided equally between school office staff, head teacher, cleaners etc. They make a point of valuing teachers and TAs equally, although I'm sure that doesn't translate into equal salaries, mostly because the school can't afford to.

I've seen them with teachers well after school has finished, helping with the planning

This is part of the role and there was a specific unit on supporting lesson planning in my Learning Support diploma.

The teacher can't be everywhere and, while they should have a good idea of the overall capabilities of every individual in their class, part of the TA role is being an extra pair of eyes and ears during learning activities. For example, I might be supporting a small group of lower ability students in maths while the teacher is moving around the room checking in with everyone. John and Jane keep bringing their books to me because John is stuck and Jane isn't very confident with this concept so wants me to check every answer as she completes it. I tell him to join in with my group so I can keep an eye on them. At the end of the lesson I would let the teacher know that John and Jane had difficulty meeting the learning objectives for that lesson, I'd tell her which parts I observed them having difficulty with and what support they needed, I might also make suggestions about what could help them with it. The teacher can then account for this in her planning by doing things like making specific provision to check in with Jane and John during the activity, arranging for them to have a brief 2:1 session with me to go back over the concepts introduced, sitting them next to a higher ability child if its a partnered task, and so on.

Our TAs seem to work the same hours as the teachers

Wow-that really isn’t the case in my school. Our TAs are lovely, but most have children at school so arrive with them and leave with them. Their full time contracted hours are usually 8.45-9.15. The teachers are generally in at 7.30 and leave at 6.

That should be 8.45-3.15!

@Shinyandnew1

They don’t do those contracts in my LA. It’s 8:30-4:30.

Fair enough, we don’t have LA-wide policies on our TA contracts.

@Iam4eels
“For example, I might be supporting a small group of lower ability students in maths while the teacher is moving around the room checking in with everyone. John and Jane keep bringing their books to me because John is stuck and Jane isn't very confident with this concept so wants me to check every answer as she completes it.”

any teacher who’s recently qualified or keeping up to date with deploying TAs should know that the roles ought to be reversed here for at least part of the lesson. It’s the wrong way round for the TA to be the primary source of teaching input.

@Iam4eels also I know it’s essentially pointless getting into this on MN without actually being in your school… but anyway!

…when the Blatchford report came out about support staff it was surprising to people that a higher number of TAs was associated with poorer academic outcomes for pupils and since then the EEF came out with their best practice guidance. Despite how competent you may well be at your job it sounds like your school hasn’t taken that best practice stuff on board.

i get bothered about this more than I should!