To say I can't handle this class

[Daisychain97]

I'm a trainee teacher working as a teaching assistant. I'm doing a subject specialism in maths and hope to teach year 6.

This term, I've been moved from my usual year 6 class to year 1 because the year 1 TA has left at short notice. I've gone from targeted maths 1-1s and SATs preparation to spending the entire just trying to keep the class quiet enough for the teacher to speak. It is the teacher's first year teaching and I've only been a TA for a year before this.

I can't handle the class. There are multiple children who aren't toilet trained and have accidents. Out of a class of 25, only 8 of them are actually capable of sitting quietly, listening and putting their hand up. The rest just shout out at you constantly, roll and crawl all over the floor. Some will cry and scream if they're told off and others will throw things if they're told no. It's chaotic. We have a huge amount of SEN boys in the class, but I think it's a step further than that. It seems some of these children have never been told no in their lives. I have to repeat a simple instruction 5 times for anyone to listen even when I'm speaking directly to a child. For example 'please put your pencils down'
Turns into at least 15 children shouting 'BUT IM NOT DONE,' refusing, some straight up crying at the instruction, others running around or throwing their pencil. It's unbelievable.

It was my second day in the class today and I was on the edge of tears I was so overwhelmed. I have ADHD so a lot of constant screaming and sudden noises really gets to me and every single shout and scream and thrown toy felt like a dagger in my ears. I eventually just zoned out and asked the teacher how I should be dealing with the behaviour. She was just as stuck as I am.

So what am I meant to do? Just continue being miserable? I earn basically less than minimum wage and not sure it's worth it to be honest. It's day 2 and I'm already dreading to go back tomorrow.

I can't exactly talk to the headteacher and asked to be moved because they need a TA in that class...

Bit of a rant but I'm so upset. I loved my job, I loved working with year 6. Now I'm just so overwhelmed and upset. Last year I worked with year 2,3, and 5 and loved every second. I know that a teacher should be able to handle all classes but as a TA I don't have much control or say in how this class is run so I can't change things like how I would if it was my class...

This sounds really tough, OP. I haven't taught this age group but sympathise from my experience years ago doing teaching practice with unruly classes at secondary. What stands out from your post is that you and the class teacher are BOTH struggling with a difficult group of 5-6 year olds. Please try not to be disheartened after just one day. Could you and the teacher go and talk to the head, describe what is happening and what you have tried, and ask for his/her advice on next steps? Your focus should be on the teacher being the lead adult. It sounds as though some of this is falling to you, and that's not right.

I would be thinking of things like starting the day with all the children sitting on the floor, clapping rhythms and singing for focus, rewarding good listening and putting hands up with stickers, notes home and a privilege -?special job? - for a run of stickers, seating the children to separate the noisier ones from one another, Picnic tea on Friday if behaviour is good/improves. Could you talk to the head about how to involve parents eg by involving them in practising desired behaviour at home? Could you share your role with a more experienced TA for a few weeks, to get more expertise into the room and remove the pressure on you.

Will they be getting a new TA? Hopefully you will only be there temporarily. I guess these were born during covid, poor things.

As an ex teacher my advice would be to leave. Look around for a different kind of school.

Sounds awful. I would speak to the head and explain that you are happy to work in that class for a few weeks but it's not where you want to be and you would like to go back to Y6 asap. I would bet that none of the other TA's want to cover this class either!

In the background look for another job.

Guessing that's why last TA left. They arnt paid enough to deal with levels of sen in a class. Esp if there isn't enough TAs

Talk to whoever is your line manager - principal- tell th your struggling in the classroom and ask if they have any advice.

Is there another year 1 teacher or a year R teacher that could give some help?

Maybe the teacher that had them last year had some routines, songs, methods that worked?

But it sounds horrible for you and I am sure you could find a different job.

I’m not a teacher.

having spent time volunteering as a parent, I observed the teachers for the younger age groups engaging in very active classroom management. There were rhymes and hand clapping that all the children knew for getting their attention. Transitions were announced in advance. Quiet and physical activities were alternated. This is something that probably only worked at our school, but children often had choices for workspaces and seating choices so they could sit in a fidget chair or even on the floor with a lap desk (the equipment was pta provided).

there is no way I could have done it. They were like magicians. All I did was work in the parents as teachers program and come sit at my assigned station and teach my assigned lesson when they did small rotating groups managed by the teachers and TAs.

Routine and reward. Start small with expectations. At this age sitting down to work is a challenge regardless of sen. Make sure there are movement breaks to the work.

Can they do something active first thing in the morning?

Is the teacher receiving any support with managing the class? As it's their first year they should have a mentor. From what you describe it sounds as if the teacher is struggling as well as you. At this time of year surely the teacher's mentor and Senior management should be aware the teacher is struggling and have some support in place for the teacher.

It sounds like there are a lot of needs, plus the amount of children not toilet trained should have been picked up at reception as this is a year 1 cohort and staff planning should have been done accordingly.

I know situations are desperate in schools nowadays but when I was teaching (late 2000s to late 2010s) we tried not to put new teachers with classes with lots of needs unless they had a very experienced TA with them.

I have taught a couple of classes as you describe. Luckily it was late 2000s and staffing was a bit better in schools so I was fortunate enough to be in a 2 form school with a very experienced partner teacher who also had a very similar class. We both had a full time class TA and borrowed various floating Tas from around the school. We took a very early years approach to teaching - lots of short inputs, small adult led focus groups, carousel activities and making the most of our outdoor space. Where possible we combined adults and our resources. It was a matter of our whole team been very consistent and honest with Senior management who were incredibly supportive. It took until nearly the summer term until we got to something resembling "ks1 lessons" and even in yr 2 were still needing carousel activities and a more relaxed afternoon.

As for you. I would suggest having a chat with the head and explain you are finding it challenging. At this point you have only been there a few days so they will ask you to give it time.

It sounds as though the issue is more related to the inexperience of the teacher than the class itself, perhaps? Quite possibly if you were supporting a class with an experienced year 1 teacher, you likely wouldn’t have a lot of these issues.

Year 1 is a very tough year and often requires a strong experienced teacher. There’s a big jump in expectations for the kids from reception to year 1 and they require a lot of support to make that jump.

Someone at the school must have also already clocked that the teacher is struggling with her class, surely?

This shouldn't be your problem, you are not the teacher and it's not (fully) your job to get the class to be quiet for the teacher. The teacher is the one to set the rules. Do they have a quiet signal? Clapping or hand up? What does the school use? Make sure routines are consistent. Praise those that are making good choices - verbally or with house points or whatever your school does. Look to spot the sometimes disruptive ones doing the right choices and give lots of praise.
You need to assist the teacher rather than control the whole class. As you point out you are not paid enough for dealing with this, they are though. They shouldn't be looking to the TA to control the class for them.
What's the seating plan like? We look at carpet spaces very carefully, the teacher sits one side of the room and has certain students nearer her, I am the other side with certain ones near me.

The teacher clearly needs support, who is observing them as they should still be mentored in their first year.

Schools are really struggling to retain staff. Tell the head teacher you will not work with this class or you will be forced to leave.

Then either she'll let you leave or she'll want to keep you and either help or move you to a different class.

What is the level of communication of some of these children? You mention you are repeating instructions like 'please put your pencils down now'. You say there is a lot of SEN so simplify instructions so this might be too much. 'Pencils down now'. Repeat. Wait.

It takes time to get into a routine and it's a shame the teacher hasn't been helped establish one at this point of the school year.

Oh yeah blame it on the teacher! Clearly her fault that 6 year old are not toilet trained, and cry when they are told no! I suspect this is known as the class from hell and noone but an ECT will touch it with a barge pole.

Thank you for your kind words. The teacher has many behaviour strategies in place already but they don't help when it comes to the screaming, throwing things and crawling around. The kids just become so out of control and disruptive that they won't listen... My approach has always been very firm, consistent and following through but this isn't what the teacher is adopting. If anything she's being too soft, bending to what they want to appease them and in turn just reinforcing their behaviour. After only 2 days I'm done. I'm a TA with no power, this isn't my class I'm just her assistant. I can't just walk in and change things in her classroom :(

It sounds like the teacher needs a lot more support. But there's not really a lot you can do about saying that to someone over her head, without her feeling undermined or stabbed in the back.

I've been a teacher for almost 20 years, and I can absolutely picture the class you're describing! Year One can be an incredibly difficult year group to teach, and I don't think people realise it unless they've done it themselves. The transition out of reception is really hard, going from a play-based curriculum to a "sit down and do your work" curriculum. They can also get away with being a bit wild as receptions because so much is play based, and they have the "cute factor", and generally get away with more. That indulgence seems to stop the second they step into Year One.

You've had lots of good practical advice from others, but mostly you need to be encouraging the class teacher to make more noise about how difficult the class are, and that you need more adults in there.

A bit off-topic, but how are you a trainee teacher AND working as a TA? If you're a trainee teacher, shouldn't you be teaching, and not TA'ing?

The teacher needs support. This is unfair on you. Who is your line manager? What kind of relationship do you have with them?

As an ex-teacher (both class teacher & peripatetic) I extend my commiserations. You seem to have the worst of all worlds here: being moved from Year 6 to Year 1 (IMO it’s always harder to move down than to move up, even if it’s just by one year group), working with a very inexperienced teacher, the number of SEN children in the class, not to mention as a TA you have very little control over any of it. I also agree that Year 1 is a very tough year. As PPs have suggested, do ask for help and explain that you are not coping. It is the right thing to do.

This is the hardest thing about being a TA - watching everything go to shit with a teacher that can’t cope and being unable to do anything about it. Having this experience will make you a much better teacher to work with when you have to direct a TA.

Did the last TA leave because of the job? If they did then you wouldn’t be bringing up a new problem if you went and told your head how much you’re struggling.

My son is in year 1. He had just turned 1 when lockdown started. These kids spent a year in isolation, one of the most important years of their life for development. So no they won’t be like the year 6s

Yes we have attention grabbers but they don't work. The teacher either sings or claps and the children are meant to respond but many don't. It's chaos and one thing after another. You're asking one person to be quiet, then another, then another. They will be quiet for a few seconds then go back to it. I constantly hand out praise for good behaviour and we have a level 3 (worst) to diamond (best) behaviour chart that gets reset every day.
The teacher is meant to be mentored by the headteacher but I've honestly not been in there long enough to see if this is happening or not. A lot of the children have to be removed from the room to calm down and I feel like this is all I'm spending my day doing. You remove a child, redirect the behaviour, calm them down and bring them back to the class only for them to start all over again. There is just too much to handle going on all at once. We could barely get through a very simple activity today where you had to look at a picture and choose one word to describe it. Kids just weren't doing it, one of them went and got in a cardboard box and started walking around the room with it on their head while other children punched it. I took it away only to turn around and see the same child has picked it back up again. I then watched him and I saw him approaching the box 3 more times with me reminding him not to. The kids just have zero self control. I watched one child snatch a toy off another, I went over to both of them to model correct behaviour about asking if you could use a toy. The child just screamed in my face, ran off and threw the toy across the room.
Sorry for my awful grammar I've had the worst day.

Also in my son’s class of 26 there are 3 TA’s, it seems there’s a lack of staffing issue here, why are only 1 inexperienced teacher and a trainee teacher being left with a full class of children including multiple with SEND

The teacher sounds awful. It’s their responsibility to run things and it sounds like they’re failing, even taking into account Covid and the additional needs. Those poor children. They likely don’t know whether they’re coming or going! I’d go to the head and say that you have grave concerns about what you’ve observed. The strategies for behaviour management clearly aren't working and way more support is needed. a strong Y1 teacher would not be in this position so far into the school year.

New/trainee teachers shouldn't be left to sink or swim. It doesn't help to blame the teacher. There is enough of a recruitment and retention problem as it is.

I'm a year one teacher and I feel your pain! I can imagine your class. Can I just say though that none of this is your responsibility or fault? It is the teacher's responsibility to control a class, so please don't feel like it's your fault.

One thing that I would like to ask - does the teacher have any, dare I say it, sanctions?