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...

I'd just like to point out that you can't expect to just be a Year 6 teacher. When you get a job in a school you can be moved to any age group. Many Heads like teachers and TAs to have varied experience and will shuffle each year. I actually preferred the younger children and was lucky to stay in Early Years all my career - possibly because other teachers didn't like it. It is a rather specialised taste.

Time to call the parents in to set out expectations of behaviour in the classroom. These are 6 year olds who should be able to follow instructions, understand what no means and meet learning standards.

You shouldn't expect that to make much of a difference.

You've only just (unexpectedly) started with this age group, so even without the dreadful behaviour, this was always going to be a shock.

Do not throw in the towel so soon. You had a crappy day yesterday and today might feel worse, but this will be a learning experience for you.

They weren’t isolated from their parents, though, whose job it is to get them ready for school, and who are the main influence on their development at this age

Probably completely incapable of managing their own child's behaviour and saying ''No'' , or teaching them how to behave sensibly and calmly at home.
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It sounds hellish.

One feels for the kids who probably do want to learn who are in the maelstrom of a chaotic class..it must be utter misery for them, too.

None of this sounds insurmountable. Your ECT needs more support with behaviour management but honestly it sounds like almost all the state school y1 classrooms that my friends are still teaching in.... ask the Head to come in and model some strategies. Your teacher needs to go back to absolute basics and start again with listening skills.

Also don't kid yourself you've got the hardest class in the school - the rest are just managed better! You will occasionally get really horrendous year groups but as you don't describe having lots of 1:1s etc, your class won't be it. They will get there but they need managing.

The head has moved you to year 1 because they need a TA and it doesn't matter to them if/when you leave. You are the TA not the teacher, undermining the teacher is a silly move and going to their boss to undermine them is likely to backfire on you massively. Just keep your head down and stick with it, you need to qualify as a teacher before you decide to change how things are done.

You can’t blame everything on a new/ inexperienced teacher and or lack of socialisation due to covid
some classes are at times unreachable because of kids being given everything ie toys tablets/ phones at home and then in school they have to conform to a least a small amount of structure
try having a yr3 class - similar without the toilet ring issues
it’s rediculous

Sorry you’re in the position op - it sounds like the class teacher is struggling.
Can I ask why you’re working as a TA if you’re a trainee teacher? Is this your teaching placement? The school should have given you an experienced mentor & they should be supporting/ training you to teach. You shouldn’t be placed with an ECT as a student or be working as a TA.
Talk to your uni tutor about moving to another school - as this school sounds quite chaotic and disorganised.

I worked in a primary for a while years back and remember a teacher trained in early years specialism there who had always taught year 1 and 2 and emphatically asked not to teach older key stage and yet she was put into year 6 with only months notice to learn the source material to teach for the year, not much of a summer holiday for her and she was so stressed.

I understand flexibility to an extent but there's such a vast difference between year one and year 6 and not every person wants to or is able to teach both, So really feel for you and hope its not for long!

Covid absolutely NOTHING to do with this (year 1 teacher here). It’s parenting…and iPads. Not for all as some children have genuine SEN. But likely most.

It's the narrative.
My youngest is in primary school last year.
All bad behaviour is explained and excused by Covid and has been now for years.

I'm really sorry you're going through a stressful time at work. I don't know if you are able to join a union as a TA but there would be support for you there if you are. Have you been able to discuss with the class teacher? Maybe you could come up with some new strategies together to try and tackle. Failing that I'd speak with a member of the SLT or HT.

Just to validate your feelings I have a DC in year 2 and am genuinely shocked at the behaviour of some of the children in their class as are the parents with older children in the school. If lockdown is the reason for this feral behaviour then what the heck were their parents doing for those months? Ignoring their children entirely and letting them just trash their homes? My DC massively struggled with social confidence after lockdown, so I'm not saying it didn't have an impact, but they still knew right from wrong.

The teacher needs to ask all the parents if the children who are not doing as they are told to come in and spend a lesson sitting with them. It will be good to see if the issue is boundaries or whether parent can control them or knows how to do so. A parent of a child with sen might have found the best way to manage and this could be shared if you can see it first hand.

I don’t think y1 is really affected by Covid. I think that’s a bit of a lazy excuse. I have a y1 and a y4 and the y4 child’s year absolutely is feeling the effects of Covid still (the year that missed out on the final year of nursery and reception). My daughter’s y1 class is a dream and I don’t think she was affected by Covid one bit.

But you do get tricky classes randomly plus early years is going to take different skill sets to older ones. The OP seems more suited to the older age groups

I know a class like this, so an extra adult (can’t remember if it was a teacher or TA) was allocated to the room.
It might just be one bad year, it happens.

Definitely speak to the head.

Why do you think? Do you think the school choose to have no staff? Schools can’t even afford pencils these days without a go fund me from parents. We’d all love to have 3 TAs in a class…what an absolute dream.

You need to talk to her and the head.

You and the teacher need to be on the same page.

Things you could try (together) is things to get some energy out of them before trying a quiet task. Simple things. Put the children's names on lollipop sticks and put in a jar.

Use that to do the register, so the names come out at random and they have to listen for their name. Who ever is not reading the names can do the register on SIMS or whichever system you use.

Rather than having them sit still for the register have them standing (or hopping, or walking round the room) and then sitting down when their name is called.

Something I hit on by accident (and this was with teenagers) was I bought some new felt tip pens, I bought the cheapest ones, they were decorated with characters from Frozen.

The students all wanted the 'frozen pens' and I would nominate a table or a group to use them. I can see something like that working with younger children.

Counting down can work, you can use a sand timer, a count down or something on a PowerPoint. So rather than 'put the pencils down' it's 'In 10 seconds you need to put your pencil down, 10, 9..."

Don't just start trying this, make sure you and the teacher are in agreement.

Honestly I don't think a teacher in their first year should be put with a TA with only 1 years experience. My DD is Y3 and it's her teachers first year. I've heard of no issues however the school made sure she had an experienced TA and also her class room has a door between the other Y3 class whose teacher has taught for a number of years. DD mentioned at the start of the year that the other teacher popped in quite a bit which I presume was to check everything was okay.
Can you say to the HT that the class needs more experience and see if they can swap you to a different class so this poor teacher has someone with more experience?
I'm not blaming you btw none of this is either if your faults. Putting a challenging class with 2 inexperienced members of staff is a recipe for disaster though,

I've been covering a class like this...total carnage. I feel for you..this is a school issue. I've also been a ta training to be a teacher.The class is underresourced and what is going on with the lack.of toileting in year 1 ?!??!? Yes the less experienced teacher won't have been able get them under control as effectively but she shouldn't be left to sink like this. Has she been the teacher since the beginning of year ?

The school clearly has inadequate behaviour policies and isn't supporting the teacher. I would get chatting with teacher and become a team together.. no doubt she is beyond stressed..you would be great ally..what were this class like in reception?

If you could come up with strategies together and implement them all week consistently you will make improvements. Need to go back to basics and get this behaviour under control. Have you a calm corner so you don't need to keep leaving the room? Remove lots of resources and sensory load..visual timetables etc ? At the end of the day as a teacher you will have a class like this and this experience will be invaluable..

Maybe ask the HT to observe and advise on behaviour management, it sounds as though the class teacher is not coping and needs support.

Speak to your university ASAP.

You sound like you have your head screwed on but there are problems well above your pay grade here.

Why do you think it’s a school problem rather than parenting. When DT’s went to school, I expected the teachers to teach and not have to enforce good behaviours. It was a given that DT’s would do as the teacher told them.

OP, these children were in Reception last year, in the same school. Were you aware of them last year? Staff in schools usually talk and are aware of challenging classes. Is the Reception teacher who had them last year still in the school? If so, have a chat with her about how she managed the class.

But you shouldn't be the one to do this, in any case - the teacher needs to be leading on this and her mentor (the head should be very involved in developing a strategy for managing this class).