People who described themselves as teachers when they’re actually teaching assistance or cover supervisor

[KarlWrenbury]

This is a thing I’ve noticed recently. Is it because they can’t be asked to describe what they really do or is it slightly more disingenuous? For reference no I don’t think it’s a great amazing thing to be a teacher but it’s interesting that they do.

assistants *

I’ve also noticed this.

I'm pretty sure 'teacher' isn't a protected term, so anyone can call themselves one

Given that TAs are often made to do the same job when the teacher is off I can't say I blame them. I mean if it quacks like a duck.

Some cover supervisors are actually qualified teachers. One of ours is - got QTS but decided they didn’t want to be tied to one subject or do all the marking/planning, and could afford to be a cover supervisor instead. We’d be pretty lost without them!

And this affects you how?

Teachers are literally the coolest people on earth so why would anyone not pretend to be one?

One of my best friends is a TA. She teaches 3 days per week. She doesn't take marking home or write lesson plans but her class teacher has been a teacher for 25 years, 15 in the same year, so recycles a huge amount.

Another very close friend is a teacher. She works 4 days and teaches 2; she is SLT so the other 2 days are PPA and leadership time etc.

I think teachers are superheroes and work unbelievably hard - many hours, dealing with parents etc, but I think TA's are woefully underpaid and if a TA wants to call themselves a teacher, who is it hurting?

The cover supervisors I know are qualified teachers, they just choose to do cover. There are also teachers working in the independent sector that aren't qualified, so would you say they're not teachers too? They teach therefore they're teachers surely? What defines a teacher. Agree with @WhatNoRaisins about the quacking...

I work in a school (when not a teacher)
I work for Social Services (when not a SW)
I work in a lab (when not a scientist)
I work in a healthcare setting (when not a HCP)

All designed to give weight to an untrained, inexperienced argument.

My MIL was a TA but she was often more than not taking on the whole class with not much help, I'd say she was teaching and call her a teacher tbh.

This. I was a teacher, now a teaching assistant.

My DD calls every adult in her classroom a teacher.

She's not the only kid I know and have met who does this.

I think it's sweet as it means one of my extremely hardworking and lovely neighbour's work is recognised as being of equal value. She's an SEN TA.

I am a teacher and if a ta described themselves as a teacher in the pub I wouldn’t bat an eyelid. In the staff room I might raise an eyebrow but not really care.

Like PA’s in medicine who like patients to believe they are a doctor!

Is teacher a protected title? Midwife is for instance and it’s illegal to say you’re a midwife unless you are.
I have a friend who does this and yes it’s a bit cringe. Akin to a PA calling themselves a doctor. I met a woman on a course who told me she was a nurse after chatting for a couple of days I realised she was actually a nursing assistant. Which is obvs a brilliant and valuable job so why lie and say you’re a nurse?
But I suppose it’s not harming anyone.

I feel like everyone does this these days in lots of different areas, try to talk up their role to something more than it actually is. It does annoy me (I’m a doctor and do not appreciate PAs telling people they are the same as a doctor, which I’ve heard them do). There is some discussion on here as to whether teacher is a protected term. Doctor isn’t a protected title either but I bet a lot of mumsnetters would not be happy with non doctors calling themselves doctors. I feel like patients have a right to know the background and qualifications of the professional they are seeing. It’s the same principle. We all have an understanding of what a “doctor” or “teacher” is and their qualifications and this increasing fuzziness over roles is undermining that. I think that’s harmful for society in itself just like “alternative facts” are. The problem is it’s very hard for people like doctors or teachers to come out and say it publically because the automatic reaction to that is that it’s coming purely from a place of our egos being threatened or something.

There's definitely at least one poster on here who claims to be a teacher when they're actually a cover supervisor.

Not in secondary

Assistant Teacher is a more accurate title than Teaching Assistant - it more accurately reflects what the job involves.
(Learning Support Assistant is too much of a mouthful).

I suppose it suggests that you are a professional, by professional I would say somebody who can counter sign passports etc who has some professional status or standing. This sounds terribly snobby but you know the point I’m trying to make.

But she’s not qualified as a teacher?

again, this simply wouldn’t happen in secondary

I'm a teacher. I have QTS and more years of experience than I care to remember. If a cover supervisor takes classes and they say they're a teacher I wouldn't have a problem with that. Because that's what they're doing. They're not supervising.
If someone with QTS was working as a TA they too would be fine saying they're a teacher. It's what their qualification gives them the right to say.
OP how do you know the ins and outs of what these people do in their job? How do you know what their qualification is?

The problem with this I suppose if you get to the physicians assistant kind of status. The parents think that the person teaching their child is a qualified teacher with all the training that that entails.

I would not necessarily want an unqualified teacher teaching my children unless they were doing sport or practical subject, I suppose? Maybe. I dunno

I’ve noticed this too. I worked bloody hard to be a teacher. A friend of mine who worked as bank in a nursery said to me once that she was practically a teacher. 🤣🤣🤣

Yes.
It does sound snobby.