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 also have more years of teaching experience than several teachers in my school.

They're teaching aren't they?

So they're teachers.

Silly thread. 🙄

It does happen in secondary. Schools will have a competent cover supervisor (via an agency) and ask them to stay and cover a subject long-term and as such, their pay will increase to include planning and marking.

You’re an ex teacher and a current TA.

If you went and worked as a barista, people would think it strange if you called yourself a teacher.

“I’m a teacher.”

”Lovely, where do you work?”

”Costa.”

What part don't you think the TA could do? Count to 28, sit on a bus?
I don't see how being a teacher would help with the swimming instruction either... school swimming is a bit of a joke really. No one actually learns to swim.
I'd be perfectly happy with a TA doing that task, assuming they had some experience and weren't completely new to the job.

Except I don’t work in Costa I work in a school where I use my teaching qualifications and experience.

I was a nurse - our nursing assistants referred to themselves as nurses. I didn't think anything of it. We were a nursing team.

During teacher training we had to get in the pool and actually learn how to teach swimming. Also health and safety so that no one drowned. I wouldn’t have been OK with a TA taking 28 children swimming when my child was primary age, but times change.

I'm a qualified Midwife with 13 years experience. I'm now a neonatal nursery nurse as I wanted a career shift. Lots less money and sadly credibility but I'd never bring up I'm a midwife as I'm not practicing currently.

It doesn't bother me how others describe themselves outside of their place of work.

Which is amazing and they are very lucky to have you. I assume you left teaching for a reason though and took on a TA role because it is far fewer hours than a teacher.

The argument from many on this thread is that TA’s are doing the same jobs as teachers which we very much know they are not.

If you are still doing a teaching role, but getting paid as a TA then that doesn’t feel like a good deal.

True @Gymrabbit

I've told you several times now about DD and her colleagues who are qualified teachers, working as LSAs, who absolutely do the same job as teachers in their school.

Schools are unsurprisingly quite happy to have LSAs teaching and to not pay them teaching money.

So why do they do it?

And no I don’t bring it up either however if asked I will say I am a teacher without my own class now working with children who have SEN. Really don’t care what anybody thinks. I have the qualifications, years of experience, teacher’s reference number and pension so will refer to myself as I wish.

The snobbery many have towards TAs is unfortunate given how schools literally rely on them to function.

In the secondary school I work at no TAs teach lessons and I would be pissed off if they were describing themselves as teachers as some are barely literate. A few are excellent but most are a hindrance not a help. This may be just my school though.

I’ve explained previously. It’s not snobbery. It’s desperately trying to keep the teaching profession a profession. One that people understand needs professional qualifications and one that people would actually like to do as a career. My children a through school now but I’d actually like my grandchildren to be taught by teachers.

Nope not doing the same job but I am a teacher. I’m qualified as one and use my teaching skills and experience in exactly the same way to get skills across.

I am a fully qualified and experienced teacher.
I am employed as a class teacher 2 days a week.
in the same school I am also employed as a HLTA doing cover, teaching full classes and leading a subject (was doing this for years before adding the teaching role in more recently) 3 days a week. There is not a huge amount of difference between my two roles on a general day to day basis tbh. As I lead a subject I plan and prep lessons, schemes, long and medium term progression plans, report on class progress, etc.

I teach 5 days a week.
I’m paid as an actual teacher 2 days a week.

Ok but some TAs are also teachers with the same professional qualifications.

I think there is a big difference in the expectations and role of a primary school TA and a secondary school TA.
In primary, TAs are often working very closely with a teacher and will be asked to teach whole classes, as well as small groups and 1:1.
There are guidelines as to what each level TA can be asked to do but in many primary schools most TAs are working over and above this regularly.

I’ve taught as a teacher in both primary and secondary (I was initially secondary trained and taught in secondaries for years first before changing direction.) and I’ve been a TA, HLTA and teacher in primary.

why do you care? why does it affect you?

Because they need to work. And they love teaching. And if they carry on doing what they're doing, there may be the opportunity to progress in the school as and when teaching posts becomes available.

I'm in a non-teaching Leadership role in a school. If kids or parents refer to me as a Teacher I politely correct them, because I don't want to misrepresent myself. But most parents and kids don't care, they just call everyone who works in a school, from TA's to Admin staff to the Finance Manager, a "Teacher" for the sake of simplicity. So I can understand why some support staff might use the word "Teacher" to describe themselves rather than explain their specific role to someone who probably isn't interested. We have 4 TA's who are qualified teachers working for us and I couldn't really get worked up about how they describe themselves.

Exactly. Many do the same job as teachers on half the salary. At least let them use the professional title they've studied for four years and racked up tens of thousands of pounds-worth of student debt for. And in many cases, are doing the job anyway.

I think all the teaching assistants I work with are amazing. They work hard and in challenging circumstances for relatively low pay. However, to be a teacher, I spent 4 years at university so do feel a bit miffed when teaching assistants say they are teachers.