From teacher to teaching assistant

[Isduggeeadog]

Has anyone done this? If so, how is it?

I taught full time Primary for 15, had my Dc and now do private tutoring. I don’t want to go back to class teaching whilst Dc are young as I remember how all consuming it is.
However, i’ve started to remember how lovely working with the children was (especially this time of the year) and the community feel. I also miss the social aspect of working with other staff and always became good friends with colleagues.
One of my teacher friends thinks it wouldn’t be stimulating enough and she’d want to step in, but i’m not as ambitious these days and don’t actively want all the extra responsibility.
The pay wouldn’t be great obviously, but I’d likely supplement with a couple of my tutoring jobs.

*15 years

Worse case scenario is that you try it and leave if it isn’t for you?

The main issue is that the pay WILL be crap for the amount of work you’ll be required to do. As for stimulation, odds are you’ll end up teaching anyway.

All three of my DDs work in primary, two teachers, one HLTA, all know people who have done exactly what you say as they don’t want the hassle, all seem to enjoy it, but that’s not to say the TA job is easy and without responsibility

Just be careful your experience isn't taken advantage of and you end up with far more responsibility than you're getting paid for.

My friend did this OP! Luckily for her, the poor pay wasn’t/isn’t an issue, as her DH earns well. She really loves it, and is absolutely brilliant working with the children. She has honestly never looked back.

You won't step in as you haven't planned the material so you don't know what is coming next. Teaching today is really by the manual, especially in Trust schools. The teachers are churning through powerpoints so you will be on a schedule.

I enjoy doing TA work with some teaching as I get to actually sit and talk with the children about their learning and misconceptions. Sometimes I gather a group and take them out to do some small group work, but that is when the teacher is comfortable with me and understands my experience. I have had some teachers try to tell me how to teach phonics (thanks love, I brought this in to my previous school back in the 2000s!) so maybe think of a tactful way to say that you are a qualified teacher.

You don't always get the lunch hour or playtimes either, so take a warm coat as you will get chucked out onto the playground.

I think you'd need to know what your boundaries are and then stick to them.

It would be really easy for a teacher to go long term sick, for it to be hard (possibly read expensive) to get supply and a bit of "but think of the children", and there you are, being a teacher, but paid a TA wage.

There are no old school 'class' TAs in my school any more. We have one that covers PPA, so is whole class teaching across the school all week, then the others are all 1:1 with extremely high need children.

Neither of those are roles I would like to leave teaching for, but you might.

I have never seen that happen, TBH. When I do the teacher role I get paid for it. There is an expectation to do one afternoon per week release time for the teacher's PPA but that is usually something they have already had the input for and they are doing the write-up or finishing off.

The best thing is getting to leave at 3.30 on the dot. No meetings, no taking home class sets of books, no parents evenings. Bliss!

My mum tried this but was told she was overqualified.

I taught for 15yrs then worked as a TA whilst my children were little. At first I loved it, being a class TA was fab - the money was horrific though, a third of what I earned as a teacher but the pressure was less and my DH earned decent money so it was manageable. But in the last few years the TA role has changed significantly - no longer is it class TA but 1-to-1, lots of behaviour management, intervention after intervention, time spent in corridors with children who couldn’t cope in class, my timetable was micro-managed from the very moment I started to the second I left. Breaktime duty and 30 min lunch (which usually ended up being 15/20mins) every single day left little time to regather your thoughts, eat or even have a wee - it became a relentless task. I left last year after 6yrs, I felt like I was doing a ‘similar’ job as a teacher (and obvs having been a teacher I could compare) yet being paid so little, it was getting me down - I’ve not looked back, I now work for an Educational charity and I love it, normal working hours and no expectation that you have to squeeze every little ounce of yourself to give to the job. I miss the children, absolutely, but I’m so much happier and having money again is a game changer. It’s a tough decision for sure.

I tutor in the evenings, and supply during the day time.

Similar to you, I didn't want to step completely out of the classroom, but no longer wanted the responsibility. I've made plenty of friends, both on the supply circuit, and in schools I work in frequently. It can occasionally be a bit lonely, especially if you're new to supply, or you find yourself in a run of new schools where no one knows you.
It pays a lot more than TA'ing, and has a lot more flexibility.

My friend is a HLTA 3d per week does cover class planning time etc is an ex-secondary school maths teacher. She’s the primary school wellbeing lead as well plus does some 1:1 enabling on her off day at much higher rate. It works for her she enjoys the long school holidays with no work stress.

I was going to suggest supply, too

You’d get better pay I’d think doing enabling for kids out of school system or with EOTAS packages. Having had to look for a tutor etc in this space they wanted £40-50 per hour.

This.

I'm aware of 2 ex teachers that now have support roles. Downside is very poor remuneration for the hard work.

I do this.
Boundaries are the main thing. I walk in at 8.28, & out at 3.02.

I wouldn’t. TA roles have changed so much that the workload is ridiculous; they are spread really thinly across too many children, they cover lessons too so it’s often a lot of work for very little pay. Of course the workload isn’t comparable to teaching but at least with teaching you get a decent wage.
I do supply teaching and love it. I leave at 3.30, do a decent job without caring about the staff politics and get to enjoy the kids. I’d highly recommend it.

I can't imagine many schools would say that now!

The danger is being hired as a TA but used as cheap cover.

I’ve taken a similar step down after having kids, but in a different profession. No regrets at all :-)

What are you doing?

I was a Chartered Surveyor for many years, now work in a support role in a property team. They’re getting a very safe pair of hands and I get to work part time, finish on time and have no stress. I obviously get paid a lot less but it’s enough and the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Appreciate that many people wouldn’t have this option financially though.

I wouldn’t worry about not being stimulated enough. If the school recognises that you’re capable, they will expect far more from you than they’ll pay you for, but if you love the work and can live with the pay cut for the sake of the term time working benefits, then it’s a great job!

Do they pay you fully over school holidays?