I really hope someone can help me and sorry I’m advance for the long post.
I adore my job as an HLTA and have always had a lot of responsibility in whatever classroom I’m in and have always felt like I had a worth. Last year I taught part time to year 6 because the CT was quite poorly.
This year I have been put with an NQT or should I now say “was.”
From just before Christmas till mid February, I was off sick having spinal surgery and a very experienced lady covered me (she was once a HoS).
The other day, the supply approached me and said she felt as if she had done something wrong and the NQT seemed to never talk to her, even when I was off sick. I said I was relieved she had said something because I was thinking the same and just presumed the NQT was the way she was.
So, today I was approached by an SLT who also teaches the other year group class. She pulled me into a room and said that the NQT is really struggling and has been since the beginning of February and almost insinuated I was the reason she was struggling. The SLT kept saying “this isn’t a reflection on you nor your fault.” But I cannot help but feel it is.
Basically, the NQT has taken everything upon herself and NEVER communicates with me. Not even a “good morning” or “hello” when I get into class, I am always the one to speak first. She never communicates the plan for the day, never tells me until she’s about to leave that she’s got a meeting, never sends me the lesson I’m going to teach until I’m just about to teach and steps in and does EVERYTHING including my jobs/role during lessons.
It’s even to the point that we were pulled into the Deputy Heads office a couple of weeks ago and was given a spread sheet and 30 minute refresher on how a maths lesson should be executed and who should do what and the following day, the NQT carried on doing what she always does and made me look like a redundant lemon. When a child asks me a question or for help, I start to explain and she jumps in, tells the child off for talking to me and says they should talk to her about it. She handed me a spread sheet not too long ago and said “this is what you should be doing in class.” (Felt like she was teaching Granny to suck eggs.)
Which mostly comprised of helping one child
to read questions if he’s struggling and another child just general support and then proceeded to plonk them smack in the middle of the front of the classroom so I couldn’t access them during learning without being in the way of everyone else.
Basically, I now feel that even though the NQT has taken it upon herself to do everything and not communicate a thing to me, she’s gone to an SLT and made out that it’s my fault she’s struggling and that I’m not doing enough.
They’ve told me I’m being swapped over with an HLTA who has experience because she had the same class 2 years ago. Unfortunately the class’s behaviour is shocking and a lot are very rude and even have fights etc but again, I’ve had to take a step back because I was being spoken to like I was undermining her every time I intervened and corrected a child’a behaviour because they show little respect to anyone and I thought we were meant to be working as a team and on the same page.
I did try to explain this to the SLT explaining that it’s very hard to do my job when the CT isn’t communicating nor delegating any work to me. But I’m not sure if they’re just taking it that I am the reason?
Am I being too sensitive? Today has given me a huge knock and I’m now questioning if I have any worth in my job anymore.
TIA