I am a new TA...be gentle...but does this sound right to teachers and other TAs

[JakeBullet]

I recently got a job as a LSA to work with a child who has severe physical difficulties. I have never worked in a school before but am absolutely loving it. The child I work with is being supported in a mainstream school very successfully.
Two of us are funded to work with this child, the other LSA has been with him for three years now so naturally he knows and prefers her.

When I am not needed to help use hoists etc or to work with this child I am working in the main classroom with Y3/4 children (mixed year groups). A couple of things are bothering me....and here is where I might in the wrong.

Firstly I am often given the task of supporting the lower ability children. These children appear to be predominantly in the Y3 age group. I work with them for Maths and am shocked by how poor they are...they do not even have the basics and I do not feel qualified to teach them...although I have made use of the resources we have for the child I support. Multiplication....they just want to add and even with explanation and coloured beads etc to show that three lots of two makes six beads is not helping.

The second issue is the way the teacher and other TAs talk to the children...I find them very harsh and critical. Quite honestly I would be really upset if I thought anyone was speaking to DS like this. It seems overwhelmingly negative in an area where there is a lot of deprivation and children already experience critical parenting in some cases.

I am loving working with the children but the advice I have been given has included "don't show any weakness or they will exploit it" seemed so negative.

Am I being a bit precious? I have never worked in a school before and I know there has to be a way of managing a classroom full of lively children. I am too scared to raise my voice at the moment.

I have noticed that the "more lively" children are asking to sit with me...maybe having worked out that I am a "soft touch".

The teacher and other TAs are lovely...I really like them all but am just struggling with the critical approach.

I started as a parent helper, then became a TA, ten years in KS1, two years in a tough secondary.

As a child, I never really enjoyed school, and my approach is to try to support children the way I WISH I could have been at school, and I might have succeeded more.

Re the 'more lively'. No, I don't think it's that they see you as a 'soft touch', but they probably realise you are sympathetic and are starting to trust you.

I'm afraid a few staff are harsh, even to the point of cruelty, almost. Avoid conflict with your teacher, but otherwise try and treat children the way YOU would like to be treated.

I'll add below Numeracy info I often send to parents. Take from it whatever you wish. I'll try and come back tomorrow, with more detailed info:

?QUOTE:

Practical things are best for grasping number concepts - bricks, Lego, beads, counters, money, shapes, weights, measuring, cooking.

Do adding, taking away, multiplication (repeated addition), division (sharing), using REAL OBJECTS as just 'numbers' can be too abstract for some children.

Number Bonds of Ten forms the basis of much maths work, so try to learn them. Using Lego or something similar, use a LOT of bricks (of just TWO colours, if you have enough) lay them out so the pattern can be seen of one colour INCREASING while the other colour DECREASES. Lay them down, or build up like steps.

So:

ten of one colour none of other
nine of one colour one of other
eight of one colour two of other
seven of one colour three of other

etc, etc

then of course, the sides are equal at 5 and 5; after which the colours 'swap over' as to increasing/decreasing.

To learn TABLES, do them in groups that have a relationship, thus:

x2, x4, x8

x3, x6, x12

5 and 10 are easy

7 and 9 are rather harder.

Starting with TWO times TABLE, I always say: "Imagine the class is lining up in pairs; each child will have a partner, if there is an EVEN number in the class. If one child is left without a partner, then the number is ODD, because an odd one is left out."

Use Lego bricks again, lay them out in a column of 2 wide to learn 2x table. Go half way down the column, and move half the bricks up, so that now the column is 4 bricks wide. That gives the start of 4x table.

Then do similar things with 3x and 6x.

With 5x, try and count in 'fives', and notice the relationship with 'ten' - they will alternate, ending in 5 then 10.

It is important to try and UNDERSTAND the relationships between numbers, and not just learn them 'by rote'.

I am sorry it seems complicated trying to explain these concepts, but using Lego or counters should make understanding easier.

An inexpensive solar powered calculator (no battery to run out!) can help learn tables by 'repeated addition'. So: enter 2+2 and press = to give 4. KEEP PRESSING = and it should add on 2 each time, giving 2 times table.

There are good web sites, which can be fun to use :

www.ictgames.com/

www.resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/index.html

UNQUOTE

Thank you Ferguson and some well earned . Will look at those and see what I can think up to help the children.

If you remain calm, kind but consistent, you'll gain the respect and confidence of the pupils in your class. I can guarantee that they'll rescind better to you than to harsher practitioners (CT and TAs) and they will notice this. The wonderful result will be that, despite you expressing your relative lack of experience, the other practitioners will take note of the effectiveness of your approach and may well follow suit OR, more likely, let the trickier students who respond better to your methods, go into your groups/ work alongside you. You'll be am invaluable asset to the pupils and classes that you help in. Confidence in teaching methods comes with time. Try not to doubt yourself. Even if you instil a sense of pride in small achievement in your pupils, you'll be going a long way in terms of motivating those pupils you work with - and a more positive regard for the subject. Good luck!

Numicon is very useful. Your school might have invested in a set (quite expensive though).
Although, to be honest, it's actually your class teacher's job to organise appropriately differentiated work for any groups you are working with. It's to your credit that you're looking for ways to help further however.

I wouldn't worry about children turning to you. That's a good thing. It shouldn't be your role to manage the behaviour of the whole class (which can mean having to be quite assertive), but a more nurturing approach is fine, BUT... make sure you quietly and pleasantly insist on respect being shown at all times, e.g. if one of them says something that your antennae twitch at as being cheeky, just pause, raise an eyebrow, make eye contact and pull them up on it. They'll soon get the message.

Sounds as if you're doing very well.

Agree that your first port of call regarding the maths should be the ct. You should be feeding back after each lesson anyway so you could ask her what method you should be using/what else might work/what hasn't worked.

I agree, sorting out your resources is the teacher's job. He/she needs to check what the children can do and then plan appropriately. That's why it's generally poor practice to have the LSA always with the less able children. (It's not fair on them or the LSA.) Besides, my LSA actually likes having my G&T kids every now and then. It's an extra challenge to do Level 6 maths. However, I plan, resource and organise this...
Numicon is a starting point, as are Dienes and Cuisenaire equipment. You might want to mention it and ask, whether there is anything in your school. Your ct should really plan for that, though. While I think your enthusiasm is lovely, the kids shouldn't just be palmed off on you. The ct is the one responsible for their progress and will have to justify any lack thereof to the headteacher.

Regarding behaviour: My "more tricky characters" like working with our LSA. They like the small group work and the attention as much as my well-behaved children. However, they aren't "drawn" to her and wouldn't choose to sit next to her (quite the opposite, actually). We are quite similar in our approach, though,...and don't tend to mollycoddle much. I love my class to bits and I care a lot about the children in my care, but that doesn't mean I constantly praise every little thing. They've had me for a while, so they know that when I do praise them, it's honest and they've got reason to be proud. I'm also very honest when they are letting themselves down.
If being nice and fluffy works for you, then go for it. It's generally easier in a small group than in a whole-class. It's only dangerous, if you start to let them get away with things they shouldn't be allowed to do. I get annoyed by adults in my room, who sit next to children and allow them to misbehave. I also get annoyed by adults, who think it's ok to disrupt my teaching by shouting at children across the room (had that once at the beginning of training...and asked for this TA to be removed).

Thanks for all the responses here...I am very new. Joined the school after Easter but am loving it. I am feeling really enthusiastic about helping.

The class teacher and other TAs are lovely and obviously they manage the class in the way they feel they need to. The class teacher emails out her lesson plans every weekend.....she scarcely seems to have any time off. I always knew teachers worked hard but didn't realize just how in depth it all was.

You need to speak to the class teacher and explain that you haven't any previous experience working with Yr3/4 maths before and, although you appreciate the lesson plans, you would like to talk to her about it more as you obviously don't want to start confusing them by using a different method with the children from the one they are supposed to be using for that lesson.

Do you get a lesson plan before you take the group? Everything you need to do should be planned out for you. Also,if you are there at teacher's input you should have some idea of the language being used to get methods across.

I work with a year 4 class group who have for one reason or another,some huge gaps in their learning. I always read the plan the teacher gives me,so I know how she wants me to approach the session. I make notes on progress made or whether they don't "get" it so the teacher can make decisions on what to do next.

What I found really helps is all doing one together,then making sure they follow each step when recording their answers,even if it seems long and drawn out,and just doing plenty of practise,even if the rest of the class has moved onto something else! It took me (with the class teacher's approval) 3 weeks to get repeated addition and subtraction on a number line (as a way of multiplying and dividing) perfected!!! But it was worth it as they now have this down to fine art....now moving on to something else. It is like pulling teeth sometimes,but worth it in the end.

Also keep asking why they are doing something that way,and what they need to do next.

Oops just seen you said you do get lesson plans!