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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

TA's rather shouty approach to disciplining reception child....

37 replies

GrinningSoul · 30/04/2008 22:43

i was in school today at lunchtime and watched a teaching assistant telling off a reception boy in the dinner queue. He was clearly being disruptive and cheeky but her approach was to shout angrily and harshly into his face, much as a very irate mum at the end of her tether might in the privacy of her own home . Is this OK? I didn't like to see it coming from a professional, but I never feel confident that I can judge what's considered 'normal' by other people. And what should I do, if anything? She was in front of any staff who happened to be present and lots of children, so it can't be that unusual.

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avenanap · 30/04/2008 22:49

Poor child. A child shoul never be disciplined this was (I think). It makes them frightened and shows them that it's ok to shout at people. I would tell the head. It's very bad. It doesn't matter what the child was doing, there's better ways to handle things.

misselizabethbennett · 30/04/2008 22:54

I would hate this - it is absolutely not appropriate. These people are being paid and should follow established processes for dealing with difficult behaviour.

I recently challenged a staff member at DS's after school club, as she was a bit snappy with DS while I was there.

I would definitely report this to the head. Have confidence - if the TA really was shouting the head can't possibly defend it.

edam · 30/04/2008 23:03

No, it's definitely not OK at all. Horrible woman.

posieflump · 30/04/2008 23:06

this will probably offend but a teaching assistant isn't a professional, a teacher is...

LynetteScavo · 30/04/2008 23:07

I would definately mention it to the head. It's not on.

ReallyTired · 30/04/2008 23:10

lol... probably served the brat child right.

I think it has to be remembered that LSAs are human. Everyone thinks about the rights of the kids, but no one should have to put up with the abuse that is common in state schools.

A lot of children are brought up like spoilt princes/ princesses. Gawd forbid that they should actually be reprimanded.

moondog · 30/04/2008 23:11

I see a lot of TAs in my job as a salt.
Many of them love throwing thier weight around and bullying small kids. I wonder why they are even in their jobs.

ReallyTired · 30/04/2008 23:13

Also in most schools LSAs are paid barely more than the minimum wage and recieve limited training.

Prehaps the senior management should be supporting her in dealing with the hideous boy.

Ie. talking to the boy/ parents.

Original poster

GrinningSoul · 30/04/2008 23:23

Hmm. As I watched her I thought exactly what you, ReallyTired, have said. She's putting up with a lot, she's not being paid much, and she's not had much training. Her behaviour was of the sort I see regularly out and about and therefore perhaps it isn't reasonable to expect her to know differently. Which is why i would find it difficult to report her.

Is it hard to find TAs willing to work for the money? I perhaps naively imagined there'd be lots of mums who wanted to work school hours even if the money was crap...

OP posts:

avenanap · 30/04/2008 23:30

I don't think it matters how much she's paid or the amount of training she has. No one has the right to intimidate a child by shouting in their face. All people that work with children have a duty of care, it's not acceptable for someone to do this. It's irrelevant how poor the child's behaviour was, there was no need for her to react in this way.

southeastastra · 30/04/2008 23:30

i've worked with people like that too, the worse thing is they think it's funny and we should all laugh at them

macwoozy · 30/04/2008 23:44

Reallytired, hope you're not a TA, considering you're quick to judge a 'disruptive and cheeky' child as a brat and hideous!

girlfrommars · 01/05/2008 00:04

They are just mums though aren't they?

Some will be very patient, some short tempered etc.

avenanap · 01/05/2008 00:06

God help their kids then!

branflake81 · 01/05/2008 14:44

I'm not being funny but don't all teachers shout at naughty kids? I thought it was the norm...maybe I need to go into school more.

ReallyTired · 01/05/2008 15:10

Fully qualified teachers sometimes lose it with children and shout. Maybe its not ideal, but it happens. It generally happens when people are tired. Its nothing to do with intelligence or even qualifications. If every teacher or LSA/ TA in a school who had ever shouted at a kid was sacked then schools would have no staff.

Its quite common for TAs to get little or no lunch break. Many TAs are also mid day supervisors. (ie. dinner ladies)

I don't work as a TA, but I do work in a school doing IT support. (When my son is not pulling a sickie like today.) I have a lot of respect and sympathy for TAs.

macwoozy, do you think people are being quick to judge a TA that they have never met and know nothing of the situation. Are you a TA? What do you know about the job. Far more is expected of TAs than just simply being a glorified parent helper.

LynetteScavo · 01/05/2008 16:50

Teachers don't shout at naughty kids at the schools my children attend.Some of the luchtime supervisors do tend to be rather shouty, though.

ReallyTired · 01/05/2008 17:03

How would you know LynetteScavo? Do you spend the entire school day with your child.

Lots of teachers damage their vocal cords from raising their voice once too often. Its a well know occupational hazard of teaching.

I'm sorry, but I think you are being naive if you think that your child will never ever be shouted at in school. If being shouted at is the worst thing that happens to a child then its a pretty good school.

Original poster

GrinningSoul · 01/05/2008 17:28

i'm not going to do anything for now. i'll just keep an ear out... thanks for your exchange. It's interesting to see that there's a range of views and not just an out-and-out NO IT'S WRONG response. which i realise, in an ideal world, it is.... oh dear.

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 01/05/2008 18:25

I have spent a good deal of time in my chilren's schools during the school day, as have many other mums I know. In my sons previous school some of the teachers did shout. (Rather a lot IME) which is one of the reasons I removed him from that school. He is nine and is quite capable of telling me if teachers shout or not.

I'm well aware that teachers raise their voices when adressing groups of chilren, especially when outside. However, that is very different from directly shouting at a particular child for misbehaving.

Whizzz · 01/05/2008 18:40

posieflump on Wed 30-Apr-08 23:06:10
this will probably offend but a teaching assistant isn't a professional, a teacher is...

girlfrommars on Thu 01-May-08 00:04:40
They are just mums though aren't they?

I won't rise to that
Signed Whizzz
Who counts herself as a professional TA who had done 1 TA qualification and has just started a 12 month course to specialise in dsylexia

Yes I am a mum but not 'JUST A MUM'

mrz · 01/05/2008 19:06

Of course TAs are professionals. In reception (Foundation Stage) TAs have to be level 3. My TA has a foundation degree in Early Years education and years of experience.
Remember you are making a judgement on her actions based on a few minutes of observation she will know the child well and will know how to deal with the situation. I'm afraid our Head shouts if the occasion demands it.

mrz · 01/05/2008 19:09

posieflump on Wed 30-Apr-08 23:06:10
this will probably offend but a teaching assistant isn't a professional, a teacher is...

girlfrommars on Thu 01-May-08 00:04:40
They are just mums though aren't they?

sorry but I don't know what type of schools you are familiar with but in my school all staff are professionals and highly trained.

LynetteScavo · 01/05/2008 19:13

Just out of interest, what training do lunchtime supervisers have. I'm presuming first aid and child protection? Anything else?

flack · 01/05/2008 19:13

Our TAs don't shout ime... but I know 2 teachers who do not right in child's face lik OP described, but at the whole class or across the room. I don't know what to think of it what should I think, do you guys reckon? When is shouting ok?

I know other teachers who aren't as shouty in the same way as the 2 shouting teachers I'm thinking of.

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