work at school

[vixma]

I am a TA and am in a working situation with a primary teacher who is nightmare to work with. We are having problems and she has made it clear to me she does not want to work with me however hard I try. She is an old fashioned teacher who teach's in a quiet classroom who expects silent children...which is fine but she has continued to undermine me aswell as make none stop negetive comments to me repeatedly such as she has stomache aches the night before she comes into work and she cannot sleep, however when talking to other staff (teacher etc) she has made none of these comments and has made out I am doing fine, she has also told me I am intimidating and loud and she feels she has to teach over me. I have worked in this field for 10 years and I have never had anything but good said about my work. She told me two days ago that things are going really well however a day later she commented to me (even though the next time we were supposed to discuss this was in front of our superiors) that I am intimidating and she can not approach me to ask me to do work. There is no reason for this and yesterday suggested she is happy I am staying and that I did not take anything out of context. I was livid the day before as the comments were unjustifyed. Sorry this goes on forever but I need some advice from anyone out there. She has the upperhand as the teacher and if I put all the negitive comments in you would proberly if not already be asleep.

Poor you

I am a TA and can quite imagine how awful the situation must be for you.

You need to talk to your HT who could hopefully have a meeting with both of you to thrash out the problem.

There's no reason why TAs can't be moved around if the situation is intolerable. Or are you working with a specific child? If so I suppose that wouldn't be so easy.

Good luck

I have spoken to my ta organiser who is awesome and she has suggested I talk to the headteacher and has passed on my situation to her suggesting that I speak to her first hand, however this was supposed to happen on friday and it did not happen or anything mentioned about the situation. This situation is playing heavelly on my mind and interferring in my personal life. I am a strong person but this teacher is being a complete nightmare and has the upperhand. I have worked with these children for over a year now and they are wonderful, however this teacher is being underhanded and is incouraging me discreatly to be transferred but i do not want to as it would upset the work I do with the educational needs children (they have all commented that they love working with me in their IEPs. This is making me so sad.

Also we were supposed to have a meeting 2 weeks ago but haven't. She has approached me with negitive comments within this time even though the next meeting should have been the next discussion between us, she made a comment the next day highlighting that I shoud not take the comments out of context even though they were extremely negitive.

fixma, I agree with Cat64, write everything down then do very calmly to the HT and tell her everythign in a calm, "more in sorrow than in anger" tone. Make sure you stress that this has never happened before, and give hints about her "old fashioned" and uncreative teaching methods. I think you have to fight this one, and think of it as a fight for the SEN kids (like my boy). I feel the TA for my boy is the only one on his side, and get the distinct impression that the class teacher, SENCO etc just see him as a burden and would rather get rid. You go girl!

I'm a TA also - agree with the others- to try and stay calm and professional& in control of the situation. It sounds to me as maybe she sees you as a threat to her classroom/teaching mthods. If you have been working for 10 years without a problem, it isn't you - sounds like its her that can't handle it. Can you maybe get someone to mediate between you to try & reach an amicable solution - all sit down & try & work out where the problems lie?? Best of luck anyway