Hi, I am rpoinary traioned teacher but have taking a LOOOONG career break to have my familt. I have recently been trying to get back into education, but realise that's it's almost a different profession to the one I trained and worked in.
I have been volunteering at a school since september and it's great. I have been thinking about doing TA work, just to get me back into the swing of things again.
So, I had an interview for a TA post last week. This involved doing a set task with ch and and interview.
I was given 2 minutes to read though the task before the 6 children(yr 4), head, deputy and chair of govs came in. I could barely understand what the task was about tbh, I mean I couldn't see the learning objective. Anyway I did as best I could, did the interview and went home.
I didn't get the job.
The feedback was that I didn't walk around the group during the task ( a small group, we were all seated round the table. I couldn't see any need to walk round the table ) and I didn't extend them in that 10 minute period. I am still flummoxed as to how I could possibly extend a group of unknown children in 10 minutes with a task I had only just seen.
The person giving feedback, (the head's PA) said something about talk for writing. I know a bit about this, but couldn't for the life of me see how that was helped by the task.
The failed interview question went thus: We are a big school with a huge number of different ADULTS here, from the kitchen staff, caretaker to the teachers etc etc. As a TA how would would organise and facilitate teamwork with them?" This was not about the children, or about how I would build teamwork with the children, it was definitely about the adults. I was stuck, I didn't realise that would be part of my job description.! It was obviously to do with team playing. I said I was a team player etc etc, but they wanted something else from me.
A TA friend said that it was shocking that I had only a couple of minutes to see the task. I should have been sent a copy of it prior to interview.
I would be SO grateful for any ideas you might have and where I went wrong. Clearly I am not au fait with new directives and new thoughts in education. But I AM trying my best to catch up!