Secondary Teachers: What Makes A Good TA?

[HarrietSchulenberg]

Bit of research really. I'm a fairly new TA in a medium-sized secondary school. I work across the curriculum with all year groups, one-to-one with individual SEN children per lesson. SEN can range from dyslexia to autism, and children are all fairly low ability.

If you have a TA with a child in your lesson, what do you really want that TA to do? Sometimes I feel like I'm just there as a prompt for the child ("Get your pencil case out, please", "Don't forget to underline the title"), sometimes just a scribe to get information down while the teacher talks from the front, but at other times (usually in practicals) I feel like I'm having an immediate and tangible benefit to the child's learning.

I aim to ask "my" teachers for some direct feedback in the near future but I need to tread carefully due to in-school politics surrounding my department.

So, what makes a great TA in your lessons? What do they do that makes them great? And, conversely, what makes a terrible TA and why?

Just nipping off to get tea on the go, but will be popping in and out all evening.

It all depends on the subject; you are best asking each of the teachers you are with what they need of you to aid learning for each child you are working with.

A terrible TA will sit on their arse all lesson while you rush around like a mad thing helping a class full of needy kids. They will also look bored, sigh and roll their eyes when you say something like 'today we're doing algebra!'

Or they may sit and chat to the kids while you are trying to get the whole class quiet.

Or they may randomly miss lessons without warning, or regularly turn up really late so you can never plan to use them.

Good ones will get stuck in, be proactive in helping the kids, help out with behaviour management by being another pair of glaring eyes and stern words, and make useful observations/suggestions about how best to help the kids.

Don't turn up 10 minutes after the kids. Don't leave 10 minutes before the kids. Don't sit and copy off the board for a kid with his head on the table. Don't storm out and not come back if a kid is rude to you. Don't wear jeans and trainers or lace tights and fuck me shoes. Don't gossip with the teenagers when they are supposed to be working; they'll do anything to get out of writing. When the teacher says 'I need everyone's attention' that does mean they need you to stop talking!

Sorry, I have worked with some pretty poor TAs! (All real examples!)

And also some lovely ones. I loved it when they joined in with discussion and drew reluctant kids in too. It's great when they point out great things the kids are doing and back you up on behaviour without undermining you.

To be honest, the fact that you're even asking this question is a good sign!

I agree about the arriving on time thing. I've been teaching for 12 years and worked with a variety but most have been worth their weight in gold.

The best ones make the effort to discuss what you are doing in the lesson in advance, show an interest in the topic and actively look for differentiated resources for statemented kids. They will also take out kids that have missed lots of lessons due to absence and run catch up sessions with them, or just take a small group of kids who really need to go through 'the basics' of a topic whilst the rest of the class do a practical or extending activity.
When this kind of thing happens then it feels like you are working as a team and everyone feels happier.