Secondary teacher getting TA job in primary

[nottonightjoesphine]

Whaddaya reckon to my chances folks? I'm a teacher of sociology in a secondary school. There's a long story really but the shorty one is that I hate it. Hate the demands on my family time, the sleepless nights, the scrutiny, the relentless sense of fear.
I've seen a job for a full time TA in a local primary school. Financially we can take the hit but do you think they would even bother giving me an interview? Never worked with small kids before, never even did any teaching practice in a primary school.


I need some good news people. Would they touch me? Are there any heads on here who could give me some insight?

[Hulababy]

If not on IWB - is there a normal whiteboard or flipchart available to you? So you can demonstrate etc?

[Hulababy]

Example lesson plans are available here: www.phonicsplay.co.uk/Planning.htm

[nottonightjoesphine]

Hula that is so helpful! Thank you! Yes I know there's a whiteboard amp flipchart. I think I need to look at some examples of the resources you've mentioned so I can fully understand everything you've said.

[toomuchicecream]

You can just use an IWB to write onto like a normal whiteboard. Just ask the teacher to set you up a blank screen before you start. But if you've never done it then stick to the flipchart - you don't want the stress of using an IWB for the first time in an interview!

[nottonightjoesphine]

Can't believe I've never used one!!

[Hulababy]

You can do it all on a normal whiteboard and flipchart if you do't want to use an IWB.

There are often boxes of mini whiteboards and pens in each classroom - if they can use that it would be good, even if one between two.

You won't know names but the school may use a lollipop system or similar. This is a box of sticks each labelled with one child's name. They can be drawn at random to make sure you choose a range of children during Q&A. If not don't worry. Just include a few different children, and a mix of boys and girls.

Make sure you say the pure sounds - no "uh" on the ends. Mumsnet listening guide is here: www.mumsnet.com/learning/phonics/listen-to-the-44-phonic-sounds


General plan

Intro/WALT - we are learning to ..... add phonics sound to be covered

Recap - normally a quick fire flashcard type thing as a whole class - use sounds that come before the ones you have chosen

Teach - introduce today's sound. Include chances to read and write the sound. Look at couple of words using the sound.

Apply - activities linked to sound (see last post re reading words and writing words). Or could be an activity such as Yes/No: www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-l-056-phase-5-yesno-question-cards


Also a word of warning. If you use downloadable resources - do NOT use anything from Sparklebox. Most schools have this blocked due to issues regarding the owner in the past. They are not supposed to use anything which mentions the website at all.

[nottonightjoesphine]

Btw it's fir a group of 6 kids only!

[nottonightjoesphine]

Aww hula you're being so helpful, thanks so much. Your recent post makes it lots clearer in my head. My plan for today is to a) educate myself on pure sounds, then b) chose a phonic to focus on. After that I'll find an activity to match it.
Can I ask a couple of probably very stupid questions?

1. When you say recap on the sounds that come before the one I focus on, do you mean they should come in alphabetical order?
2. If I was getting kids to practice writing the sounds on their whiteboards, shall I ask harm tin write it in capitals as well? (Is that what you mean by big and small?)

[Hulababy]

1. When you say recap on the sounds that come before the one I focus on, do you mean they should come in alphabetical order?
   

Not alphabetical order. Look at the order on the letters and sounds page. This is the order they are introduced. Some schemes are slightly different but in general they are very similar if not the same.

Phase 2: t 1: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, g, o, c, k, ck, e, u, r, h, b, f, ff, l, ll, ss
Phase 3: j, v, w, x, y, z, zz, qu, ch, sh, th, ng, ai, ee, igh, oa, oo, ar, or, ur, ow, oi, ear, air, ure, er
Phase 5: ay, ou, ie, ea, oy, ir, ue, aw, wh, ph, ew, oe, au, a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e, u-e

[Hulababy]

1. If I was getting kids to practice writing the sounds on their whiteboards, shall I ask harm tin write it in capitals as well? (Is that what you mean by big and small?)
   

No - I would avoid capitals where possible for this session, unless needed for a name, place, etc

I simply mean in size, especially when air drawing. Big arm movements v little arm movements.

[Hulababy]

Group of 6 sounds much better than whole class :)
More like an intervention type group then. Easier to manage.

With small group you could have a bingo type activity using words with that phoneme, a snap/matching activity (pictures and words), the yes/no game but reading one each and sort into yes and no piles etc.

[nottonightjoesphine]

Ah ok! Like that link you sent me upthread?!
Ok, so I'll first of all make sure I'm actually saying these properly myself - and as you say, I could print three as flags cards as a recap activity to start?

[toomuchicecream]

No - don't get them to write in capitals as well. I assume what hulababy meant was literally get them to write it as large as they can (lower case) on the board. Now as small as they can. It just adds a bit of fun into getting them to do the same thing several times over. Capitals only come at the start of the sentence and for names - nowhere else....

[nottonightjoesphine]

Flash cards, not flag!

[nottonightjoesphine]

Cheers icecream! So that'll be good starter won't it? (Assuming there's mini whiteboards - I'm sure they will.

I'm feeling a better. Just need to get main part of lesson in my head now!

[toomuchicecream]

Don't forget the 4 part structure!

[toomuchicecream]

Oh - and I use flash cards a lot for starters/the review section. Maybe how many sounds or words can you say correctly in a minute?

[nottonightjoesphine]

Good idea! Ok z4 part structure - so a recap be thr review? To 'teach' would be where I focus on one phonic, practise and apply - are they not the same thing? (Sorry to be so thick!

[toomuchicecream]

Yes - I would say practise and apply are the same thing pretty much, but those are the 4 headings that come up in letters & sounds etc as the parts of a phonics lesson. Very happy for someone else to come along and contradict me!

Apply is when they take what you've taught them and put it into a context ie write a sentence/sentence dictation.

[Ferguson]

Hi - hope I'm not too late! Just 'posted' on Primary ed thread, then came here. Will copy what I'd said, and hope may be of some use:

I was a TA / helper in primary for twenty-five years, and it can be a lovely environment to work in!

If you don't get to know in advance what Phase the group is on, I would err on the lower side rather than higher. If they ARE good at it you can tell them how amazing they are!

Go slowly, and be prepared for them to possibly not pay enough attention, not understand etc. (Though in my experience secondary don't always pay that much attention either!)

You may be told in advance a suitable 'big book' you could use: make sure the group can all see it; invite them to tell you what they know/can see on pages, both text and pictures. I would guess the main interest from the panel will be how you interact with, control and engage the children. (I assume they KNOW you are coming from secondary?)

I always feel a touch of humour, or at least some lightness, can help. Maybe even TELL the group you worked with 'big' children previously, and give mock surprise at how 'tiny' these children are, which hopefully, they will indignantly deny!

Have your own books or suitable props available in case needed; and may be something from your secondary world?

Re Phonics: in the MN Book Reviews, 'Children's educational books and courses' section, the Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary I think is a useful volume, and could be shown to the group possibly.

Above all, ENJOY it, and ensure the children also enjoy it!

[morethanpotatoprints]

Hello OP

I'm not sure if this has been suggested, but have you looked at teaching in FE.
I taught Sociology A level but was a new teacher. I found the demands too great but the established teachers managed fine.
It may still be too much of a commitment for you, but thought it worth a mention.
Your present PGCE would more than cover you for this and if you get a good school/college the kids are a dream. Unfortunately, my students didn't really want to be there so I didn't have a good experience.

Also, some 6th form colleges do night school now for adults and access courses are more popular than ever.
My friend is currently teaching criminal (something) access to social sciences, and 2 units of sociology.

[nottonightjoesphine]

Thanks for the recent posts and sorry I'm only replying now....I got all caught up in my planning! The lesson with the kids went great I thought....they were gorgeous! So cute and really well engaged. I almost had to stop myself from squeezing their cheeks! I got no feedback from the head on how they thought the lesson went which I was disappointed with, considering I tried so hard, and the kids were cheering at the end, but I wonder if that's just normal?
Anyway, the interview was a LOT harder. I've sat through several teaching interviews and in some ways was struggling to decipher he difference. This is for a level 2 TA job!

I think I answered most questions well, (thanks to the poster who helped with that!) but there was one that I messed up really badly. They asked me to give an example of a successful literacy lesson that I had lead in the past and I just waffled on and on and on. She kinda rolled her eyes and asked me to be more specific and I was embarrassed at being basically told to get to the point. This made me worse and I just said in the end that i did quite a lot of literacy work in my PGCE but that I could remember an example of a successful lesson. She wasn't impressed I don't think. How bad is that??? Arggggh!

[Itsfab]

Try not to worry. I would guess the practical is more important and she was rude to roll her eyes so tell yourself you wouldn't want to work for her anyway if you don't get it. If you do get it you can show her how brilliant you are .

[Hulababy]

Difficult question about a specific Literacy lesson - especially as for a level 2 TA most may never have even taught a lesson, let alone one in a core subject area!

Well done on the practical - sounds like it went really well :)

[toomuchicecream]

When you hear let us know!