Teacher working as MDA

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A friend has recently qualified as a teacher, done her NQT year.

She struggled during that year, mainly because her father died and she, understandably, didn't cope very well. Her confidence took a real bashing and she doesn't feel able to apply for teaching positions.

A local school heard about her and has offered her MDA work and some hours in their wrap around club. She's torn between thinking this is a way back to teaching, if she impresses and gets her confidence back by working with children in less pressurised way and thinking she might end up an MDA forever, having admitted publicly within education locally that she doesn't feel up to teaching.

She still absolutely wants to teach and thinks she can be a good teacher but she needs to be kind to herself for a bit first.

What do you think?

I think she'd be better with a TA role as then she'd be leading learning rather than play.

However good you are as an MDA I think people would find it hard to make the leap and think that person would be a great teacher, whereas it's easy to see the link in a TA.

Can she volunteer somewhere sympathetic? Last term I had a lovely reception teacher who'd had a tough, tough, tough NQT year and then taken a term out. She came to me once a week and re- discovered why she wanted to teach. Last week she started a permanent job in a lovely school.

I think the school are sympathetic - they think all their Christmases have come at once to have her and they very much have their eye on her as a potential TA, but not teacher ATM

I think you'd be better off doing supply. I would seriously wonder why you'd become a dinner lady (as they're still known in my school) if you were a good teacher.

Thanks, I was wondering what on earth a MDA was.

No, I wouldn't advise taking a MDA job. It's utterly thankless even reception know dinner ladies aren't teachers and have no real power.