Any primary TAs on here?

[veneeroftheweek]

I've been asked to deliver some training on our behaviour policy to some new TAs and, as part of the session, I want to give them some scenarios and get them to discuss how to deal with them. I'm struggling to think of TA-specific, rather than teacher-specific situations.
Are there any particular scenarios in your role as TA that you find behaviour hard to manage or would have welcomed some support with?

Not a TA, but thinking about situations my TAs have struggled with in the past...

When working with a small group (ie phonics) and they won't participate properly - keep messing around.

If the teacher gets called out of the classroom suddently for some reason and they end up in charge of the class until the teacher returns.

When the class teacher doesn't have behaviour under control so the TA ends up trying to remind children about behaviour expectations (ie during my PPA - my TA hates the fact that the teacher who covers me has such low expectations of the children's behaviour so there is constantly talking, shouting, calling out). That one has the added complication of trying to not undermine the teacher or take over.

Any good for starters?!?

What about when a HLTA covers? Always raises issues of behaviour management!!! TA knows the class expectations and children but HLTA is ultimately in charge.

Got to love PPA cover!!! Lol! X

What toomuchicecream said.

I'm a new TA so not sure how useful this will be, but what I find v tricky is the teacher allowing behaviour which I wouldn't allow in class Eg talking on carpet, constant interrupting, throwing toys across the room, rough outside play etc. Stuff that really disrupts the class and the day.

However I'm never sure how to deal with this as I am just a new ta and not a qualified teacher.

Not sure this comes under behaviour management but it is one area that I felt I wanted to work on at my first appraisal. I feel like I constantly have to nag and be 'bad cop'

These are all really useful, thanks. No HLTAs taking classes in our school but I can see how that's tricky.

A specail child having a meltdown, how would you manage that?

I'm a TA in reception and to be honest any situations I would need to deal with would be exactly the same as those being dealt with by the teachers, but I'm aware early years is probably quite different to the rest of primary years.

Difficult behaviour I have had to deal with includes children being violent towards other children, children refusing to do as asked (tidying up, joining in PE, sitting for phonics), children being disrespectful towards / damaging school or other children's property, children being purposefully disruptive.

Luckily most of this has been low level and I've yet to come across anything too awful, hopefully it stays that way!

We do have several children with SEN in the class, these usually have a TA appointed to be with them on a one to one basis but I do have to cover lunch breaks etc. so training on managing meltdowns, refusals etc. would be very useful.

Yes reception is slightly different I think, isn't it?

Being a TA is a bit of a balancing act between taking control but not undermining the teacher. It must be very hard.

Meltdowns and refusals v important. Will definitely cover those.

Thanks for the help everyone!

I've been a ta and a teacher and the children need to know the ta has the authority to do anything the teacher can in terms of discipline. Anything other gives them the idea they can play up for a ta and get away with it. They know a ta isn't a teacher but they should both command good behaviour. Any teacher worth their salt isn't threatened by a strong ta.