TA Job interview next week - but just fractured eye socket

[sydenhamhiller]

Hi, I was just hoping for some advice from sage MNetters.

I have my first TA job interview for a while on Tuesday. It’s split into tour of the school, working with EYFS children and being observed, and interview with SLT.

Was very excited to get called to interview as I have had a ‘portfolio’ career since having DC1 14 years ago: have PGCE but then went to work in education/ training dept for an organisation. In between 3 kids, I worked as a childminder for 4 years, worked in preschool for a year, and have been volunteering in my local primary 2 days a week over the past year.

So - all very exciting to get an interview!

And then on Saturday, I had a stupid trampoline accident - managed to knee myself in the eye socket. I needed 5 stitches on my eyebrow; I have a real shiner, which has ‘dripped’ down the right side of my face; I fractured my lower eye socket, and may need surgery; I am still seeing double, and still too early to tell if it will get better as swelling goes down, the lower eye muscle is not working properly and may be trapped by my fractured eye socket.

Soooo... the interview. A few people have said ‘so, you’re still going?’. I can totally manage the interview, and probably the tour of the school. The 2D vision is so disorientating, I have been given a pirate patch for my eye, but this means I am seeing the world in 2D, so steps/ edges of things are proving a little tricky to negotiate.

I just don’t think I can manage the classroom bit - I look quite scary to be honest, esp for little ones, but more visually, I feel very vulnerable, and I am also worried about being accidentally knocked on the right side of my face - the maxfax department showed me my CT scan, and my lower eye socket is currently hanging down like a trapdoor, and I am not even allowed to blow my nose for 4 weeks...

Am I being precious/ work shy? I was going to email the school and explain what had happened (with a photo of my face on Saturday), and say I hope I could reapply next time a position comes up. Would that be ok do you think?

I’d still go for it, TA jobs are like rocking horse shit these days and another position may not come up for ages.
I had a facial accident a couple of months after starting TA job, the kids asked me what happened and said it looked painful but they were very accepting.
Mine wasn’t nearly as bad as yours sounds though but I honestly would still go for the interview.

Agree with still attending the interview and e-mailing ahead to explain your accident, I assume the job is a September start date so plenty of recovery time.

As for your eye patch, use this to your advantage during the practical part of the interview.

If carrying out a planned activity with a group of children use a pirate theme, start with a short story or maybe a made up one of how you have hurt your eye, enhance and extend with adding visuals (no pun) and props, messy play, while asking lots of open ended questions.

EYFS is the age you can get away with making everything an imaginary adventure whilst still learning.

Go for it and good luck

Forgot to say, during the tour of the school the children would of already seen you so wont be too much of a shock, use it to your advantage and smile.