Training where I'm a TA

[Gremlin78]

So I'm starting my teacher training in September (hurrah!) and feel lucky to be doing it in the school where I've been working as a TA for a few years. I love the school a lot but am a little worried about how the other TAs are reacting, already, to me become a teacher. I get on with everyone but I've noticed that some of them are pretty much ignoring me when I talk about my worries and many of them slate the current trainees as rubbish! Though I know they like me, I do feel that they will distance themselves from me in September and I'm also a little bit self conscious about teaching, initially, in front of some of them (less so to the teachers for some reason!). Any tips on how to manage this step from TA to teacher?

There is no easy way. We have a couple of ex TAs who have trained and qualified, and I know they found some of the changes difficult.

I would stop talking about next year to your TA colleagues - they're not interested. If you have concerns, find some teachers you can talk to about those issues and keep your TA talk about things that concern you all.

If they distance themselves from you in September, you can only continue to be yourself. However, you may find you're the one creating the distance as you need to talk to other people more - your department, mentors etc. Try not to worry about things that haven't happened!

When you start teaching, and you have TAs in the room, it will be strange, but you will soon get used to it. You'll be more worried about the kids and maybe your observer. Really, you just have to do it. By the end of September, the ripples will have disappeared and everything will have found its level. Try to focus on your teaching and not what you think other people are thinking.

I'm sure you'll be fine, for now talk to the ta's as you would have before and find a friendly teach for advice. Just a bit of advice when you are training and once qualified remember you too were a ta! I'm working with a NQT who was a ta before and she's made my life horrendous. She's clever though as plays the parents, is sweetness to kids in front of them then flies at them for nothing when she thinks she's alone🙁