Need advice from current TA's -considering new career

[Ukmum1]

Hi all

I have been doing pa/admin work for 18 year and now I am thinking of changing my career to be TA. There are a few apprenticeship opportunities coming up but im not sure whether to go for them or not. On a career break I helped out at my dd school and enjoyed it.

Back in uk now and my dd TA takes the class a few afternoons a week, is tgis tge norm?. I am looking to hear from current TA's in reception or ks1 to give me their pros and cons of being a TA.

Tia

Pros
Great hours and holidays.

Little stress or responsibility.

Honestly being able to turn up at 8:30 AM and walk out at 4:00 PM not having to worry about anything is awesome.

Working with kids can be wonderful and incredibly rewarding.

No day is the same and it's never boring.

Cons
The pay is horrendous as teachers and TAs are paid pro rata i.e they are only paid term time with their salary spread out over 12 months.

While the holidays are great you can only take them when the kids do, so flights, hotels etc are astronomically expensive meaning most TAs can't afford holidays abroad; I haven't been on holiday in over 3 years.

There is little responsibility and stress but also little chance of promotion or career progression. Most schools are skint so wages are awful.

How fun the job can be can depend on how nice the children and teacher you work with are. Challenging children are fine so long as you have a supportive team around you, but can be pretty awful if the teacher you work with doesn't like you personally.

It’s also really hard to get a job as a TA! Loads of people apply due to the hours and holidays off.

Everything Jamies said, I would add that TA hours are being cut everywhere due to budget cuts, my hours are being halved in September to only 12 a week. Lots of schools use TAs for classroom cover, its in my job contract that I can be used for this, I am very lucky in that my Head doesn't abuse this and only uses this occasionally, but it does vary from school to school.

Appalling pay-it’s barely more than minimum wage in my school-several of the TAs work at Tesco in the evening as well to make ends meet.

I don't relate to the no stress posts!

It's different every day.
The pay is terrible.
It can be very, very challenging.

I work with a group of children with emotional and behavioural issues and I spend a lot of time worrying about them!
The relationship with the teacher you work with is fundamental. If you have a good relationship, the rest falls into place. If not, it can be hideous.

I never really walk out at 4. I was there till nearly 6 last night trying to get stuff done. There is a list as long as my arm of tasks to be completed before end of term next week.

I think you would be better off getting a part time admin job which will pay more than TA work and finding a school to volunteer in once a week. I think if you offer to listen to readers or anything else they have for you, they would be pretty keen especially as many classes no longer have reaching assistants.