TA across 2 classes

[ihearttc]

Hope it’s ok to post on here, I’m a TA. Appreciate I’m very lucky to have never had to do this before but in September I’m going to have to be a class TA across 2 classes. It’s Y2 so they still obviously need a lot of support yet it’s the only Year Group that will only have 1 TA.

One of the teachers is an NQT who I don’t know very well (she is training currently so this will be her NQT year). It’s a relatively small year group but has a large EAL cohort plus several significant SEN. I’ve got myself in a bit of a state worrying about it. I literally don’t stop from 8am until 3.30pm at the moment and usually eat my lunch whilst marking. I just cannot see how I can do this level of support over 2 classes or even how it would work?

You won't be able to do the same level of support over two classes as in one class. The teachers should sort out how your time is best used.

We have two TAs over 4 classes in my phase.

Thank you! I do interventions all afternoon currently anyway so it’s just mornings that we need to cover. It’s all the little stuff like changing books, listening to readers, first aid etc which is all going to come down to me for the entire year. Management will expect the same as the other year groups but they all have a TA for each class right up to Y6.

It probably wouldn’t be as bad if it was the same for everyone else but it seems like I’m getting the rough deal plus we have SATs next year to contend with.

Draw up a rota to show where you'll be so:
Monday - maths class a, English class b
Tuesday - English class a, maths class b
Etc
Do guided reading groups to lessen the number of times needed to hear individual readers.

Due to resources we usually teach alternate lessons. So first lesson I would teach maths and colleague English. Then for lesson 2 I teach English and colleague teaches maths. So TA who we share would support one of the lessons either maths or English depending on which needs more support with groups. She squeezes in readers when we can (there's 60 of them a week). Interventions are arranged jointly between both classes and split equally. So you'll teach the same number but ultimately it's the children who lose out as the number will be halved. I'd only expect TA to mark the group they were supporting during the lesson. We've had one TA per year group (two form entry) for KS2 for the last 5 years

I think that’s what will have to happen. Classrooms are also not next to each other due to the layout of the school so it’s going to be a bit of a nightmare. We still need to listen to individual readers as well as Guided Reading. We have a huge amount of EAL children whose parents don’t speak/read English so we listen to them individually read at school instead. I can manage currently by doing it each morning as they come in but can’t do 2 classes that way. I’m sure it will work out.

@FlowersAreBeautiful

Thank you. I currently live mark during the lesson with the teacher then mop up the rest whilst she is doing the input to the next lesson and then stick in next days LO’s etc. There are currently 2 of us doing interventions all afternoon so yes it’s the children who will suffer as I won’t be able to do as many. I’m sure it will all work out, just trying to get my head around it all.

It seems very weird that the year 3, 4 and 5 classes have a TA each but the year 2s don’t. TAs working across 2 classes is common but obviously not ideal.

@Ytrigging

Yes I think that’s what’s annoying me. I can only do what I can do but it definitely feels like I’ve got the rough deal.