Dealing with negative comments about TA work

[justyouraveragedogsbody]

Just that really.

Without being too outing, I work as part of a small year group team comprising of two teachers, two TAs and two 1-1s, so effectively three to a class.

We cooperate and work really well together and each team member is invaluable imo.

Recently, one of the TAs has been off sick and SLT arranged for one of the floating members of staff to come in and assist.

We have worked with this person previously and always make sure to thank them for their help.

To say the atmosphere has changed is a complete understatement. It is transparent to anyone who talks to this person that they aren't happy carrying out TA duties and they would rather be teaching the class.

They have stated in front of the other support staff that this kind of work is beneath them and morale has noticably dropped.

The final straw came when they referred to themselves as the current "dogsbody" on a group chat that includes the TA that is off sick.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but if I was at home sick and read that I'd be really offended.

Whilst I agree that some of the tasks our TAs do are repetitive and menial, they all work incredibly hard and are absolutely worth their weight in gold. We trust them to deliver lessons whilst on PPA and frankly, if one of the teachers were to go off sick, the children would be in more than capable hands.

To describe their work in this way is nothing short of derogatory and I'm really not sure how to deal with this situation.

With any luck, our wonderful TA will be feeling better and back next week, but we still have to work with this member of staff on occassion and I can't help but think there will be bad feelings now.

For what it is worth, I try to make sure that all members of our team know just how invaluable they are and will be telling our TA how sorely missed she has been on her return.

Was just wondering how to deal with these comments and what the general experience has been?

This is the first time I've come across this in the ten years I've worked in education!

If I read that comment I would think that was 100% about the author and nothing to do with anyone else. They sound difficult to work with but you know it's only temporary so just accept that they think this work is beneath them, and crack on with your team. Don't decide how your sick colleague has been offended, ask them outright if you feel the need to, otherwise just let it go.

I’m surprised you haven’t come across it before, or perhaps you missed the threads on here about how TAs feel undervalued. I suppose it is possible, given that constant positivity is a requirement of working in a school, that you haven’t seen signs of disenchantment, but it shows a failure to empathise with others.

You said it yourself, this TA is perfectly capable of teaching. In fact you do trust them to cover PPA. Instead she is being held in a junior role which pays dirt, and has just been moved around into a class not her own. I’m not surprised she feels unvalued. Ask her why she hasn’t gone for teaching herself - it’s probably because of the culture in teaching or she is trapped in her current life by finances.

It’s nice that teachers tell TAs occasionally that they are valued. But the practice of making them do more work, including the work of teachers on less than a third of their wage - PPA cover and class supervision - shows the truth. They are not valued, and as in the NHS, no amount of clapping will change that hard plain material fact.

Maybe people in general need to be less sensitive I doubt that this was meant to be offensive to the TA off sick. Why make an issue?