TA feeling low

[TeaforTheWins]

Hi all, I’ve been a TA for a year and I’m feeling rather despondent with it. I’ve been ill most of the year with flu, colds and coughs. The pay is shocking. My SMT are always crying and stressed. When you go to them with a question they tent to look more stressed. People off with anxiety for weeks on end. I have left a management role to do this as it fitted in with my life but I feel more stressed and I don’t feel the holidays off are worth it. Am I in the wrong school?

Definitely the school if people are crying and stressed. No work place should make anyone feel this way (although, unfortunately, a lot of schools do!) In my experience in schools, about 30% have been as you describe and 70% much nicer places to work.

Leave and find a different school. Many schools are desperate for TA's. Teaching is pretty rough and stressful at the moment everywhere, but some schools are better (and much better managed) than others.

Lots of SEN schools have behaviour managers, pastoral staff etc but ours is run mostly on TAs with a few teachers and a small smt who are always stressed. For the pay I’m not sure how they get away with treating staff like this

Find somewhere else. Not all school are like that. Maybe try an independent school for some variety. It’s surprising how some low-paid jobs are harder work and far more stressful than jobs with higher pay.