Primary TA and feeling really demoralised today 😢😢😢
Am working in a really challenging year group with lots of behaviour and SEND needs. I work alongside a 1:1 who's been with the children since reception, so consequently has a great relationship with them, particularly the trickier ones. 👍
However with me, it's a different story. They are defiant, refuse to work or follow instructions and are just plain rude ("I want <other TA>, I don't want to work with you.") I dish out heaps of praise, try to build relationships, enforce boundaries and make lots of time for the trickiest children who need the most support, but nothing is working. I feel like the bad cop, always nagging, totally redundant and useless - like it wouldn't matter if I was at work or not. If the children have their needs met by the other TA who they've always known, then what hope do I have for building a relationship with them? It all feels futile. I want to support them and it's frustrating to spend so much time and emotional energy just to hit a brick wall 💔💔
Has anyone had a similar experience and what did you do to make things better? We're a month in to the new year and I feel like I should have more inroads than I have by now 😭