New TA feeling unsupported after head teacher's comment at work

[Overtinkerbell]

I am a TA, for the first time. I have written another post where I said my teacher was not very reaponsive person and I have been asking if I could do anything and I got answers like " I dont know what I should ask for"... this was all my first week.
Then there was a TA who showed me how I should access all the students progress etc on drive and said you can plan with these . I go home to open the drive and theres is nothing shared. I kept asking for anyone and everyone to share documents three more days passed.

I have been trying to figure out everything in these 9-10days and I am totally new to the UK school system, leave alone the TA job.
I figured I should do guided reading ( saw other TAs) so I did that daily. I help kids when they are doing their online math and other subjects in class. Try to sort kids concentration issues etc... I dont even know what I should do and my teacher just does everything herself without even telling me whats going on...
Today, I had 15min before I had to teach the phonics and I was just standing and wondering what I should do while the kids were listening to a math lesson. The head teacher asks me to come out and said " try not to stand without doing anything"... "ta's are always doing something"...

I have now stayed back with the other TA and the teacher until they gave me access and now I am at home trying to plan with documents I just got...Atleast I now have some docs and class time table etc.

However, the head teachers comment is hurting me... I thought I was trying my best yet here I am dealing with the worst critical comment.

I know its frustating to have someone new to the job, but I am trying. I think the head teacher could have been more gentle..AIBU?

What do yr5 TA do?! How did you figure out what to do when you were a TA with no experience?!
Thanks!

Why and what do you think you should be planning at home?

This sounds very frustrating and I should imagine quite isolating. I don’t know much about the teaching system at all but start to keep a diary, if you’re not already doing so because it can come in very handy for supervision, etc. also, by writing things down you can start to notice patterns. Very best of luck, it sounds as if you’re doing everything you can.

I'm a former teacher, current TA. Some teachers are really not good at having a TA- I was one of them! I am a control freak and my first ever TA was lovely but utterly crap, so I just got used to doing everything myself.

Try being a bit more explicit with your class teacher:
"Which child(ren) would you like me to work with?"
"Do you have any photocopying which needs doing?"
"Shall I listen to some readers?"

During lesson inputs, I'd expect a Year 5 TA to be sitting next to a child, or a group of children, and regularly checking that they are understanding, as well as answering questions they have. I'd also expect them to be looking for any children who are talking/mucking about/clearly not paying attention and be telling them to focus. All of this should be done as quietly as possible, so as not to distract the teacher and the other children.

I agree the head was totally unfair, but she probably assumed the teacher had given you something to do, as that is part of her job. Since she's not doing that, you just need to be a bit more proactive.

You shouldn't be doing planning and you definitely shouldn't be doing anything at home.

Do you have a line manager other than the class teacher?

TA should be following the teacher's plans and direction. Ask for your timetable and a copy of the plans before the start of the week. Your role should be indicated on your timetable. E.g. support apple group in maths 9-10. Support oranges group for writing 10:15-11:15. Take strawberry group for guided reading 11:15-12:00. (Or whatever timings/groups/specific children are on your timetable). And then it might be an intervention timetable on the afternoon, which again will have been determined already by the class teacher.

If at any point you aren't sure what you should be doing and the teacher hasn't told you/indicated on the timetable then just chime in with the children - pick one or two to sit with and check in with, circulate the room and check they're all on task.

You'll be expected to support with managing behaviour and maintaining children's engagement during teacher talk/input.

If you're ever not sure what to do, sit with a child or group who you think might struggle and support them. Absolutely don't do any planning or do any work at home, that's not your job. Any planning needs to come from the teacher or from the school.

In my experience a t.a helps children in class,assists SEN pupils etc.No planning needed whatsoever.

As you are getting no help from your Teacher, maybe you could choose a book about the job or do one of the open online courses to give you some ideas about what your role should be.

The Head was harsh, but she probably has no idea you are getting no guidance.

I was a TA for over ten years and you definitely have a teacher problem!
I was lucky to have worked with mostly lovely, supportive and approachable teachers.
Just use your initiative and either focus on the lower ability tables, or if the class teacher chooses to do that then just float around the other tables helping whichever children need the help.
Also, ask if anything needs doing before a lesson begins. Photocopying/changing home/school reading books etc etc

Oh and don’t do any planning at home! We’re not paid enough for that and that’s the teacher’s job!

Year 5 ta here .

today I:

arrived at 8.30, filled my cup of tea up and handed the kids books out .

stood on the door and greeted the class

supported a child with spellings (we do this during registration)

followed the end of the line to daily mile outdoors , locking doors and rounding up kids.

back for English , sat next to some disruptive children during input . Supporting and shushing

helped a child with their work x2

took two guided reading groups.

playground duty

back for maths , helped settle class sat back with disruptive children during input - took three children out to complete maths in a quiet room.

helped mark the maths books during story .

lunch 12.30 for 3o mins , then back on playground for 30 mins .

after lunch science , helped settle and sit near disruptive students during input.

handed out equipment during science practicals , then washed up and put away equipment.

back for last lesson, more relaxed colouring type activity, so read with two children.

supervised class while teacher nipped out . Rounded up children/ chatted to two parents as they left.

been working with teacher for a while , we do lots of this list as a team.

she directs me , but as we have a routine and know what needs to be done , it’s rare I ask what to do. (Might occasionally ask if there’s books to mark or a particular child that needs reading with)

you shouldn’t be planning anything. Only planning I do is for ppa afternoon - but tbh it’s more picking what activities to do from already done planning and collecting resources ready. (And I do get paid an extra 60p per hour for the cover - Woop Woop)

ask your teacher if you can meet after the children have gone home and get some really clear directions

Planning I meant for the maths groups for intervention.

I have been doing the in class helping and making children quiet. But my teacher hasnt told me anything as such nor there is a list of things that the teacher expects from me.

I was standing just scanning the kids on who is listening to the teacher and who is not and then after 10 min, I took few to times tables... the head teacher saw me when I was scanning and told me the things she told.

I was just in calls with other TAs and whatever they tell me help kids, tidy up and line up kids,phonics, maths help, english help, in class discipline etc... I have been doing... I just figured out myself over the days. Feeling unlucky that the head teacher thought I was just standing all these days and not trying anything.

Please try not to take to heart what the head said, although I totally acknowledge at the beginning of any new job a negative comment can knock your confidence. But try to put that to one side now.
You do need to have a little chat with the class teacher about what they need from you. Ask for the weekly class timetable and what your role is for each lesson. Tell them you are feeling a little lost and you would like to make sure you are doing everything that is expected of you.

Absolutely this.

Unfortunate perhaps on the timing but it shouldn't be unexpected that the HT or a member of SLT might wander by at some point.

Scanning the room - scanning is exactly that, a quick look around the room to see what's what. It doesn't take 10mins or anywhere near that. From the HT point of view - time is money and a TA is a valuable and expensive resource that should be fully utilised in class and not standing around for 10min.

Advice for next time: be at the children's level e.g. crouch down next to tables or sit next to them on the floor, don't stand still (so it is harder to spot what you're avtually doing even if you aren't sure)! If you spot the HT/SLT and don't know what you should be doing, approach nearest child point at their book/work and ask quietly for them to explain their understanding.

Make sure you know who thr SEN, EAL and PP children are in the class. Target them for your support.

But definitely ask for clear direction from your teacher.

Good luck!

This is awful.They should be telling you what to do, and it seems wrong that a TA should be thinking about planning. When we were at school, TAs very seldom taught, and they just delivered what the teacher gave them.

So has the teacher told you which maths groups to take for intervention and when?
The teacher needs to tell you what the intervention is, you don't plan it at home.

The previous TA told me yesterday she had intervention groups. I had no clue how to start one. However,after the comment from the HT, I got 'motivated' to ask my teacher about the stats and progress of kids. The teacher just gave me access to some documents and I need to plan which kids need help in what at Maths and what practice to give them.

Deciding what kids need intervention and what the intervention should be is the teacher's job - she needs to tell you when, who and what.

The teacher should be directing you. Keep asking her what she would like you to do.

In one of your posts you say you've been left with the headteachers worst critical comment? What was it she said that is so bad? Or are you just overreacting to her suggesting you do something?

Does the school have a sendco? Ask for direction from them.

The teacher is taking the piss. I’m a primary teacher and it’s the teacher’s job to identify which children should be in the TAs groups and to advise TAs about what tasks to do with these groups. I’m staggered that a teacher is expecting you to sort out groups and to plan for them, she has no right to do this. Make sure you join a union.

"Try not to stand doing nothing, TAs never stand still, they are always doing something"

Some posters said the comment wasnt wrong, but its the first time to get told off in first two weeks of my job :(

This is insane. I had 3-4 TAs in my class (special school) and my planning for every lesson included what each group would be doing, which TA would be helping which group/individual, how they would be helping and what they should be looking for.
The planning was on the wall so at any point the TAs could check where they should be. None of my TAs had to plan anything!

We would have a five minute chat before the kids arrived to confirm things or ask questions, and we continued to communicate throughout the each lesson, where necessary. I would be scanning the TAs as well as the children, in case they needed support.

Your teacher is absolutely useless. She's clearly not had a TA before, and this needs taking further.

I don't think the Head's comment is the main problem here. The Head's comment came as a direct result of your teacher not giving you any guidance. The bigger problem is that your teacher is a lazy CF who is expecting you to do tasks that are not part of a TAs job and which she should be doing herself.

Can you meet with your school SENCO to discuss this? They hopefully can suggest strategies and maybe even talk to the class teacher and/or head.