A Handbook for Teaching Assistants

Teachers and assistants working together

Glenys Fox

• Publisher: David Fulton Publishers
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN: 9781317296768
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

This revised new edition provides essential guidance for all teaching assistants, especially those who are new to the job, and to the teachers working with them. Glenys Fox details the roles and responsibilities of the TA, as well as providing helpful advice on how to best support the teacher, the pupil, the curriculum and the school. This practical handbook will bring experienced TAs up to date on changes to National educational guidance, including changes in the National Curriculum, assessment, and the Special Educational Needs framework. This text enables the assistant and the teacher to work together more effectively in supporting and promoting the progress of children and young people. Written in light of recent research and updates in legislation, this guide will ensure that: teaching assistants know what to expect of colleagues, and vice versapupils are given the best possible support by teaching assistants who understand their needsteaching assistants and teachers are able to work together effectively to support the learning of all children, especially children who have special educational needs and disabilitiesany training received is relevant and helpful. A Handbook for Teaching Assistants is an ideal textbook for training, as well as a useful classroom handbook for teaching assistants working in early years, primary and secondary settings.

CHAPTER 1

The role of the teaching assistant

Chapter summary

–Possible roles

–What are my responsibilities?

–Which pupils might I be asked to support?

–What if something goes wrong?

–What support can I expect?

–What might I be asked to do?

–Specific tasks

–What are the ground rules?

–What do TAs enjoy about the role?

–What do TAs find difficult about the role?

–Working with pupils

–Working with teachers

–Pay and conditions

–How has the role changed over recent years?

–Activity

‘It’s a fantastic job! Always different every day.’

(infant school TA)

‘It is a very rewarding and worthwhile role. I enjoy working with the teachers and the children.’

( junior school TA)

‘I love every second of my job.’

(secondary school TA)

Teaching assistants (TAs) have many different roles and the range of responsibilities has widened in recent times. If you work as a TA, you will know that it can be rewarding and worthwhile. It can also be frustrating at times! Most TAs enjoy their work and feel that they are making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people. Here are some more examples of what they say:

‘Being a TA is a fantastic job. You get to meet all different kinds of children and to use your imagination on a daily basis. It’s great fun and hard work, but very rewarding.’

( junior school TA)

‘The greatest reward is when a ‘stroppy’ Year 11 student comes and finds you when they leave and thanks you for all your help and support. That is what makes it all worthwhile.’

(secondary school TA)

Starting out as an assistant can be daunting at first, but you will find that most teachers and assistants in your school will be very happy to help you learn about your role and, in most schools, there are good and supportive relationships in TA teams.

‘I am very lucky to work with a great team who are always happy to help you with anything.’

(primary school TA)

If you are an experienced assistant changing your role, the same will apply. A clear job description (see Appendix A) will go some way to clarify your role and a good induction course or further training will help too. Thirty years ago, assistants were mainly employed as welfare assistants to do a lot of ‘housekeeping’ tasks such as ‘washing out paint pots and clearing up messes’, to quote from one job description. This seems hardly believable now. With an increase in the attention on supporting children and young people with special educational needs in the 1980s, the role changed to one of learning support, and since then it has continued to develop into a wide range of roles and responsibilities. One focus is common to all roles, and that is the promotion and support of learning, social inclusion and well-being of children and young people. How best to do this is addressed later in this book.

‘When I started 15 years ago, I was just a pair of helping hands. Now I have to know much more.’

(infant school TA)

Possible roles

When TAs are asked to define their supporting role, their responses fall into four main categories:

supporting the pupil;

supporting the teacher;

supporting the curriculum;

supporting the school.

These different aspects of support are explored in detail in Chapters 3–6.

In infant, junior or primary schools, or in early years settings, you could be employed to give:

general in-class support to the teacher and the children;

specific support for a group of children who have identified special educational needs, including learning and/or social, emotional and mental health difficulties;

specific support for an individual child with significant learning needs;

tailored support for an individual child with a medical need;

support for the delivery of a particular learning programme;

language support for children whose first language is not English;

a combination of the above.

In secondary schools you could be employed to give:

general support to a curriculum area (e.g. English, maths, science);

support to a group of students with learning and/or social, emotional and mental health...

Table of contents

• Cover-Page
• Halftitle
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 The role of the teaching assistant
• 2 How to be an effective teaching assistant
• 3 Supporting the pupil
• 4 Supporting the teacher
• 5 Supporting the curriculum
• 6 Supporting the school
• 7 Promoting effective learning
• 8 Special educational needs
• 9 Supporting children and young people with special educational needs
• 10 Supporting social, emotional, behavioural and mental health needs
• 11 The role of school managers and special needs coordinators
• 12 The role of the teacher working with the teaching assistant
• 13 The professional development needs of teaching assistants
• Some final comments
• Appendix A: Job description
• Appendix B: The roles of supporting professionals
• Appendix C: Glossary of abbreviations
• References