Section 1
The Wonderful World of a Teaching Assistant Caroline Lewis
Caroline is a Teaching Assistant in the English Faculty at a comprehensive in England. She has been in her post for over 18 months and is now considering teacher training.
As the mother of two boys diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), I believed I'd witnessed most behaviour until I started work as a Teaching Assistant (TA), that is. Suddenly my boys looked quite 'normal'.
Looking back, I believe I had quite positive expectations of what being a TA would be; I'd only get really nice young people to support who would instantly love me and I would be super
confident and know all the right things to say. But the 'rabbit caught in headlights' moment came very early on, as did the panicky thought, “Whatever made me think I could do this?”, as they piled through the door shouting and pushing; stopping briefly to stare at me.
“You're new,” said one boy who then, without missing a beat, started singing a love song (opera style) to me. He then stopped as abruptly as he had started and said, “You need to know I have anger issues, Miss!”
I wasn't quite sure what to say to that, but got a nice feeling from my first “Miss”.
I was truly shocked by the behaviour though:
When I was at school (a good 30 years ago) you were terrified to breathe or move without instruction from the teacher and you certainly never answered back. It was going to take a while to acclimatise to this sort of school life.
The relationships I have with all the teachers I accompany have been good from the start and, as a complete novice, I was particularly grateful for that in the early days. They steered me right and have always been encouraging. I know TAs at other schools who are not as happy so I realise I have been lucky, and remain so.
of the youngsters; the 'good', the 'bad' and the indifferent (the latter group sadly the biggest). This question is usually responded to with a shrug of the shoulders and a curled lip. No real
reason is given as none really exists. Apathy is really hard to deal with and the shame of it is that it is only in the last stages of Year 10 (age 14-15) that some of this latter group start to understand the importance of their education.
Recently, some former pupils came back for a visit which really surprised me as they couldn't wait to get away last year! Not only was I not expecting to see them back but they admitted to
missing the place and wished they'd listened and tried harder. Aargh!
The important thing to remember in this role is that although the pupils just seem like a sea of faces or a tidal wave of bodies that jostle you
along the corridor between lessons, they are individual human beings: some with a back story that would break your heart; some who have
had to be up early to care for parents before school; some in uniforms that have clearly never seen a washing machine. It's a wonder that
rolling over tables, disrespecting the teacher and some of them even make it to school at all. But one boy was even gouging a hole in the wall.
they do.
From time to time, when behaviour isn't great or grades don't impress, you need to take the time to ask if they are OK; a little bit of concern can go a long way. Two words of warning though:
firstly, don't go barging in feet first with anything too direct as nine times out of ten the individual clams up and nothing is gained. Secondly, just because a child has opened up and chatted to you today, don't expect the same intimacy tomorrow; they change like the wind. I learned that very quickly and it is really easy to get hurt by the change in attitude towards you, so a thick skin becomes a 'must-have' item.
I've been in the role for over 18 months now and What were, in the beginning, vast numbers of although I am no longer shocked or surprised by anything, the futility of some of the behaviour is beginning to frustrate and irritate. “Why are you acting like this?” is something I find myself saying on a regular basis and it's not just
because I should say it. It's because you truly do change a thing. find yourself really caring about every single one
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faces whose names I thought I would never remember, have now become perfectly individual pupils with names and personalities and it's been a pleasure (mostly) to get to know them all. That 'rabbit caught in the headlights' wouldn't
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