Secret Teacher

A response to :

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/oct/31/secret-teacher-my-ta-teaching-assistants-nothing-to-lessons
(Sorry I missed yesterday, I was out all day and then I had a Halloween Party until midnight)

My mother works in education - when I started school she began as a dinner lady, then worked her way up to a teaching assistant, and a few years ago became a HLTA. In fact, now she practically works as a teacher, planning her own lessons and covering for others at short notice. I know how hard this has been for her, which is why this article interested me.

The teacher who wrote this does acknowledge that there are good TAs, who are incredibly skilled. However, there is one that she works with who is less than perfect. I do feel sorry for this teacher, as it must be a difficult problem that is impossible for her to solve. However, I do feel that it is unfair on the TA in question.

Aside from my personal connection to the article, I thought she had some good points to make. Firstly, communication is clearly an issue. They move in different circles; they aren't in charge. However, is it really that difficult to arrange a meeting once a week after school, or to chat to them at lunch or break? Yes, this isn't ideal. But it's better than nothing.

Furthermore, I completely agree that schools could be doing more. In fact, this is true for so many aspects of British education at the minute. My mother is fortunate enough (I think) to work I a school that has paid for her to become a HLTA and sent her to training sessions for French and Japanese. However, there are other schools that don't have the same investment in skills. As their jobs get harder and harder, and they are treated more and more like lower-paid teachers, the investment in their skills seems to be getting less and less.

Overall, whilst I agreed with many points the author made, there was one line that ruined this to some extent. The lasting sentiment was good (i.e. that we need to care more about our TAs). But "the majority of the time, TAs add nothing to my lessons" was not. Yes, they might not be perfect. Yes, there might be a lot of times when they are more of a hindrance than a help. However, their mere presence is helpful for the kids in the class.

Having a TA to help those that need it means the more able pupils are not slowed down, and neither is the pace of the lesson. All members of the class can learn in a way that suits them. It also means that for those that struggle, things are easier. They may be smothering, but they give attention to those who need it to flourish.

At the end of the day, for many pupils - and teachers - a TA can be vital.

I quite enjoyed writing this one!