Should we have more teachers and fewer teaching assistants

[charlie9865]

My son was at beck school, his class was called Y3/4.

They had to many kids in Y3 so had to get the Y3 & Y4 teachers to share the classes.

He was put in with the Y4's to do work some days it just didnt make sense.

 

I agree the TA's are the most permenant thing in a class, I know my son's TA he had at beck and she was great.

The classroom thing really threw my lad he has special needs, learning difficulties and autistic tendencies.

 

He was crying because he was unsettled and there was no routine with teacher's changing. He hated beck in the end I moved him to Hatfield House school, the 101 diffrent teacher thing at Beck was to much. But when my husband went to pick our son up from school to find a group of Y6 kids trying to throw our son down a flight of concrete steps that was it.

 

Hatfield are great it is only a small school but they take everything seriously, they have great anti bullying policies and routine. With them having one teacher per class, and my son has done so well since he has been there.

 

Infact I feel awful as he would come home upset about bullying or the teachers when he was upset and never wanted to go to school the next day. I thought he was beeing mardy but now he comes home smiling not with one complaint.

[espadrille]

My son was at beck school, his class was called Y3/4.

They had to many kids in Y3 so had to get the Y3 & Y4 teachers to share the classes.

He was put in with the Y4's to do work some days it just didnt make sense.

 

I agree the TA's are the most permenant thing in a class, I know my son's TA he had at beck and she was great.

The classroom thing really threw my lad he has special needs, learning difficulties and autistic tendencies.

 

He was crying because he was unsettled and there was no routine with teacher's changing. He hated beck in the end I moved him to Hatfield House school, the 101 diffrent teacher thing at Beck was to much. But when my husband went to pick our son up from school to find a group of Y6 kids trying to throw our son down a flight of concrete steps that was it.

 

Hatfield are great it is only a small school but they take everything seriously, they have great anti bullying policies and routine. With them having one teacher per class, and my son has done so well since he has been there.

 

Infact I feel awful as he would come home upset about bullying or the teachers when he was upset and never wanted to go to school the next day. I thought he was beeing mardy but now he comes home smiling not with one complaint.

 

Its nice to hear a good news story.

[go4it]

I read an article a while back pointing out the dangers in employing more teaching assistants. In a class the teaching assistants often work with the less able pupils. Therefore they have less contact time with the teacher, the who in theory has the greatest subject knowledge. As a result these less able pupils make little progress. These less able pupils are the ones who need the teachers time more than anyone.

 

When I was at school there were no teaching assistants. One teacher per class. We got on with our work. No tendency to constantly ask for help, we got on with it and figured out for ourselves.

 

In answer to the OP, yes maybe fewer teaching assistants are the answer. They have value but are not substitute teachers. One teachiung assistant can work between a few classes. Those less able pupils need to work with the teacher.

[Guest sibon]

I read an article a while back pointing out the dangers in employing more teaching assistants. In a class the teaching assistants often work with the less able pupils. Therefore they have less contact time with the teacher, the who in theory has the greatest subject knowledge. As a result these less able pupils make little progress. These less able pupils are the ones who need the teachers time more than anyone.

 

When I was at school there were no teaching assistants. One teacher per class. We got on with our work. No tendency to constantly ask for help, we got on with it and figured out for ourselves.

 

In answer to the OP, yes maybe fewer teaching assistants are the answer. They have value but are not substitute teachers. One teachiung assistant can work between a few classes. Those less able pupils need to work with the teacher.

 

Do you always contradict yourself so quickly?

[go4it]

Do you always contradict yourself so quickly?

 

No I don't.

 

Teacher sets work.

 

Instead of putting their hand up straight away to ask a teaching assistant for help, the pupil realises there are 30 pupils and one teacher so gets on thinking it through for themselves.

 

After thinking it through they present their work to the teacher, who talks about the thought process and makes recommendations for next time.

[Guest sibon]

No I don't.

 

Teacher sets work.

 

Instead of putting their hand up straight away to ask a teaching assistant for help, the pupil realises there are 30 pupils and one teacher so gets on thinking it through for themselves.

 

After thinking it through they present their work to the teacher, who talks about the thought process and makes recommendations for next time.

 

Thanks for the tip. I'll bear it in mind.

 

How does having fewer adults in the room help those who are struggling?

[go4it]

Thanks for the tip. I'll bear it in mind.

 

How does having fewer adults in the room help those who are struggling?

 

Children are encouraged to think for themselves.

 

A lot of children who are classed as 'less able' are actually quite able. However since reception they have had loads of adults on call and instead of trying to attempt things by themselves they constantly ask for help, believing they can't do it.

 

This is one reason by so many children struggle with the transition to secondary school, they have been so used to asking for help and having a teaching assistant on call.

 

Search for it online, there's a whole article on it by the editor of the TES.

[Guest sibon]

 

Search for it online, there's a whole article on it by the editor of the TES.

 

There is also a whole stack of research from Ofsted.

 

They don't agree with you.

 

I'm all for encouraging kids to think for themselves by the way. Usually, good quality questioning from an adult makes this happen.

[go4it]

Usually, good quality questioning from an adult makes this happen.

 

From an adult - this adult needs to be a teacher not a teaching assistant.

 

The article I refer to also raises the point that pupils tend to favour teaching assistants over teachers. A pupil can become fixated with one member of staff and not accept anything from their teacher. In a class there is one person in charge - the teacher.

 

Back to the OP - more teachers, smaller class sizes, less teaching assistants.

[Halibut]

From an adult - this adult needs to be a teacher not a teaching assistant.

 

Why does it? Because you say so?

 

The article I refer to also raises the point that pupils tend to favour teaching assistants over teachers. A pupil can become fixated with one member of staff and not accept anything from their teacher. In a class there is one person in charge - the teacher.

 

A good teaching assistant always bears these things in mind and supports and helps maintain the relationship between the children and the teacher and is careful to reinforce the teacher's authority, not subvert it.