How to use a TA

  1. Meeting
  1. Contracting
  1. Directing
  1. Feeding back
  1. Growing

What they would like to be doing and what they would like to get out of it

Make an offer to type up a meeting

Arrange a meeting with the TA and line manager to talk through what you all want.

Do this as soon as possible

Need to let them know what is going on

Email them before

TA should not be giving answers out

TA can be moved around the classroom even if they are a 'velcro' TA

remember that they are your assisstant

praise TA for their work in front of the class and in private

Can be specific let's thank Miss for her help with spelling

Ask them for lesson feedback

When giving them feedback be very positive at first and then introduce criticism

regularly check in on your TA and have a chat

Personal touch: cards, presents etc.

I will: You will set up

Email any agreement established to their line manager and to mine too

Be supporting their development and share resources

If problems do arise: raise it with your TAs line manager

Contracting: will I be asking then to do things before or after a lesson? How will I allocate time for this?

An idea for this: have an exercise book that you write in your expectations for a lesson and stick in the lesson slides that are annotated. Let them review it, and they can write their feedback and contributions in it

In summary, a TA is a valuable resource to be used effectively. I think that using them effectively orientates around solid communication and listening to their experiences. I think that the example of how to form a contract/discussion location with the notebook will prove useful for my TA at Grace Academy. However, I have discussed with my SENCO and she believes that it will be highly unlikely for me to have a TA