As much as I loved my time as a teaching assistant, the hardest lessons weren’t the ones with the worst behaviour, they were the ones where I felt more like a spare part than part of the classroom. 

Luckily for me, the majority of teachers were really keen to use me with their classes, and those were the lessons where I felt my presence really made a difference. But knowing that I could do my job well only made those pointless lessons feel like even more of a waste.  

It’s a situation that Rob Webster, director of Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants (MITA) project and a researcher at UCL Institute of Education, recognises only too well.

“It’s probably fair to say that it’s not uncommon for some TAs to feel that they are underused at times,” Webster says.

“One reason for this is that schools are sometimes unaware of the full range of skills, expertise and talents that are within their TA workforce, and these are just not optimised.”

So what does Webster suggest to remedy this? He believes the solution lies in asking the right questions.

“We encourage school leaders to undertake a skills audit to better inform deployment decisions. This process can also help to identify training needs,” advises Webster.

Jo Duncombe, a teacher of English and former teaching assistant at St Edmund’s School in Salisbury agrees, and says the situation is at its most pronounced with new starters. 

“Because your working relationship together is new, the chances are the teacher won’t know what their teaching assistant’s capabilities are,” Duncombe says. “The teacher also might not have the same knowledge the teaching assistant has of the students, and not know how best to use the teaching assistant’s skills to support the class.”

So how can we fix this? Duncombe recommends the following:

1. Open the dialogue

Duncombe believes nothing will change until you open a dialogue with the teacher. “Have a discussion and explain what you can do within that lesson,” advises Duncombe. “You should tell the teacher how you feel you would benefit the students the most.” 

2. Keep them in the loop

Teaching assistants’ timetables can be varied, so it’s really important that you let the teacher know which lessons you’ll be spending with the class, and when you’ll be elsewhere.  

“If you let them know, they can plan lessons that need specific support,” Duncombe says. Conversely, problems often arise when a teacher doesn’t know whether the TA is going to be in or not, so then doesn’t include them in the planning.

3. Use your initiative

Although teaching assistants take their direction from the teacher, this doesn’t mean you can’t find things to do for yourself. “Be proactive,” Duncombe says. “You are there to help students access learning and make progress.

“You can be independent in many ways; for example by differentiating the work verbally and giving praise and encouragement.

“Likewise, if students are absent from a lesson, the TA can take notes for them and fill any gaps they may be missing in their learning, which will prevent them from getting even further behind.”

4. Appreciate the alternative perspective

You might not always understand why a teacher is asking you to complete a certain task when another seems more important. But Duncombe warns that teaching assistants aren’t always seeing the bigger picture.

“There are times when you feel you should give a certain student support, perhaps because they are a  student with special educational needs and/or disability,” says Duncombe. “However, students need the opportunity to grow and be independent, and not always rely on the teaching assistant’s support.”

Duncombe advises teaching assistants to listen to the teacher’s direction, and appreciate that the teacher might be experimenting with giving the student more independence.

“Some TAs may feel they should be sat right next to the student but this isn’t always the best way to give support. There will also be times where a teacher knows best, and the TA should respect their decision and understand there is probably a good reason why something has been done the way it has.” 

Grainne Hallahan is ����Vlog senior content writer and was previously a teacher and TA

For TAs looking to become classroom teachers, ����Vlog Institute can help you gain a qualification while staying in your current school. Find out more about their Straight to Teaching course.