Working with adults

last updated:November 2009

These suggestions come from teachers who are part of the GTC professional networks.

Communication

• Share the lesson objectives with the teaching assistant (TA) before the lesson. Make sure you provide a thumbnail sketch of the aims of the lesson and how you want to work together.
• Make them aware of your medium-term planning. It’s a matter of moments for you but will have a huge payback.
• Provide an easy-read planning overview so the TA can see the programme for the week at a glance, including what’s happening in each lesson and what resources are required.
• Keep TAs in the loop. Make it your job to see they get the information they need.
• If you explain to the TA exactly what you would like them to do, they will be in a better position to praise and reward the pupils for successful work
• If the TA is providing you general support, don’t leave them dangling. Give them clear direction as to what you need from them and what you would like them to concentrate on.
• Set up a regular meeting to share information. If this proves difficult, set up a brief written system using a whiteboard for messages, notes or diary entries.

Interaction

• Define baseline expectations, ensure common understanding of routines and scripts. Make clear the expectations for behaviour; the pupil groupings; and other classroom tasks and practices.
• Having an additional adult in the classroom is a great resource – be sure to make the most of this by looking at different strategies for time management.
• Always model best practice. Having additional adults in the room could help you to support different learning styles more effectively. Video your interaction and discuss it with colleagues; check out interactions/teaching in another class (peer observation).
• Keep up a professional dialogue throughout the teaching session and outside the classroom.
• Use agreed key phrases to organise the classroom dynamic, for example by re-focusing the work of the TA on a specific student or group.
• Use a clear, calm voice that's loud enough to be heard but not a ‘teacher to a whole class’ type of voice when talking to a colleague.
• Begin requests by saying the TA's name, for example ‘Fred, I wonder if you could...’. This gets their attention and avoids adults in the classroom thinking that somebody else will do the work!
• Explore the range of strategies that TAs are happy to use and ensure that you support them in your class. Take the opportunity to learn from each other.

Make sure you agree a purpose:

'It is important to have agreed the purpose of working together. Aim to establish and maintain an honest, trusting relationship, with a common understanding of moral responsibility to inspire and educate children. Working together can enhance the experience – we are there to guide, enhance and support student learning and enjoy our teaching!'

Marilyn Panayi, teacher

Reflection and professional dialogue

• Find the time to have a regular review of your working relationship. If your school has a working contract, use this as a framework.
• Show and celebrate the partnership by giving praise and appreciation wherever possible.
• Remember that TAs often pick up on problems in the classroom before you do. Don’t be threatened by this: use it to encourage them to keep you in the know. Equally, inform them of any sanctions you plan to put in place.
• Some TAs are attached to one pupil, which means that they get to know them very well. They will tell you what the warning signs are, and what strategies they have found to be most effective in dealing with problems.
• Spend time talking to TAs, doing joint planning and joint evaluation of lessons.

Make the most of it and learn from the extra adult:

'An extra adult presence can provide so many things. They can support students in activities, lead on specific concepts or skills, extend learning activities for smaller groups, provide feedback (to you or the pupils), be a calming influence or role model in a career perspective, observe individual student progress, develop resources… so many aspects to enhancing the learning environment. You don’t have to feel you’ve got to do it all yourself and collaborative work can be so rewarding.'

Katy Bloom, teacher

Mutual respect and support

• Never fail to reinforce your TA’s position as an adult to be respected by the class.
• If it’s the first time a TA is in class with you, introduce them.
• Always include TAs in your talks with the class, ensuring the message is sent that ’we‘ are here to help you.
• Respect and learn from each other's skills and use each other as a friendly critic.
• Use existing strengths and develop those areas that need support.
• Share and encourage each other's CPD.
• Create a meeting point to discuss the pupils’ progress in the lesson to ensure that all formative assessment evidence is gathered.
• Network. Buddy/pair up with mentors and other teaching and associate staff.

Be assertive. As one head teacher put it:

'Some NQTs may feel awkward when instructing adults, but this is a crucial aspect of managing the classroom. You need to develop a skill that allows you to give clear messages that are polite, yet assertive, rather than bossy and rude. Ofsted will look for your ability to instruct and deploy other adults in the classroom – it is one of the standards for all teachers.'

Ian Simpson, headteacher

Make it visible: the strength of a team

• Make it clear to the students that adults work as a team and have their individual strengths.
• Always show mutual respect, especially in front of others.
• Unless the TA has special responsibility for managing behaviour, share this task by using the organisational systems, such as the senior leadership team member on duty, mentors, and the school behaviour policy.
• If these systems do not work, try to improve them with the help of colleagues.
• If you find that the adult has tackled something incorrectly, or has an approach that you disagree with, address this as soon as possible. Get it sorted out straight away through dialogue and discussion.
• If it is sensitive, ask the TA for a quick word at the end of the lesson. Never undermine, offend or criticise them in front of others – find the right time and place.
• Discuss the most difficult or sensitive issues with your NQT tutor; try out different strategies and review them at your NQT meetings.

Be clear about roles

'Make sure you know what their role is, what impact do they intend to have on pupils and what impact do they intend to have on you. What service do they represent? If not education, they may (very likely in my experience) have very different values and perspectives from you/your school and may not fully understand how your school operates.

'Once you know what their role is, make sure you know what you are supposed to be doing with that other adult.

'If you have initiated this work (eg, bringing someone in to school) make certain that they know exactly what it is you want from them, give details if you can, or you might find what you get isn't what you've asked for.

'Enjoy working with other adults – it is very rewarding when you reflect and identify the positive impact on your pupils.'

Ivan Price, head of department, St Ann’s School, Ealing