no experience for a teaching assistant job iv just started.

cms88digital

Hi there,

looking for advice- basically began a job 2 weeks ago and ended up in tears on my first day as was thrown in at the deep end with literally no prior information about the pupil etc.

It's a 1-1 position which I knew but I didn't know anything about the child as there was some conflict about them extending the original application to employ 2 additional staff members and I was sort of second choice for the initial role.

I have trained hard working for free at another school for the past year and was very excited to get this post straight after completion however I now feel I was very mislead and that if I had all the information when I was considering applying for this post that I wouldn't have done so as I have no experience!

On my first day I wasn't even shown to the classroom I found my way and was told by the teacher this is who you'll be working with and hes autistic...queue jaw dropping fear as I have absolutely no idea how to deal with this and already feel like a failure. Also not fair for the child as his needs wont be met by someone with no understanding.

The job is in foundation which is an area I have a little experience in however it was initially a temporary post and I have a child of my own the same age.

I ended up in tears on my first day as another member of staff told me i'd been conned with this job etc and that it wont be 1-1 and she was managing 3 pupils on her own which made me really concerned.

I feel like I have no support and that I am not the person for this job I spoke with the head through tears on my first day feeling completely overwhelmed and feel that they sort of put my mind at ease but 2 weeks later (I didn't want to just give up) aside of the general new job worries i'm trying not to be negative but it's proving impossible as the job advertised which I went for isn't the one i'm doing and I don't know what I can do about it.

I really don't want to go in tomorrow as I feel my lack of experience isn't fair on the child or on me as by the end of the day I am frustrated and my own family is feeling the brunt of this as I am struggling to understand why they hired me?!

I know I will make a good TA and even possibly on a 1-1 basis with a child who has learning difficulties but autism is a little more complex and with no prior knowledge I feel like I can't do this job it's not fair on the child as he has to get to know his keyworker who hopefully understands his own frustrations etc and how to deal with them and I do not. It's like anybody would have been good enough etc.

what can i do?:mad:

TELLIT01

You need to speak to the Head, or your line-manager, immediately. The situation isn't tenable as it stands and is doing yourself and the child harm.

ACG

I really do not mean this to come across as rude, but I genuinely believe in saying things as they need to be said rather than beating around the bush.

This job is not as described. The job is not going to change, it has no real scope to change other than you get some training but I suspect if you went to your boss in tears and training has not been forthcoming then that is unlikely to happen now.

So your options really (in my eyes) are leave. Im sure the employer would understand. Or, look at it as a learning experience. Speak to people who do a lot of work with people who have autism, read up on it, ways to help teach them etc? It may not be the direction you want to go in, but it would look good on a CV. Your first job was far more difficult than expected but you went above and beyond to learn for the sake of the child.

It probably is a lot trickier than expected but if you can find a way to stop it affecting your home life I would stick at it until you either become comfrotable or you find something more suitable.

Im sure we have all had jobs where we thought we were out of our depth. I definitely have!

I remember seeing this when training for a job. It was my first "proper" job and I felt like I was sinking until I seen this which then took a big weight off my shoulders as I knew they knew I was not walking in to the job as the finished article. As you were not the first choice, they know you are not the best candidate for the job (again, sorry to be blunt) and that should take some of the weight off.

ohreally

In future, your interviewing them as well!

Andypandyboy

You need to read up on the spectrum. Where on the spectrum does this child fall? I assume that if he is in main stream education he is not at the most extreme end of the spectrum, therefore, you can, with patience and empathy learn how to work with him. Some days it will just be contain and keep calm, others it will be facilitating learning. If you have a child the same age you can often go with your gut feeling. That said, you do need training - urgently. Ask for help, ask for strategies, other TA's will help if asked but they won't push help onto you. To have got the job you must have appeared competent, you must have appeared empathetic, take a deep breath and go with the flow.

If it becomes really untenable then you walk away for the good of everyone concerned.

pandora205

Here is a useful link on NAS website that gives some ideas for how to support children on the autistic spectrum:
http://www.autism.org.uk/working-with/education/teaching-young-children.aspx

When you have a bit more time, the Inclusion Development Programme has some training that you could work through independently:
http://www.idponline.org.uk/eyautism/launch.html

dawyldthing

Foundation stage is about hollistic learning (so children learn through play but activities will be set up to extend there learning).

If the child is autistic many like routine so if you can help set up a routine (even a pictorial diagram of the day - this all depends how autistic the child is mind).

Ask to speak to the schools Sen co-ordinator - all schools should have one

It's been 5 years since I stepped foot in a school but foundation stage is about learning through doing. Look up Montessori approach as many schools will work on letting children learn at there own speed with a teacher/ ta guidance. The teacher should include you in there planning, especially for the learning goals, but you might need to help with the eyfs proforma and showing the goals met. You might lead small groups but if the funding is for one to one then you might be just with the one child (but working with others may help there social skills).

The other thing is they have given you the job as they believe in you and your talents. It might seem overwealming at first, especially as it sounds like you don't have a supportive teacher (boy that brings final placement flooding back) or school, but they need to support you too. There will be courses , they might just need a prompt. Give it until Chrismas and then at least you've given it a good try. It will probably take the child a while to warm to you (I know someone with autism and it often does) but when they do they can be a delight to work with.

There's often autistic charities in the area so might be worth giving them an email for support.

Good luck, but you aren't alone. We've all been there (I had 4 seperate schools and saw the whole spectrum of support from wholly to none existent - including final placement when I were supposed to shadow and a day in was pretty much left to it), so know the feeling but get as much support as you need

dawyldthing

http://www.montessori.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/50582/guide-to-early-years.pdf

Something like that will help

cms88digital

thanks everyone, spoke to head and senco today expressed my concerns and have been offered loads of support and training, this was mentioned briefly in the first instance on my first day but today i've actually been given something solid to work with...more of a routine has been put in place as I felt I was bumbling along with no real purpose but now I have some idea about what I am expected to do and what the child is expected to achieve even if this is something simple like joining carpet time for 2-3 mins this should be viewed as success and I've had a lot of reassurance off my co-workers that no this job wasn't what I applied for and they could have been more transparent...but i'm in it now and from them knowing the child a little longer than me they feel he has taken to me really well which has helped my confidence a little.

going to give it a go with the new training and advice and see how I get on I don't want to quit after such a short time I think I had just forgotten how to ask properly for support.

thanks again xxx

Tigsteroonie

As the Mum of a 6yo ASD/SLD child, I'd like to thank you for going back into work today.

If you had just given up and not gone in, there is every chance that the child wouldn't have been able to stay at school today due to lack of support staff. That child would have been sent home, and then have to stay at home, until emergency 1-to-1 cover could be arranged. Whilst as parents we appreciate that our children are not the easiest in the world to manage, we do our best to create some kind of normal routine - which includes our child going to school every day, the same as any other five-year-old would, and we as parents going out to work.

It can be a really rewarding job. You'll get to see our children achieve so much. I wish I didn't have to work, and could home-school our son, but it's just not an option financially.

Our son's S&LT swears by the ideas provided by Hirstwood, it may be worth having a look at some of their free videos. Tomorrow I'm going to a free seminar about "Positive Practical Approaches in Autism" run by the Hesley Group (apologies for lack of link!) So there is training and advice available.

I hope your pupil makes you smile every day. That's our aim with our son, a smile and giggle each day. Two to three minutes of carpet time with the other children? Maybe on a good day

duchy

I'd say the biggest thing you need is consistancy - and then remember that ASD kids are very literal - avoid figures of speech - they be looking for a skull on the floor if you say you laughed your head off - as an example

Carpet time was a HUGE issue for my son-He was a very typical ASD child in that it was really uncomfortable for him as ASD kids don't do well with close physical proximity and are sensitive to harsh fibres (like carpet) as well as noise. A chair on the edge of the carpet worked far better for him - Interesting if this is a primary target.

Empathy is far more important than experience . My son's TA was amazing -she had no previous experience as an LSA but had built rapport with my son in her dinner lady role . She just "got" him and worked with him from the time he was 7 until he went to high school .
She made an amazing difference and I know she worked hard educating herself about ASD so she could do the best she could . A truely amazing woman - we were blessed to have Sarah S (I'd love if she read this and recognized herself. My son J is now 24 and the school was in Purley )

I've worked as a TA myself at secondary level and understand how tough it is to be given a child without the background and support...... it is daunting ....what is also daunting - and also disappointing that another member of staff tried to make you feel bad. I hope the SENCO and head meeting helped with that too.

A good TA really makes a difference and they are often the unsung heroines (and heroes) in schools.