Teaching Assistant Review

I did my work experience as a teaching assistant in a school and involved the preparation of class work, admin duties and working with children both one to one and in groups. The day started at 8:45 and ended at 3:45 with an hour gap for a break and to be able to have lunch. I worked with a teacher and a teaching assistant in a Year 1 class

I learnt that in order to work well my self confidence skills have had to develop to be successful. I have also learn how to listen to instructions and follow them. I learnt how to respect authority but also how to work as a team and communicate with each other to make the job more easy for everyone and more enjoyable

It was a very enjoyable experience and was used to develop an understanding of whether or not I would find teaching as an enjoyable career. I found the work experience challenging but this added to the enjoyment of the duration of the work experience. The hours being 8:45 - 3:30 made the experience more enjoyable as it was not too time demanding and gave me a lot of free time afterwards

I felt very valued and made part of the team, although there was some superiority but this was respected and understood. I felt valued especially due to the thanks and a card from the school at the end of my work experience. The friendliness of both the staff and the pupils empathises the feeling of valueness

The programme was well organised and my only wish is that the time I spent there was longer as this would have allowed my skills to develop more and I feel the time period was too short to develop a full understanding whether or not that being in that career field of being is a school was right for me. The days were very structured and this was good to keep a pattern going.

On a day to day basis, I was given training dependent on the activities and the lessons relevant to the day. I was told how to interact with the children of Year 1 age in terms of how they behave and their levels of understanding. I was also trained for clerical and admin duties in an efficient way.

My employer was very friendly and told me what to do, being very patient with me if I struggled to understand what to do and gave me advice based on my skills and how I performed. They also completed a form at the end which told me what I did well and how I could improve for future experiences in both that field and other areas

This was done as a voluntary, unpaid work experience therefore there was no salary. The school at which I did my work experience was a local school therefore there was no travel costs or expenses. All work was done of my own accord in order to gain experience and knowledge on what it was like to be a teacher. I am satisfied with not being paid.

The work seemed to end at 3:45 and there was no further work outside of the work place which does not accurately represent the role of a teacher as there was no planning or marking of work outside the school which would add up to a large amount of time for a full time qualified teacher

Yes

It was a very enjoyable experience and a lot of skills were learnt. It is a good indicator of whether or not that the career path is right for you. The staff make you feel welcome and give you full instructions what to do and if you are unsure, they understand and try to aid you and your progression even further. It is a rewarding experience feeling like you've made an impact on multiple pupil's lives

Be confident in yourself and do not doubt your abilities. Have fun as it is an enjoyable experience. Take the time to reflect and think over it to fully analyse whether this career path is right for you. Be polite and respectful to your colleagues as a good relationship will be key to having an enjoyable and worthwhile work experience. Although it probably won't be paid, the skills you learn are invaluable