TMA01
My Role
I work in a school with approximately 370 pupils. The school comprises of 6 KS1 and 6 KS2 classes. The school has 60 members of staff. The school promotes ‘exciting and stimulating’ learning. (School website 2014) I will keep the school’s name and children anonymous throughout due to ethical reasons. (Elton-Chalcraft 2008)(KU1.5) I have been with the school for two years. I started as a volunteer whilst I studied for my level 2 in Teaching and Learning within a School. During my time in the school I have formed friendships with other staff members and I feel I am a valued member of staff, who the children and staff can trust and rely on. My confidence has grown in the ways in which I interact with the children and my language has adapted to the specific child and their needs.
I am on the playground with the class teacher providing support to parents, children or other staff members. Once the children are in class I help settle them and assist with any queries or upsets they might have. I am predominantly there for two children who find working in school difficult but I think it is important the rest of the class know they can come to me with anything. Once lessons have started I then work with my group on their IEP’s (Individual education plan) and their IBP’s (Individual behaviour plan). I will have spoken with my class teacher before school regarding the lesson plans and I also have my own plans to follow given to me weekly by the teacher. The teacher tells me what the rest of the class are doing and I then decide whether this task suits the child. Within my role I plan and prepare resources and activities for the pupils I work with. I try to make learning engaging by ‘bringing the subject alive, making the curriculum real and vivid, (Teaching and learning policy. School website 2014.) I have to make sure what I deliver enables the children to stay on task and they meet their targets. (KU1.1)
Support the curriculum
I assist with basic ICT skills in year one under the instruction of the teacher. Also, I support children in their Literacy ( reading, sounding out words and understanding the book) and Numeracy work which has been set for them by the teacher I help them to understand instruction and follow them. (KU1.4)
Support the teacher
I do administrative duties e.g. photocopying, laminating, gluing work in books etc. Classroom displays. All of which free up time for my teacher to do the things she needs to do. I am happy to do anything. I appreciate being a teacher is a very demanding and rewarding job and that support in these areas is hugely appreciated. I also assess children. I give feedback to them and write notes on their work and for the teacher.
Support the school
I attend school trips. I am either assigned a small group or I will be 1:1 with a pupil within a group. I find it very rewarding seeing the children learn in an environment unfamiliar to them. I form good relationships with the children in this time.
Support pupils
I support children constantly but one of the ways is how I scaffold the learning for the children with specific learning needs. (Rogoff 1990 and Powell; in Hancock and Colloby (2014.) I too am based in 2 different year groups. My working hours are divided between 3 classrooms. I’m a first aider which not only supports pupils but the teacher too.
Previous interests and experiences.
In my previous employments, I have worked with the elderly. Within my role I helped other staff members who were studying for their NVQ. I also worked closely with health care professionals. All of this helped to prepare me to work in a school. I often had staff ask me for advice or help with their studies. I always made sure I made time for them and if any help regarding studying I always made sure the person understood what I had explained to them. If they didn’t I would re-word what I was showing them and go through it with them again. I have transferred this technique