incompetent TAs

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incompetent TAs
By Teri

As a TA only months away from certification to teach, I had mixed feelings reading your VENT. Of course, I've met doozies in my field that left me feeling full of frustration. However, I know what my training was like (none)
and I know what my salary is compared to the starting salary for a teacher. Few competent people not pursuing higher education are drawn to wiping the noses and cutting out the materials in classrooms for the little that is paid over minimum wage. Think about it; if you could do more, and didn't need the money, is a teaching assistant your dream job? The fact is, these are the people

who have the time and inclination to assist teachers in the classroom, and many of them have the mental or emotional short-circuits that keep them out of the competitive labor force. Should they be with our kids? Ideally, no. But, beefing up requirements for TA's means beefing up the salary and the duties. This means (no stretch of the imagination) less teachers. Just like the paraprofessionals have lessened the need for paid doctors, qualified paras who can be your "co-teacher" can entice the taxpayers to eliminate teacher positions - something that our students can hardly afford to bear.

Some suggestions: Classroom meetings to take advantage of any available time to model acceptable behavior and express your needs diplomatically. Be specific, be repetitive, and be appreciative. Don't hide behind "She should have known..." Maybe she should have, but you don't know her hiring criteria. Warm bodies is usually the only addition to the 6-credit minimum used in our district. Also, don't expect your aide to discipline or to enforce rules in your classroom. You had the management class, she didn't. You should be the last stop in that room for rules, control and time management. "Aide" means you get extra help, but you have to be clear about where you need it, and your expectations should be realistic.