Explain the Range of the Teaching Assistant’S Role in Supporting Teaching and Learning

Explain the range of the teaching assistant’s role in supporting teaching and learning.

The role of a TA varies from school to school. TAs may work supporting an individual or a group of pupils, or they may support the teacher in the classroom.
Some schools employ TAs with a specialism, such as literacy, numeracy, English as an additional language, the creative arts or special education needs. TAs work under the guidance/supervision of the classroom teacher.

Teaching Assistants support the learner by:

    • Understanding the pupil’s learning support needs example repeating instructions given by the teacher or clarifying meanings and/or ideas.
    • Gaining the pupil’s trust and confidence example looking after children who are upset or have had accidents.
    • Listening to pupils read, reading to them, or telling them stories
    • Supporting individuals to keep attention on the lesson – monitoring behaviour to help them keep on task
    • Act as a good role model by the way they interact with the pupils
    • Helping pupils who need extra support to complete tasks, individually and in groups
    • Playing educational games with children and encouraging younger children to learn through play

  Teaching Assistants support the class teacher:

    • Working in partnership to prepare and maintain the learning environment example supervising art and craft activities and displaying work
    • Helping with classroom resources and pupil records
    • Keeping records of attendance and health
    • Stocking supplies, typing, making copies and other administrative tasks
    • Preparing the classroom for lessons
    • Help and manage pupils behaviour example observing pupil performance and reporting on observations to the teacher
    • Planning, delivering and evaluating teaching and learning activities

TAs are not required to lead lessons but may supervise a class should its assigned teacher be temporarily unavailable.