Teaching Assistant Level 3 Assignment 1

Describe how you might contribute to a lesson given to a group of seven year old children learning to play percussion instruments.
As a teaching assistant my main contribution to this lesson would be to support the teacher with their work in the classroom, so that they can concentrate on teaching. This could include helping to research and plan the lesson. In this scenario I could be asked to research some appropriate musical activities using the library or internet, and make a sufficient number of copies, either by printing directly from the computer or making photocopies. I would research how to use the instruments so I could fully participate and show the pupils how to use them.   Prior to the lesson I would prepare the classroom by arranging the tables and chairs and set out any instruments we would be using. I would check each instrument was clean, safe and in good working order and make an inventory incase any get misplaced or damaged.   During the lesson I would concentrate on helping children who need extra support to complete tasks and supervising group activities, encouraging all children to join in and learn.   I might be asked to make an audio or visual record of the lesson using a camera, tape or video recorder, both of which I might have to source myself from a different part of the school before the lesson. I may have to make individual or group assessments of the pupils learning and progression to report back to the teacher. This helps to identify whether the learning outcomes have been met during the lesson and that the curriculum has been followed. As the lesson comes to the end, I would encourage the children to help tidy the classroom, checking all instruments are still working and accounted for, moving the tables and chairs back to their usual places and give it a general clean and tidy. Any photographs taken during the lesson could be used to make a display at a later date.



What might your role be in organising, using and maintaining the...