Teaching assistants offer vital support in school, but school closures don’t have to mean a pause to the daily support and encouragement they usually provide.
Here are eight ways that teaching assistants can continue to provide their effective and crucial support to students, parents, colleagues and each other while working remotely:
Coronavirus: 8 ways teaching assistants can provide support
1. Telephone check-ins
A weekly call to parents of children who may be struggling to cope can be hugely valuable. Parents may not feel comfortable approaching the school to say that they are struggling but a phone call may make all the difference.
These calls are primarily supportive in nature and could involve helping a student struggling with a particular piece of work, sharing strategies with parents or carers, or simply listening to the student read.
However, a call may also raise concerns of a safeguarding nature and these should be promptly passed on to the most appropriate person.
2. Story time
No matter what age, all students love to be read to. Teaching assistants can record themselves reading a book and upload this to the school website.
Not only will this enable children to have relaxed listening time but it can also expose them to rich language and phrases that they will hopefully utilise in later creative writing.
3. Sharing resources
Feelings of anxiety are very common and understandable right now. Sharing helpful resources - during phone calls, via email and on the school website - on improving mental health and wellbeing at this time can be hugely helpful.
The Calm website offers free mindfulness resources including “soothing meditations”, a “calm masterclass” and “calm kids”, and Headspace has a collection called Weathering the Storm.
4. Video chats
Setting up a video conference call with students who are struggling without peer interaction can bring massive wellbeing benefits (if class sizes are large, you could split into smaller groups). The focus of these could be an informal chat about how they are spending life in lockdown or they could be an opportunity for some online learning.
Ensure a consent form detailing video conferencing guidance is signed, to protect the staff and students. Points to cover should include that video calls should be within school hours only; the expectation of classroom behaviour at all times; informing other people in the student’s house that the video call is taking place; that the student should not be in an isolated location (such as their bedroom); that staff may record the sessions; and that the call will be terminated if the student, parent or carer does not meet the expected standards of conduct.
5. Trauma-informed CPD
Although a lot of children will be making special family memories of this time in lockdown, some will not be so lucky. Ace Online Learning is providing a free online course on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), highlighting how to identify ACEs, the far-reaching impact they can have and how building resilience can help mitigate their damaging effects.
6. Social interaction for staff
The staffroom is a hallowed place for teachers; somewhere to sit with a cuppa and put the world to rights for 10 minutes or so. It is also an incredibly important place to find support, encouragement, upliftment, skill-sharing and knowledge.
If you’re missing the breaktime meet-up, try setting up a video conference call and invite colleagues to join for a weekly brew and a mingle. You could even request that colleagues with particular knowledge or expertise on a particular subject impart their knowledge or success strategies to help others.
7. Self-care
It’s easy to overlook ourselves in our noble quest to be all things to everyone. Ensure you add self-care to the top of your to-do list.
Working from home as a teaching assistant can be fulfilling and satisfying, despite the fear and anxiety of the current situation.
Finding space to enjoy and embrace this time in all its surrealness and uncertainty will not only benefit yourself but could also inspire others to do the same. Be the difference to make the difference.
During these uncertain times, the importance of being present and supporting both students, parents and colleagues should not be underestimated.
Whether in the classroom or working from home, teaching assistants can and should continue to provide their vital and valuable expertise - in fact, the school community depends on it.
Antoinette Frearson works at a special school in Gloucestershire and is also doing a master’s in education (special education and inclusion). Find her on Twitter @AntoinetteFrea1
