As a special education teacher, having a teacher assistant can be a lifesaver! Maybe your school calls them paraprofessionals, teacher aides, instructional assistants, or something else! At my current school, every teacher has a designated teacher assistant – I know, I am SO lucky! My previous school only had a few Instructional Assistants who were designated support for tough students, so the support I had in my classroom wasn’t consistent.
I’m so incredibly thankful for my teacher assistants every day and I’ve worked hard to create a positive relationship with them. Here are my tips for setting your teacher assistants up for success and to help make sure you both have the best year possible!
Make Expectations Clear!
If you have expectations of your teacher assistant, whether about the job, responsibilities, managing behavior, etc – make them clear and do so early! In my experience, most people want to be good at their jobs, and they can’t do that if their job isn’t clearly laid out for them. Before my teacher assistants start the school year, I share a “TA Manual” with them. In this manual, I include their job descriptions, specific roles in classrooms what isn’t their job, strategies for helping students and for managing behavior, and professionalism, among other topics! My TAs can reference this throughout the year, and it helps make sure we are all on the same page! Most of my TAs are new to working in schools and with middle schoolers in general, so they appreciate the information! Over the years, I’ve learned that what seems obvious to me is not obvious to everyone, so I’d rather front-load my expectations. In addition, if there is an issue with a Teacher Assistant not pulling their weight, we can go back to the manual and review it together.
Establish Routines for Clear, Frequent, Two-Way Communication
At the end of the day, we all just want to be heard. Yes, I am the lead teacher in my classroom, but that doesn’t mean I should be the only voice. I send an email each week with upcoming events, meetings where I will be gone, and anything else that my teacher assistants may appreciate knowing. I end these emails asking for any questions or feedback they have, so I can continue to improve too!
In addition, I share positive feedback often with my assistants about positive things I notice them doing and improvements I am seeing. For example, one of my teacher assistants was so anxious about leading the class, but over time, gained confidence and did better with managing groups of students. I specifically told her what I was noticing to affirm her and to help her continue to grow!
Give Them Space
Everyone needs a space. When I knew I was getting two TAs this year (a classroom aide and a 1:1 aide) I got to work brainstorming how I could give them both a designated space for their belongings and work. No one wants to feel like an afterthought or be shoved in a corner! I created a functional small group space in my room, mirroring my desk. I got a piece of furniture with a shelf and drawer for each of them in order to give them both a space for their work and personal belongings. I got our janitor to install coat hooks as well! In my small classroom, this is what I was able to do. I’d love to give them each their own desk if I had the room!
Show Appreciation
I love my TAs and am so thankful for them each and every day, so I often do little things to show that appreciation! At the beginning of the year, I asked my assistants to fill out a survey about their favorite things (Get a free copy of what I used here!). Throughout the year, I’ll get them something from their list, like their favorite candy bar or a mini bag of their favorite snack. On Teacher Assistant Appreciation Day, which is always the last Friday in September, the resource teachers got together and brought in a breakfast of bagels and donuts to celebrate! No need to break the bank – even a thoughtful thank you card or specific kind feedback can make a big difference in showing your appreciation!
Positive relationships with your Teacher Assistants can make a huge impact on your classroom culture as a whole. How do you set your TAs up for success? Let me know in the comments below!
