Working in Education: Module One

WORKING IN EDUCATION: MODULE ONE

The primary function of this PPT is motivational. Your goal here is get the teacher aide to imagine herself into a role, which is worthwhile, important and above all something she can be proud of doing. The central device of this process is that of narrative transportation and transformation. Though working with this device, you will create a future in the present which will enable the teacher aide to grow into the role.

INTRODUCTION:

“This is very important work” – a statement that at once underpins and overlays Module One: Working in Education.

Module One invites you to explore the roles and responsibilities of the Teacher Aide and the contributions of many people like yourself that do this type of work in schools and communities.

After journeying through Module One, with its numerous opportunities for personal reflections, you will be confident in stating “Yes, this is very important work that I am doing as a Teacher Aide.”

AIMS:

This module aims to explore the roles and responsibilities of Teacher Aides within their schools and communities.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the conclusion of this module, the participant should be able to:

describe the roles of the Teacher Aide within the school and community.
identify related tasks and responsibilities of the Teacher Aide.
appreciate the important nature of the work of the Teacher Aide within the school and community.

Your Job Title

All over Australia and the rest of the world Para Professionals in Education are known by a number of different names:

Teacher’s aide
Teaching Assistant
Educational Assistants
Assistants in Education
Education Para-professionals
Classroom Assistants

And the list goes on.

What is your Job Title ______[RD1]

In Indigenous culture “Little children are sacred”. There is no more important work than helping the next generation of Indigenous children develop into confident, educated independent Australians.

REFLECTION: AN INFORMATIVE WELCOME.

The Principal has asked you to show a newly arrived overseas visitor around your school.

Using your existing knowledge, experience and beliefs, suggest lines of dialogue in the short play script provided below.

Visitor: Of course I’ve heard of a teacher, but a “Teacher Aide”? What is that exactly?

You: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Visitor: What sort of tasks would you do each day?

You: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…...…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Visitor: Why have you chosen to do this job?

You:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Visitor: Thank you. You have given me a very informative welcome.

The following interview with a teacher aide (Kate Muggleton above) contains a good account of how important a teacher aide and what a dedicated teacher aide looks like. I think it is especially important that Kate was helped by a teacher aide when she was at school, and this inspired her to become a helper herself. This is a clear instance of the trans-generational nature of love, nurturing, care and solidarity

KateMuggleton is no stranger to the challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. But looking back to the valuable support the received from a teacher’s aide in primary school, Muggleton was inspired to help students in the same way. Completing her studies last year Muggleton received Sunshine Coast TAFE’s Indigenous Student of the Year Award and now works in both a primary and a high school.

How did you come to be an Indigenous Liaison Officer?

Ok well I began my studies last year, I was doing Cert III and IIII in education support. And from there I did vocational placement with a primary school and eventually gained employment from them. So that kind of came through with my studies ... I’m actually doing teacher aid work but they’ve given me the title of Indigenous Liaison Officer.

What does the job involve on a typical day?

With the primary school I’ve been given a list of the Indigenous students, and so the principal [has] decided on which students need help, whether it’s with literacy or numeracy. They’ve given me the plan that they want me to work with, and so I’ve come up with my own timetable with the kids and organise activities to suit them. With the high school it’s a little bit different, I still get the list of students, but I kind of just target the students who want that support.

What do you enjoy most about the role?

I enjoy engaging with the kids and getting them motivated in improving on their work and even getting work done really. So I just want to see more Indigenous students come through the education system. I had trouble in my primary school years, and I knew how valuable it is to get that support from a teacher’s aide. So that inspired me to do the same thing for the kids that I’m working with now.

What’s the most challenging part of the job?

...As you get to know the students, finding out what strategies really support them. Sometimes it takes a little while with all the students and their different learning styles. Coming up with certain resources that suit each child takes a lot of trial and error. Also with the high school students getting them engaged in cultural activities is quite hard, but I think that’s to do with maybe, you know, if they’re not really familiar with it or if they have their perceptions of it and that kind of puts them off, so that’s where I’m trying to think about how I can support the students and educate them on the culture and also non-indigenous people too.

What kind of skills do you think you need to be successful in the job?

Definitely organisational skills, that’s very important in whatever work you do anyway. But also being able to communicate well with the students, and kind of tailoring the support around them and making sure that they feel they’re getting the right help.

What would your advice be for S-press readers considering a career as a teacher’s aide?

Well I think you’ve got to be inspired to want to see the kids go through [their] education... Education is really important and being involved with that process is really rewarding, so I’d tell them go for it if you feel like you want a job where you’re helping children. It’s important for the future.

Source: <

REFLECTION: NOW THIS IS A CHALLENGE!

KateMuggleton outlines some of the challenges as she sees them in carrying out her work as a Teacher Aide. Imagine yourself faced with the same interview question, “What’s the most challenging part of the job?” in your response below.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The “us” of the title of this slide is chosen deliberately. It is an effort to create a balance between the unique individual and also the groupings to which he or she belongs. Discussion around this slide should involve matters such as that the teacher aides as a group bring:

Continuity to the child’s education. Inevitably there is considerable turnover of non-Indigenous staff.
This continuity also raises the point that most of the children will stay within the community. We are not educating them for escape. This is not the ladder of opportunity model, up which the occasional individual escapes. We are educating for community enhancement. Though of course mobility is the right of all of us, and an education can make that easier. But to repeat here the primary thrust is a commitment to the community and working with the teacher aides is an essential part of that process.
Knowledge. The aides bring a level of knowledge of the community to the schools that the teachers cannot have. This knowledge does have a cultural and a historical component and that is vital. In many ways the teacher aides can also be the keepers of the memories of the community. But the teacher aides also possess a knowledge of the everyday business of the community. They know where the pressure points and the sensitivities are, and can that knowledge can be drawn upon to head off a crisis.

REFLECTION: ABOUT MY SCHOOL, ABOUT MY COMMUNITY.

The Principal has decided to write an introductory letter to the new teachers who will be arriving for the start of your next school year and has asked for your input.

Jot down some interesting facts about and features of your school and community.

MY SCHOOL:

MY COMMUNITY:

You can't have a partnership without a relationship, and you can't have a relationship without a conversation. You've got to have the conversation. Everything starts here.

Partnerships are vital to Indigenous students' success at school.
However you look at it, responsibility for improving educational outcomes must be a shared one. That can happen when Indigenous families become more familiar with, confident about and engaged in the work of schools — and when, in turn, schools become more knowledgeable about, engaged with and respectful of the backgrounds, lives and aspirations of their Indigenous families.

Teacher RoshniDullaway (left) with Aboriginal Teaching Assistant Roslyn George at Doomadgee State School

In the end, it's always about people getting on and working together — and that's everyone's responsibility.
“The key to the success of the teacher aide and the teacher is in the forming of a close partnership. If they work as a team then they can achieve great things. Both have much to bring to the partnership and if they plan and work together then the child will benefit greatly.

Most of the material available here is about the process of developing fairly formal partnership agreements between schools and their Indigenous communities. But, even if you are not in a position to be part of such a ‘large’ partnership, there are other kinds of interpersonal partnership that make important contributions. Sometimes these are vital in situations where Indigenous students are a small minority.
Remember, though, that all of these partnerships, large and small, start with a conversation, develop into a relationship and finally become a partnership

Source:

REFLECTION: ABOUT ME.

“Partnerships, large and small, start with a conversation.”

The new teachers have arrived and you have been assigned to work with one of them. The teacher is keen to find out more about you, and has asked if you have any special interests, hobbies or pastimes that you enjoy doing. Outline your response in the space below.

The above photo is taken from This is a site which supplies information on children with hearing disability and how they can be assisted. There are many other reasons why a child might be sad and need help. The good teacher aide is there for the child.

REFLECTION: WHAT A DIFFERENCE A T.A. MAKES.

There is no hiding the sadness on the face of the little girl in the picture.

Imagine yourself as the Teacher Aide responding to this child. What actions could you take that may make a difference :

Immediately?

In the short term?

In the long term?

The above photo: is GET READY: (Back - left to right) Grade two teacher Sarah Greenhatch, Senior Sergeant Cameron Barwick, and teacher aide Kathryn Williams with grade two calendar artists GaileneLanglo and TroysonMcInnerney - together they are making Woorabinda a safer place.

Source:

Teacher aides can play a leading role in embedding the school within the community. This can be summed up as the teacher aide is an ambassador for the school and also a campaigner for the importance of the school as good school that can provide an education. As a member of the community the teacher aide has many, many opportunities to spread the good news about the school and the chance it will provide for the children’s future.

The following is adapted from Learning Strategies for Partnerships for Schools <

Prep-2

Make contact with parents early in the school year and take steps to make them feel welcome into the classroom.

Encourage parents to read to children every night.

Years 3-6

Consistently talk with students and parents about the teacher’s and your high expectations for the student.

Discuss with parents how they can consistently reinforce appropriately high expectations, and stretch and challenge their child's learning at home.

Encourage parents to have children read aloud regularly from a variety of texts.

Years 7-9

Communicate with parents about teaching and learning to build a shared language.

Encourage parents to provide motivation and assistance with homework and assignments.

Enlist parents to help organise workshop sessions for other parents on topics of interest or need.

Years 10-12

Assist with student-led conferences with staff members, families and community participants.

Set homework that helps to develop channels of communication between parents and students, e.g. analyse political or social issues or books, films and television programs.

Encourage students and parents each term to develop a realistic study plan.

Encourage parent attendance at career expos and to expose their child to the range of career paths available.

Enlist parents to help students deal with distractions and competing priorities.

REFLECTION: THERE’S A “U” IN COMMUNITY.

Think about the work you do as a Teacher Aide.

Now think about another community member from outside of your school.

How does your work as a Teacher Aide assist that community member?

Source:

Aide

The College Aboriginal Teacher Assistant, Mrs Cindy Barrie, works to establish strong links between Aboriginal families, Aboriginal students and college staff. In this capacity Mrs Barrie shares the responsibilities related to the teaching and learning process of all Aboriginal students. This includes counselling and mentoring the students, providing cultural advice as required, supporting literacy and numeracy programs and acting as a role model for the students.

Ms Cindy Barrie, is typical of the many teacher aides, who work in the school to help indigenous children. It is what she does and who she is. You too can be the person who provides the support your community's children need.

What I do

Tasks you may be required to perform

From: Induction Handbook teacher Aides

You may, under the direct or indirect supervision of a teacher, be required to undertake a number

of tasks that include, but are not limited to:

• assist and participate in activities that improve the physical, social, emotional and intellectual

development of students

• support teachers with the preparation and delivery of indoor and outdoor learning activities

• assist in supporting students with disabilities with their academic studies, personal care and

dignity requirements

• provide feedback to teachers regarding student participation in learning activities

• assist students individually to learn social skills

• coordinate virtual schooling environments

• perform administrative duties

• assist with the preparation of teaching aids

• provide support to the teacher-librarian

• manage information and communication technologies

• supervise students during breaks, before and after school

• supervise students in certain schools if a teacher is not present due to sudden illness (see

Adult Supervision of Pre-set Learning

Procedure)

• undertake specific literacy and numeracy duties

REFLECTION: WORK MATTERS.

A Teacher Aide being interviewed about her job described her work as “family-friendly” and allowing her to maintain a “work-life balance”.

What are some of the benefits of working as a Teacher Aide from your point of view?

Mandy is proud of her work as a teacher Aide. She knows she makes a difference. You too can share in that pride by doing your best as a teacher aide.

“My name is Mandy Berghoef and I am an Aboriginal descendant from the Batjala nation from Kgari (Fraser Island), I am a teacher aide at The Willows Primary School. The Willows Primary School has a great support program for indigenous students and their families and we became involved with it. In my voluntary time I was a member of the ASSPA committee and volunteered to help in the school in classrooms.

I have been employed for the last six years as an Indigenous Support Aide. I also work in mainstream areas, like Learning Support, Pod Work and laminating. Being an Aboriginal person in the school is important because we need positive role models for our children and also to help any teachers who require any assistance with Indigenous curriculum ideas, resources and celebrations.

In my journey as an aide and learner myself at The Willows State School, I have completed my Certificate 3 Teacher Aide, Support a Reader, Support A Number and hold a Certificate in First Aid. I thoroughly enjoy my work with the students and have formed bonds with families and friendships with the kids, indigenous and non-indigenous, within the school community.”

Source:

REFLECTION: LOOK AT ME!

It is one of the catch-cries of childhood – “Look at me…….Look what I can do.” As adults we dutifully look over at the child, and are often filled with wonder and admiration for the vitality of children. Make no mistake, in the work that you do as a Teacher Aide, you encourage, support, sustain and enhance that vitality in the children for whom you care.

DO take the time to reflect back on your responses in this module, but in so doing

DON’T be surprised to find yourself thinking (or even calling out):

“Look at me……Look at this very important work that I can do!”

[RD1]Can we use this field to populate the Job Title Fields in all of the documents?