Welcome to the TA College Blog

Teaching Assistant training and accredited qualifications. Working with schools to improve practice with teaching assistants. Supporting teaching assistants to be creative in their learning support.

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Training days – it’s all in the mind

September is here again. For most this means new planners, new classroom displays, new children to meet. For me, it means training days.

This week I had the pleasure of going back up to Cundall Manor (who very proudly told me they had just been announced as one of Tatler’s Top 15 schools – well done Cundall Manor!), having done a day’s observation there in May. This training day was about filling in some of the gaps we’d identified during my visit, and starting a long-term professional development programme for the TAs.

We had some fantastic discussions about working with the teacher effectively, how to maximise our time, and how to structure learning conversations to promote independence.

One thing that really struck me, however, was the attitude of these TAs. They were all experienced and highly competent, yet they all approached the day positively, wanting to learn and develop themselves – it’s this attitude that made the day so successful, and such a good experience for both the TAs and myself.

Ultimately, this is what the success of all training – of any professional development – hangs on. Yes, the quality of the material and the instructor are important, but what really drives it is how you approach it. If you walk into a training room thinking it’s a waste of your time and you’re not going to get anything out of it, then regardless of what the instructor says that’s exactly what will happen. Yet if you go in with an open-mind, with a desire to learn and a want to improve, you will find it valuable.

It is important to note however, that is may not mean learning anything new. In fact, a lot of professional development isn’t about learning totally new ideas and concepts, but about looking at things from different perspectives, focusing on what is often overlooked, and supporting you to develop ideas and questions that need to be asked and implemented over a period of time. What you get out of professional development, and how it impacts your practice, is up to you.

So this is my challenge for you this week. Reflect on how you approach professional development. What attitudes and mindsets do you take into the training room with you? How do you ensure you’ll get something out of the day?

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Switching off without turning off

The summer is a great time to relax, slow down and enjoy ourselves.

However as the week’s progress, I keep hearing more and more that people are finding it hard to motivate themselves, have become sluggish, or are getting a bit of cabin fever, without having a routine and having to think of new things to do with the kids as the days all merge into one.

Whilst summer is a great time to switch off, it’s really important that we don’t turn off completely – this will just make the transition back to school even harder!

So now that we’ve only got a couple of weeks of the holidays left, what you can do to get yourself turned back on?

Get outdoors – get outside every day if you can. Go for a walk with the kids, walk somewhere you’d usually drive to, or just sit in the back garden. Even if the weather’s bad grab some wellies and a raincoat!

Limit your screen time – too much time watching TV or using a tablet or smartphone can be really bad. Not only does time pass without you realising, but it’s actually very disengaging for the brain. Set yourself period of screen time, or go whole days without any screens at all.

Create a to do list – things you need to do before going back to school, places you want to go, jobs around the house. Write the list and then separate it out so that you have something you can do every day

Set yourself a challenge – maybe this could be to read 3 books before the start of term, or to visit every park in your local area.

Giving yourself a routine and a focus now will make all the difference when school starts up again – it won’t be as big a shock to the system!

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5 Top Tips for Talking to Young Children

Being able to talk to young children can seem like a gift – some people can it do naturally, whereas it can make others feel quite uncomfortable! Yet engaging young children in conversation, or simply letting them listen to conversations, is an essential element of supporting their development.

As with all skills, how to talk to young children is something that can be learned. Here are 5 top tips for you to consider in your interactions.

1. Keep questions to a minimum

It’s tempting to ask lots of questions to encourage children to engage in a conversation, and to extend their thinking and language, and whilst there are benefits to this with young children it can be counter-productive. One or two questions to open or close a conversation or when they would naturally appear in conversation is fine but asking a series of questions in quick succession can become overwhelming for a child and quickly turn them away from the conversation.

2. Let the child lead the conversation

Once a conversation has been initiated, let the child direct it even if it takes some unexpected turns! Conversation should be an organic, natural process so that the child doesn’t feel any pressure. The child is more likely to want to talk if they’re talking about what interests them in that moment.

3. Give plenty of time for responses

It can take much longer for a child to think of and formulate a response, so don’t be afraid of some pauses in the conversation. It can take 10 seconds or more for a child to respond and this is actually a really long time – try being quiet for 10 seconds now! Don’t feel the need to fill these silences but give the child the opportunity to think about what they want to say.

4. Model correct vocabulary

Even if a child isn’t being particularly forthcoming in a conversation, for whatever reason, you can still use opportunities to model correct vocabulary for them. This is especially the case for new vocabulary that has recently been introduced. Make sure you pronounce every word clearly and enunciate for the children. Hearing correct vocabulary is incredibly beneficial even if they’re not yet using it.

5. Be mindful of body language

It’s not just our verbal communication we need to be aware of. We can use our facial expressions and body language to put a child at ease and make them feel comfortable in a conversation. Make sure that’re down at their level, with open body language (try not to cross your arms or legs), make eye contact and don’t forget to smile!

 For more resources and support on how you can effectively communicate with the children you support, check out TA Connect or our NCFE CACHE qualifications.

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5 assumptions to avoid to be an Amazing TA

1.       Thinking there’s a perfect TA

No matter how long we’ve been in the role, how many teacher’s we’ve worked with, how many children we’ve supported or how much training we’ve done, there is no perfect TA. We often hear new TAs talk about needing more confidence, or more experience, but the truth is whether you’ve been a TA for 1 month or 10 years, this is always the case.

Thinking there is some end destination, a point in time where you feel you’ll no longer improve, is dangerous. Being an Amazing TA is about reflecting on our practice, identifying gaps in our knowledge and skills and filling those gaps, and continuously looking for ways we can improve the support we offer.

Once we realise we’ll never be “perfect”, we can be Amazing.

2.       Focusing on photocopying and displays

Historically, TAs may have been used more to support classroom administration than anything else – preparing resources, sharpening pencils, creating displays. Whilst all of these are important to the running of a classroom, they have little impact on teaching and learning. To have a real impact, TAs need to be directly supporting children in their learning, working alongside the teacher to monitor progress and development, and provide meaningful feedback.

It can be useful to do an audit of your time – how much time per week do you spend supporting learning, and how much do you spend on administrative tasks? We should always find that the most time should be spent on teaching and learning, or activities directly relevant to this such as completing observations or discussing planning.

3.       Thinking teachers know everything

It’s easy to feel like teachers have all the answers, but the reality is that they don’t. Some of their ideas and lessons will be fantastic, and others will fall flat. Sometimes our teachers will think they’ve given us all the information we need to support an activity or a particular child, but they haven’t. Teachers don’t have all the answers, and once we realise this, and offer our support to them as well as the children, we can establish a really purposeful working relationship.

4.       Not asking questions and clarifying information

Leading on from this, we need to ensure that we don’t take the information we’re given, by our teacher or anyone else, without clarifying it. Failure to do so is the main cause of miscommunication and misunderstandings and this is when things can go wrong. Whenever you’re given a piece of information or asked to do something make sure you have all the information you need, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

5.       Not seeing the bigger picture

It’s important to remember that we are only part of the bigger picture, and in more ways than one. A part of the wider school, part of each child’s educational journey, each activity is part of a bigger topic of learning, each training day or qualification we do a part of our professional development.

Sometimes it’s easy for us to focus on the smaller parts than on the bigger whole. Rather than just thinking about the activity we’re doing at the same, consider how it fits in to the children’s overall learning. Instead of just focusing on the training day you’re doing right now, reflect on what you need to do next. Seeing the bigger picture can really help us to think about what’s important and focus on our priorities.

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The Perfect TA Meeting

This suggested structure is ideal for line managers of TAs, HLTAs, Lead TAs - basically anyone responsible for leading meetings with TAs.

Part 1 - On Arrival

A question on the board to discuss in groups while TAs get coffee. Something open ended, even controversial works well.

Questions you might like consider could be:

Should children be encouraged to select their own resources to support them during learning activities?

Is presentation of work as important as achieving learning objectives?

Do teaching assistants need to be involved in planning to fully support learning activities?

This type of discussion at the beginning of the meeting ensures the time is fully utilised and there is no dead time in waiting for the meeting to begin. This type of question creates a platform to gradually undo any old-fashioned thought processes and shape the way in which the TA team are working.

5 – 10 minutes - Group Discussion

Share thoughts and outcomes of the discussion. This is a great opportunity to discuss that differing opinions can often be a great thing and that teachers they work with may have different expectations.

  Part 2 - 30 to 60 minutes – Main Meeting

One or more of the following focus elements for your meeting:

Short Training Session

Prepare a short training session on a topic that would benefit the TAs. Ensure there are more activities or discussion than delivery focused training to ensure the training is memorable and meaningful for each TA.

Idea/Resource Share

For this type of meeting, each TA brings along a resource or great idea they have seen work well in the classroom. Just a few TAs could bring resources and show them to the whole group, or everyone could bring something and run the meeting as a speed dating style session, so everyone shares their ideas in pairs for just a few minutes before one moves on.

General Information Sharing

Take care that this doesn’t become a negative, problem sharing affair. You could try having a rule that if anyone raises an issue, they should have thought of at least one way to solve the problem. Anyone listening to the issue should focus on providing ideas to solve the problem too.  The only way for meetings to be productive is to have a common understanding that fault-finding is unhelpful unless we have ideas for a solution that will work for most people.

  Part 3 - 5 Minutes – Action Planning

Whether the focus of the meeting has been training, idea/resource sharing or general information sharing a concentrated 5 minutes of action planning of changes TAs might like to try in their classroom practice.

  A few tips:

Remember the little things matter too. Cake is always popular for a meeting!

Agreeing that all stress and negativity are left at the door can be helpful, so forward-thinking positivity is maximised

Celebrate success. Remember that we’re all here, in school to build confidence, self-esteem and progress with the young people we work with. The little break-throughs are worth celebrating together.

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Why is The TA College right for you?

Flexible learning to suit your lifestyle

We know finding time to fit a qualification into an already busy lifestyle can be challenging, which is why we offer flexible learning that will fit around you. You can access your eLearning portfolio 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you can work on your assignments at times that suit you. Whilst you will have an overall time limit for the qualification, we don’t set deadlines (but will help you to set your own if you feel you’d benefit from this) so that you can plan when you’ll be able to work, and we don’t close over school holidays so that you can make the most of not being in school.

 Unlimited support from your Personal Support Tutor

When you enrol on to a course with The Teaching Assistant College, you will be assigned a Personal Support Tutor, who will support you from the very beginning of your course right through to the end, and beyond. All of our Personal Support Tutor’s have worked in schools and come from educational backgrounds, and they all understand what it’s like to work in the school environment and undertake a qualification. They will be your main point of contact throughout your studies, will assess your work, and support you in whatever way you need to be successful.  

 Easy to use eLearning platform

We have a streamlined, easy to use eLearning platform, which keeps all your learning materials and assignments in one place. This means there’s only one log in to remember, and only one system to find your way around! Through this platform, you’ll be able to track your progress and see what you have completed and what you have left, access your eLectures and resources, and submit your assignments. You’ll receive a step-by-step visual guide on how to use it, and your Personal Support Tutor will answer any questions or concerns you have.

 No hidden fees and flexible payment options

The price you see on the website is what you’ll pay*. This includes your eLearning materials, candidate handbook, textbook, unlimited access to your Personal Support Tutor, direct observation (if applicable) and additional resources, which we’ll talk about in a minute. There are no hidden fees, and we can offer flexible payment plans to suit you. If you have any questions about our payment plans, please give the office a call on 01785 227 574.

*If you go over your target end date, additional charges will be incurred.

 Access to TA College Resources

For the duration of your qualification, you’ll get free access to other TA College resources, such as blogs, a private student Facebook group, and our online resource library TA Connect. TA Connect is a fantastic supplement to your qualification, providing practical, downloadable resources and pocket sized professional development that can enhance your knowledge, understanding and skills.

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Why the new TA College Candidate Handbook is a great tool for supporting you on your course

An #Inspirational Introduction 

When opening the first page of the new Candidate Handbook, you will get a friendly introduction to the Teaching Assistant College, welcoming new students and showing our amazing way of studying as well as the support we offer while you are on your journey with us. We want our students to feel inspired and supported while completing their course, to show that their vision is also ours too.

Getting Started…

Starting on the first few pages (5,6,7,8) you can personalise the Handbook by writing down all the details that are going to be important throughout your course, so this will include your name, your tutors name, email address, phone number etc.

On pages 6 and 7 is the course overview, where you can fill in your course details; Which course you’re doing, how many units, how long you are working on the course for.

On page 7, the Handbook allows you to plan how you are going to utilise your time while completing your course, also what challenges you may need to overcome and even thinking about your next steps after the course is completed.

The focus of page 8 is your placement (if your course specifies that you need one) and overall information about your role, how many hours you are doing and your mentors name.

Keeping on Track

We at the TA College know sometimes it can be hard to keep on track of coursework, especially when you have such a busy life! But there is no need to worry because you will have regular contact and support from your tutor. The tutor you are assigned will give you regular tutorials, email contact, progress reviews and coursework deadlines to ensure that you are as happy and organised as you would like to be. Also, by using your calendar you are able to schedule tutorials with your tutor.

Page 10 explains who is involved in your course, giving you a list of how they can support you and what you can do to get in contact with them as well as what their responsibilities are.

Speaking about responsibilities, there is a list on page 11 with key responsibilities for you while completing your course. It is so important to maintain contact with your tutor and if you have ANY questions or if you are stuck with coursework, to make sure you ask for help along with support from your tutor and The TA College HQ.

Starting on page 15 The TA College Handbook have dedicated a whole section to meeting the assessment criteria, because of the extreme importance of it. This part explains what your criteria is and how it can be met by depending on which tasks you are completing.

Writing and research tips are given in the Handbook which can help you when completing a piece of work. The Handbook also explains elements of your course that can involve gathering evidence and reflection.

The observation part of your course is when your chosen placement (whether you are full-time, part-time or volunteering) is visited by a tutor for an observed assessment, with all the content needed in the handbook, we at the TA College make it our number 1 priority for all our students to feel assured and confident whilst completing their course with us.

Getting Started with Ecordia

You may have used this system before, but if not Ecordia is an online eportfolio system that you will use when completing your course, you will use Ecordia to view your eLearning, submit your evidence, work and to track your progress on the course.

Starting on page 28, the Handbook states clearly on the content page and breaks down each section of Ecordia to ensure that our students understand the system perfectly for them to use it for their course;

●        The first steps

●        The Ecordia Front

●        Tabs

●        The Gap Report

●        Showing Standards

●        Plans

●        eLearning

●        Evidence Tasks

●        Uploading Additional Evidence

●        Submitting Evidence

●        Uploading Additional Evidence

●        Linking your Evidence

●        Assessment Feedback

●        Accepting Feedback

●        Completing Units

●        Ecordia Notes

Resources

The resource part of the Handbook contains all the weekly and daily timetables, logbooks and note pages that you will need during the duration of your course. Providing a student calendar so you can note down important dates for placement or tutorials regarding a certain unit. On pages 51 – 56 you can document progress reviews throughout your course, (which is when review what you have learned from the course already,) what the next step in your development is and 3 main targets that you want to achieve.

Study time is the most important element, finding the time to complete a course and have other commitments can be a struggle, but with the study timetable on page 59 you can insert when you are ‘picking the kids up from school’ and ‘coursework time’ as 2 examples. A logbook is provided on pages 60 – 65 reviewing your actions throughout a day at placement.

The last few pages are dedicated to TA Connect, which is a personalised professional development portal; a hub where you can track your performance while embracing new ideas in a TA friendly environment. TA Connect is a great and free source to use for the duration of your course. For any questions you might have regarding your course, Ecordia or TA Connect etc. it can be all answered in the back of the Handbook. But if you have any more that aren’t answered in the Handbook, we have provided the TA College HQ phone number and email address for you to contact us with any enquiry that you may have.

Overall…

The new Handbook is a great introduction to your course, to help you as a student to get to know the TA College and what we represent and make sure our high standards are met through unrivaled support. Our whole team want to make you feel as welcome as possible and inspire you so you in turn can inspire children and teachers alike with your amazing TA knowledge!

We are here to support, encourage and be your friend.

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Cambridge School of Bucharest, Romania

Towards the end of August of this year we were delighted to be invited to Cambridge School of Bucharest to deliver training to both their small cohort of TAs and teachers.

Introduction

Founded in 1994, the school has grown tremendously over the last 20 years and takes pupils on a journey from kindergarten right through to high school. The school is modern and extremely forward thinking, placing great emphasis on training and professional development for all its staff.

What we delivered

We were asked to deliver 2 days of training. The first day focusing on the role of the TA in supporting teaching and learning. During this first day we began by looking at the importance of providing effective classroom support, differentiation and quality questioning whilst encompassing the whole ethos of independent learning and strategies to promote it within the classroom.

On day 2 the TAs were joined by the teachers. This enabled us to define roles and discuss the importance of TAs and teachers working as part of a team. We explored the planning cycle and the importance of motivation and positivity and the impact this has in a school environment. The tasks and activities facilitated during the day enabled the staff to share best practice. At the end of the day we looked at the importance of reflective practice and next steps.

Feedback

Well feedback was extremely positive. The school are keen to develop a strong working relationship with us in the future and see these first 2 days as a stepping stone towards this goal.

I would like to tell you how much we have enjoyed your training, it was very helpful 

Julia A. Suroż, Academic Quality Controller - Lower School

Hopefully we will have  continuous collaboration together in the future.

Rita Maalouf, Director

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My first week at The Teaching Assistant College

My name is Lauren Wharton, I am currently 20 years old and have completed my first week at the Teaching Assistant college, currently doing an Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing and Social Media. I have decided to write my first article depicting how I feel. I could sit and tell you about the basics of being new at work, but I want to delve into the depths of being new and what it means to me. I want to explain and inform how to be and act while at work and to also give personal advice to employers who have a new employer/ employee, based on my own experiences.

 Why have I chosen this career path?

I have always loved to put my creative spin and ideas while making posts and videos for social media to promote values and our company, therefore while at my previous job I was given certain tasks to complete during the day and one was creating social media posts to advertise and promote the company. I knew from the minute that I started doing that task that I wanted to start digital marketing and handling the social media, coming up with ideas and designs to promote and advertise is an exciting and creative way to get your message across to the target audience. As well as having basic knowledge on the subject I also did my research on marketing, how to advertise, the type of audience to advertise to, how to advertise to a certain age group etc. I feel that still have so much to learn and I am eager to gain more skills, knowledge and experience to complete my first year of my Apprenticeship and to be one step closer to achieving my career goals for the future.

 Am I too old for an apprenticeship? – you are never too old to learn new skills!

Because I have just turned 20, I felt like I was maybe too old for an apprenticeship, people want younger and fresher minds, but that is not the case at all! because I had previous experience in a work based industry I have a good understanding and knowledge of what is expected in a work based environment, especially an office based one (my previous job was also based in an office) I have found because of my previous experiences I am able to pick up certain tasks very quickly, even though I did a different job role I am able to do things to help and support the rest of my team, for example if everyone is busy, I am able to pick the phone up and take a message and database work to keep everything organised and maintain order within the office.

 MY NEW TEAM!

I have been here a week and I am so happy with my team! Not only are they an inviting and friendly group, but I know that they Can teach me new skills and knowledge to help me while completing my Apprenticeship at the TA college. Even conversations within the office, I feel so involved and welcomed. I have been given a few tasks to complete and because of the support and help from my colleagues I feel I am working better. It is so important to have a positive working environment, it can help with stress and can make you much happier and positive at work, I am so lucky and privileged to be with such a positive hard-working group of people.

 In conclusion:

I feel I have settled in very well at The Teaching Assistant College, I am excited and eager to learn and gain new knowledge within my role in order to help me pursue the career that I would love for the future, I am so privileged to be in such a well-established college with such a supportive team with great values and ambitions.

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7 Reasons why we’re different:

1)      Exceptional support – just read our reviews.

2)      We totally get that real life can get in the way – put your course on hold for up to 6 months at no extra cost.

3)      We are so good even CACHE have asked us to be involved in writing the new academic route for supporting teaching and learning in schools.

4)      We work with British International Schools in over 40 countries supporting them in developing their TAs and helping them feel valued.

5)      When we started in 2006, we were the first provider of TA accredited, recognised qualifications delivered by flexible eLearning.

6)      It’s all about you, everything we do is about giving you the best possible learning experience.

7)      We’re all lovely people :)

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Our Fortnight Working with BSME Schools

Wednesday & Thursday 22nd & 23rd February 2017 Pearling Season International School, Doha   Day 1: Teaching Assistant Training Day -  Communication   A full day of workshops focusing on establishing great communication with children, teachers and other TAs.  With role-play activities, sharing strategies for remembering key information the day was highly interactive. PSI School had invited TAs to attend from Gulf English School, Hayat Universal Bilingual School and Newton International School making the training not only more cost effective but also adding a diverse mix of TAs with broad experiences.  TAs left with ideas for motivating learners using growth mindset strategies and positive interaction skills.     Day 2: Teaching Assistant Training Day -  Being a Brilliant TA: Outstanding Support in the Classroom   With the same delegates from Day 1 we could now build on the communication skills developed during the previous day to focus on the TAs role in developing consistency in teaching and learning strategies, positive behaviour management and assessment for learning. TAs left the day with ideas to improve their understanding in the rationale behind teachers’ planning, quality questioning techniques and the ability to lead powerful learning conversations.     'The presenter was amazing!'  'Thank you for giving very clear and useful tips to be a super TA' Monday & Tuesday 27th & 28th February 2017 St. Christopher’s School, Bahrain   Two Days of Audit & Consultancy   Prior to the visit key paperwork had been reviewed including Teaching Assistant job descriptions, handbooks, existing CPD programme and performance management documentation. The two days then focused on observing TAs working in the classroom, meetings with key personnel to consider how the role of the TA could be developed further, how teachers improve their work with TAs and next steps for CPD including supporting the school in delivering elements with resources they already have in house. The two days ended with a feedback meeting to present and discuss findings with the Senior Leadership Team. A full report and recommendations then followed a few days later. "We have thoroughly enjoyed your visit. Excellent support & advice from the TA College."   Wednesday & Thursday 1st & 2nd March 2017 Nadeen School, Bahrain   Day 1: Audit & Consultancy   Observations of Teaching Assistants in the classroom, with particular focus on their role and the impact they are making to teaching and learning. Discussions with Key Stage Leaders regarding the expectations of the Teaching Assistants followed by feedback and next step discussion with the Senior Leadership Team.   Day 2: Audit led Training Day   From the information collected during day one, the training day focussed on building consistency in the classroom, leading learning conversations and quality questioning. The day also focused on structuring the support given to learners, knowing how to support, when to support and the language to use to develop independence. Nadeen School invited other TAs from British School of Bahrain, Al Wisam School and St. Christopher’s School to attend to training. This added good quality discussion and a great balance to the group.   "simply, the best training course I've ever been on!" Friday 3rd March   Meeting with the Lead Teaching Assistant from Dhahran Grammar School in preparation for our visit to Saudi Arabia next month.

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Spread the Love | 14% off Courses

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Launching TA Connect!

TA Connect has been created to enable teaching assistants to access high quality professional development whenever they want it.

Join our professional development subscription tool to become part of a growing network of teaching assistants. TA Connect has a range of eLearning, webinars, videos, downloadable resources, and practical ideas to help you continue to make a high impact in the classroom.

Every child is different, every school day is different. You need to be flexible, adaptable, and full of great ideas to get the best from every learner.

TA Connect for Teaching assistants that shine!

Join today to become part of something really special.

http://taconnect.thinkific.com/bundles/taconnect

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Black Friday | 30% Off

Wendy Rowland – Level 3 Award student, Online course review.

Having never done an online course before I found the TA College course both positive and challenging. It was a Positive process for me as it gave me a sense of achievement on the work I had produced. The challenge was my time management.

The course gives you the flexibility to work as and when you can on the units but there is a deadline to meet. The hard part was finding time in and around family life and work. It was a roller coaster at times. I started enthusiastically and found as each task was done I felt positive.  However midway through It did feel like I had a mountain to climb and had to be strict with myself to commit to the time in order to see the tasks through. By the time I reached the last unit and task it was with a sense of relief that I had persevered and finished. There were times I was questioning myself and wondering if I was on the right track. Unlike a college course where you attend a class and study alongside others, the downside of working independently and alone means you have no bench mark of what is expected.

Having feedback and support from the assessor along with course reviews helped to keep me on track and focused, in taking a step by step approach.  In addition, I was also lucky enough to have a volunteering role in a local school which gave me the experience and opportunity of observing the role of a teaching assistant in a classroom, which helped to support my studies.

Thanks to the course as it stated, I now have a good knowledge base to build upon. The added bonus is that big sense of achievement in not only that I did it, but the work I submitted was approved as well as applauded.

Ultimately I now have the qualification of the Award Level 3 to add to my CV.

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30% off courses for first 30 enrolments!

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Getting into the swing of things!

We all know that September is a very busy and potentially stressful time of year for everyone - children and young people, parents and school staff alike. Those first couple of weeks can be full of angst whilst the new year starts and we find ourselves in new environments and situations.

It's very important however to use this as an opportunity to establish and develop good habits for the coming year, especially in regards to your course and assignments. Once the dust has settled and your routine is being established, don't forget to build in time for doing your coursework - whilst this may seem like a lot to do during one of the busiest months of the year, you'll thank yourself later! Getting into a good routine of doing your work and submitting evidence frequently will give you the best change of completing on time, and could save you a lot of headaches down the line.

Here are some tips to help you:

Set targets - as part of progress review you will set targets with your tutor, but it's important that you break these down into more manageable chunks. If a target is to complete 2 units over 8 weeks have a look at what that entails, and set yourself mini-deadlines. Remember, targets need to be SMART:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Timely

 Be honest with yourself about your targets - if you know it's unrealistic, it needs to be   changed.

Map out your time - use the student calendar, or a calendar of your own. Be very clear (and realistic) about what time in the week you can devote to your course and when, and then make sure you stick to this. It could be when the kids are in bed, at the weekend, or staying behind after school. If you know there's one week when doing work is going to be difficult, perhaps due to a holiday, or a birthday, then be realistic and don't include this in your calendar.

Set objectives - once you have your time set out, set yourself clear objectives of what you want to achieve within that time. This could be completing a particular task or criteria, or doing some research and making notes. Thinking about what you want to achieve rather than how much time you can spend on something can help you be more efficient and you may even find you need less time than you originally planned.

Have breaks - if you're going to be working for periods of an hour or more, it's important that you give yourself a brain break to refocus yourself. This could be using the timer on your phone, and an app. After every 30 minutes get up and move around, look at the window, have a drink. Keep these breaks short and frequent and you'll find your focus improves.

Review - it's really important that you take the time to regularly review and update your targets and calendar. You may finish something quicker than expected, or something may take you longer - this is absolutely fine as long as you plan for it. 

And don't forget, your tutor is always there should you need any support or guidance.

[tacollege]

... the advice, support and level of professionalism has been exceptional..

After a lot of careful consideration, I had decided that a future career as a Teaching Assistant was the path for me. So last summer I set about researching the various courses and colleges / providers on offer. It was rather confusing with lots of potentially conflicting information out there. After discussing the different course options with my local school, I decided the Cache Level 3 Diploma was going to give me the best chance of finding a job. The next task was to find a reliable provider. Having researched contacted quite a few, the TA College stood out as heads and shoulders above the rest. Every time I called them with a question, I was met with a professional and knowledgeable response. It was very re-assuring to be able to speak to the same person over a few weeks and get to know them a bit- they really do know what they are talking about and were able to offer very considered advice. I started the course and received some fantastic support from my tutor, Anne Bradbury. She had made a similar career change and so was great to talk to you on a general level, as well as probe her experience as a TA. I knew that I could contact her whenever I needed to to and she was always able to help and point me in the right direction if I wasn’t quite sure about something. She was also very prompt at marking my work, so that I could easily measure my progress. I completed the course and have now been offered a full-time role starting in September- I couldn’t be happier! Yes, the course was more expensive than a lot of them out there, but the advice, support and level of professionalism has been exceptional. I know several colleagues who may be paying less with different providers, but who are having to deal with all sorts of problems, from long delays in marking work, through to not being able to get hold of their tutors or waiting over a year to receive their certificate! If you’re thinking of doing a TA qualification, I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending them. 

Beverley Targett