Do any of the following apply:
- Does the student seem overly dependent on the teaching assistant for supervision, prompting or completing their work?
- Does the teaching assistant take more responsibility for determining adjustments for the student than the teacher?
- Does the teaching assistant make unplanned adjustments for the student?
- Does the teaching assistant spend more time teaching the student than the teacher?
- Is it difficult to manage the teaching assistant’s time productively?
- Do you need alternative strategies for using a teaching assistant?
- Does the teaching assistant work mostly 1:1?
- Does the teaching assistant hinder interaction between students and peers?
If you answered no to all of the above questions, then Return to the Key Issues.
If you answered yes to any of the above, take a look at the Proactive Strategies below.
Proactive Strategies
These are simple proactive strategies that can be easily implemented in classrooms. Check that you have implemented these proactive strategies.
- Ensure teaching assistants are providing an appropriate level of scaffolding to the student, in particular not prompting too much or too soon.
- Check that you have a clear goal for the student in providing the assistance of a teaching assistant.
- Check that when you have a teaching assistant, that there is a clear goal for the student to achieve with teaching assistant support.
- Check you have provided the teaching assistant with clear instructions on their role and specific tasks in a lesson.
- Check you have considered alternatives to 1:1 teaching assistant support, such as using peers and using the assistant for general classroom support or small group supervision.
Next step
If you have implemented the strategies above, you can now complete a checklist which will help you identify appropriate strategies: