​At Aspire People we work with many teaching assistants across The Midlands, throughout many settings from Nursery aged children to Secondary education. We know many people are interested in what happens in a day as a TA so here Miss Allen has told us what one of her recent supply teaching days was like.  

Miss Allens Day

The usual 6:30 am alarm wakes me up and I go about my morning routine waiting for a call from my consultant to tell me what school I will be working at for the day, I’m midway through doing my makeup when I see the office calling me. Only a 5 minute journey into Rugeley today so I will have another cup of coffee to keep me going. I know the route well as it’s a school by a Nursery I used to work at where I started my childcare journey.

 I pull up to the school and get the last car park space, phew! Once I’ve signed in and shown my documents, the lovely lady at reception tells me I will be working in the Nursery class today and even shows me down to the classroom and on route tells me I will be working with Miss Martin today who is an NQT and explained how the children have settled in well to their new class. 

Miss Martin was a young and friendly character and we shared a conversation about my experience, she was excited that I had many years of experience so I would fit in well and can offer my ideas to her. She explained the free flow play routine and how there were a few problematic children that I needed to keep an eye on, those were always the best little characters. 

As the children came into the classroom, I felt a flutter of slight nerves but lots of excitement to see their little faces and spend the day encouraging the children to learn through play (and I can enjoy playing too secretly). As always, most of the little ones came zooming straight into the classroom and started playing in their favourite areas in the classroom! A few latched onto their parents and looked at me wondering who I was, I welcomed the children and Miss Martin explained I was here to help look after the children for the day. Once I asked them to show me how to build a house with the stickle bricks, they soon warmed to me and took my hand to show me where the bricks were. 

Once we had completed the register and Miss Martin had encouraged all the children to wave to me and say hello, it was then time to go off and play, the teacher asked me to open up the outdoor area and monitor the children outside, she explained where their wellies were kept and I took it upon myself to take a clipboard out with me and make notes of any learning opportunities the children took part in, and noted down any speech along with this for the teacher to write up observations and link this with the development matters criteria to track the children’s learning.  

After a fun morning playing outside, even splashing in the muddy puddles, myself and the children came inside, I wiped my boots clean (good job I didn’t put my shoes on), and the children imitated me which was very amusing! It was then snack time, I prepared the fruit and jugs of milk and water after I joined the children in eating one of my five a day, I cleared up the snack time things whilst the teacher completed her carpet time adult led activity.

Miss Martin then opened up outside and I stayed inside, there was a little girl who was playing alone in the construction area, I joined her and we began building a farm before I knew it I was surrounded by 9 others and we were all working together. They were throwing in their ideas about making “a bit for the lions but we can't let them eat the chickens, so it needs to have a big wall”, I just love their imagination in Early Years! 

It was then lunchtime and the children were super independent at washing their hands and toileting, so I was just monitoring and helping them find their lunchboxes. The same little girl who sat alone in the construction area asked me to eat my lunch with her and some days I need a break and a quick check of my phone but I had a lovely morning so sat with the group in the dinner hall to eat my prepared lunch. I decided to pop down to the staffroom to sit with the teachers and other TAs for 20 minutes for some adult interaction and on supply, it helps get you recognised so they might want you to come back to their school. 

After lunch the children had PE, Miss Martin warned me how getting changed for PE was a task on its own for this bunch and she was right! After helping 26 children get changed, with a few tears and a few odd shoes, myself and the teacher completed the task and we headed into the hall. This part was lots of fun, I joined in running around (it was also nice to get some exercise in) and did a few toilet runs with the children and before I knew it we were helping the children get changed back into their uniform ready for the end of the day. 

After saying goodbye to the children and them asking if I was coming back tomorrow, I handed my notes over to Miss Martin and helped tidy around. It was another great day as an Aspire People Teaching Assistant, I wonder where I’ll be tomorrow? 

How to Become an Aspire TA

Do you want to start your Teaching Assistant journey and experience your own TA day? On the Aspire Blog we can give you tips and direct you into how you can become a TA. Register with us today and we can help!  

Maybe you’re already a Teaching Assistant and know TAs within schools? If you recommend them to Aspire People we will give you £100* as a thank you. 

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