We have just finished working with a group of wonderful TAs. We first met them at the beginning of the academic year in the autumn term and we have come together, as a group, each half term since then. The group were supportive of each other from day one, and it has been a pleasure to listen to their successes and help them talk through their problems throughout the year.
Resilience is such an important quality for both staff and children in primary schools, and this group certainly have it. There was a moment that made me sad, however, and that was when we started to talk about the violence that some of the TAs are dealing with, from the children they are supporting. They talked about being hurt by children as being ‘part of the job’, but I do not believe this should be the case. No-one should expect to be hurt on a regular basis when they go to work. In my opinion, it is never ok for anyone to deliberately hit or hurt another person and we need to teach children this from a young age. There are children in our primary schools with complex needs and staff are trying their best to meet the needs of all individuals in their care, but that does not mean that we should not keep the red line of no hitting or hurting. Children need to learn to treat others with kindness and care. They can and will feel frustrated, angry, upset, annoyed etc., at times, but it is our job to help them deal with these emotions in a different way.
Please check-in with the TAs in your school who are supporting some of the most vulnerable and challenging children. Help them to see they are not on their own and offer a listening ear, or a break if they are not having a good day. Check that staff are not being hurt in school, and that it is not becoming part of the ‘norm’ because firstly, it is not right that someone is being hurt regularly, and secondly, it will not teach the children that it is never ok to hurt others.
On a completely separate topic – CONGRATULATIONS to Claire’s son who completed his Half Ironman in a fantastic time! What a star he is.
Reach Behaviour 