This themed collection is designed for teaching assistants on the theme of fostering positive behaviour, relationships and learning environments. A themed collection brings together a range of useful resources on a specific topic to support practitioners deepen their knowledge in this area and shape their own professional learning. These collections can also be used to inform colleagues’ professional development as well as school policy and practice in a particular area.
This collection is part of a series to support teaching assistants (TAs) with their professional learning. They are designed to develop knowledge around a range of topics relevant to TAs.
These topics include:
These collections incorporate a range of content types to support professional learning and reflective practice, including:
Whilst much of the content is from the perspective of researchers, school leaders and teachers, it is both useful and relevant to TAs. Moving forward, we would like to expand our knowledge base by including voices and expertise of TAs. We invite you to use this padlet to begin sharing your reflections, experiences and expertise to support other teaching assistants with their professional learning.
TAs play an important role in managing student behaviour in the classroom. The role of a TATeaching Assistant - an adult that assists the teacher in th requires interactions with a wide range of students on a daily basis, supplementing teacher input and providing one-to-one support and small group intervention. Consequently, TAs play a crucial role in upholding whole-school policy and promoting positive behaviour and relationships in a range of settings. Equally, TAs can play an active role in supporting the classroom teacher to manage behaviour of students in the classroom. This often reduces pressures on classroom teachers and allows for more time to focus on teaching and learning (DfEDepartment for Education - a ministerial department responsi, 2019; EEF, 2021).
Over the last two decades, TAs have been increasingly tasked with providing specialist support for students with behavioural, social and emotional needs (EEF, 2021). This is partially driven by a greater push for inclusionAn approach where a school aims to ensure that all children of students with additional needs into mainstream settings (EEF, 2021). As well as delivering academic interventions, TAs are regularly tasked with developing so-called ‘soft skills’, including improving students’ motivation, engagement, self-esteem, resilience and ability to communicate effectively with others (DfE, 2019). In recent years, the level of need has arguably increased and so have the demands on TAs (DfE, 2019). Due to a lack of funding and resources in state education, TAs are regularly tasked with providing more specialist support for students with complex and challenging behavioural needs (DfE, 2019). This situation has been further exacerbated by the recent pandemic. Many TAs are now providing continued support for the growing number of students (and their families) with pastoral needs, both in and outside the classroom (Hall & Webster, 2022). In light of this situation, it is imperative that TAs are provided with appropriate guidance, resources and training to address the complex behaviourial needs of the students in their care. This unit aims to support TAs to develop their knowledge of a range of evidence-informed strategies to improve student behaviour and foster positive relationships and learning environments. It also provides TAs with the tools to consider how they might implement these strategies effectively in their unique contexts.
Moving forward, we hope to build on this knowledge base by drawing on the experience and expertise of TAs. We invite you to use the attached padlet to begin sharing your reflections, experiences and expertise to support other TAs with their professional learning journey.
Department of Education (2019) ‘Deployment of teaching assistants in schools’ (online) ‘https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812507/Deployment_of_teaching_assistants_report.pdf (accessed on 15.02.22)
Education Endowment Fund (EEF) (2021) ‘Making Best Use of Teaching Assistants: Guidance Report’ (online) https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/eef-guidance-reports/teaching-assistants/TA_Guidance_Report_MakingBestUseOfTeachingAssistants-Printable_2021-11-02-162019_wsqd.pdf?v=1666086797 (accessed on 15.02.22)
Hall, S. & Webster, R. (2022) ‘From Covid to the Cost of Living: The Crises Remaking the Role of the Teaching Assistants’ (online) https://pure.port.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/57436644/From_Covid_to_the_Cost_of_Living._The_crises_remaking_the_role_of_teaching_assistants_FINAL_.pdf (accessed on 15.02.22)
Hear about approaches to managing behaviour across a range of different contexts and phases. More specifically, we invite you to read the perspective article written by Bethan Coles – ‘High aspirations, clear expectations and positive behaviour management are key ingredients for creating an effective learning environment’. This article provides an overview of the so-called ‘key ingredients’ to curate an environment where all students can thrive. Alternatively, if you are short of time, we invite you to read Alex Quigley’s article, ‘Behaviour Management: Practical Tips’. This provides ten evidence-informed strategies to trial in your context.
We acknowledge the majority of case studies are written from the perspective of school leaders and teachers; however, they remain both useful and relevant to TAs. Moving forward, we would like to expand our knowledge base by including voices and expertise from other practising TAs.
We invite you to make notes on each journey and the approaches taken in these case studies to inform your own next steps and consider how you might apply some of these insights in your setting.
You could also consider the following questions:
Read the research and evidence that informs best practice in managing behaviour. Research summaries are short articles that summarise findings from a single research article. Research reviews are longer articles that critically evaluate the evidence on a larger research theme.
Some articles examine the effectiveness of specific strategies that promote positive behaviour in the classroom including greetings at the door and the use of rewards and sanctions. Other articles explore whole-school approaches to wider pervasive issues such as bullying, transition and educational recovery. Other articles explore approaches that work towards improving student wellbeing and fostering positive learning environments beyond the classroom.
You may find the first four resources to be a good starting point. These videos were originally created for ‘new teachers’; however, these videos provide a range of useful advice for those who may be at the early stages of their learning journey.
We invite you to read the research and consider the following questions:
Having engaged with the resources above, reflect on the questions below to refine your thinking and inform your approach to managing behaviour effectively in your context.
Hear from leading experts in the field on a range of topics related to fostering positive behaviour, relationships and learning environments. In particular, we invite you to watch the first webinar – ‘Managing Behaviour in the Classroom with Amy Forrester’. Amy is an experienced pastoral and behaviour leader in a secondary school in the North West of England. She writes for a number of publications on behaviour and pastoral care, as well as supporting teacher development of behaviour management. This webinar provides practical, evidence-informed strategies regarding managing behaviour in the classroom.
There are also a selection of classroom practice videos to see behaviour strategies in action. In addition, there are a number of video interviews with practicing teachers and school leaders to gain further insight into strategies employed to foster positive behaviour, relationships and learning environments.
