The importance of CPD is that through this you, as a teaching assistant, can continue to grow and learn how to know what’s best for the students.

It allows you to progress within your job and is able to encourage new ideas for everyday activities and this keeps ideas fresh in mind therefore students aren’t getting tired or bored of the same tasks. It can encourage the students to explore their own creativity if in every lesson there is a new element or task set for them to do and this way it allows them to keep thinking of different ideas – ideas that through CPD you are able to inspire them to do better things which causes you to constantly update the way you work.Teamwork is vital as through it we, as a school, can build trust and respect between each other which then can set an example for the students. If we show them that getting on and working hard together can get things done smoother, then by example they should understand that that is how to behave. It is good for the employees of the school too as through working together it can reduce the work load that – for example – teachers face every day with preparing work sheets or lesson objectives. If another teacher is doing the same idea for a lesson, working together and building a lesson plan will shorten the amount of time it takes to create one lesson plan and instead can build a weeks’ worth with the help of another teacher/TA. Through this there are experiences to be shared between staff that in the future will help when thinking of the next idea and that there is always someone willing to lend a hand in preparation.The purpose and objective to working within a team is so that as a group we can ensure that each child is getting the attention they need and the help they require so they can work to the fullest of their ability and by having a team within the classroom we are able to constantly have this in flow.

For example in one of the subjects I work in there are three students (one of which is slightly higher ability however they work great with the other two) who I make sure know what they’re doing each lesson and encouraging them to push themselves further and whilst I’m doing this the Teacher is able to move around the classroom to the students who are ahead and not have to worry about the students struggling as I’m there. Alongside us – the teacher and I – we have a technician who often steps in as another supporting body for the students who aren’t quite sure what to do. With all three of us there, the flow of support we give each other is an example of what the students should be doing to the peers and this is the main objective of working in a team, it is to lead by example. Another objective of working together is that we learn to communicate effectively between each other as where we are one team in the classroom, one of us may be part of another subject, therefore ensuring that each lesson is effectively planned and discussed each staff member knows what is happening in the current lesson and that if they have missed anything they can be swiftly updated before moving onto the next task.

The idea is that the team all have a common goal and that each of us has strengths that we can put into the outcome of students reaching their target, and through encouraging the students as a team we each bring the best from one another allowing the students to see how a functioning team work. It’s also important that the purpose of working within a team is to voice our opinion and know that suggestions are being taken on board and actually being thought about and not brushed aside. Each member must be valued and recognise that the experience and knowledge they have to offer is important and through listening to them and taking into account they will feel that they can come to you when faced with an issue; either work related or personal.