[Funshine Bear]

Anyone else have an aide in their classroom? I had an aide this past year and will have one this next school year, but only for half of the day. I feel like it is just an added responsibility and more pressure on me, because now there is one more person I have to get things ready for. How do you use the aide in your room? How do you set up their tasks and responsibilities without having to make a list of things they need to do everyday? I guess I have been in my room for 12 years prior to having an aide, so have become accustomed to managing things on my own. I also am aware that I cannot learn to rely on them too much, because there will be days they are out due to absentees, or the day will come that I no longer need an aide. I'm sure an aide would be helpful, just have to figure out a way to make it work.

[pausebutton]

I'm getting an aide for the first time next year due to a large class. I'm glad that you started a thread about it. I'm envisioning that everytime I am working with a small group (which is a majority of the time), she could be walking around to monitor the other kids/keep them on task/ give any needed one-on-one help/answer questions so that my small group is uninterrupted. When the kids are at a special, I usually grade or make copies. I figure that I can just split those tasks with her. I'm looking forward to it.

[choppie70]

I have never had a full time aide that was there to support me, just full time aides who were 1:1 with students.

I did have aide support for parts of my day a few years ago. She came in during my reading workshop and my math workshop. She supported the rest of the kids while I was working with a small group. If they had questions or needed help, she would help them. During reading workshop she would also pull some of my struggling readers and give them an extra 10 minutes or so of support - they would read to her and she would confer with them. When she had time she did some clerical things for me like filing papers into kids mailboxes. I also had her during my read aloud. She would pull one or two students at a time and help them correct papers that they did not do so well on.

[kahluablast]

I had an EA for half a day the last half of this past year. She was fabulous because she helped me find ways for her to help. She kept my ongoing copies made - things that I use on a weekly basis that I usually make when I run out when using them with kids: my math fact pages, book club sheets, folder game copies... She took over the grading of my math fact pages. She filed graded papers so they were ready to pass out.

We have her a small group to work with for phonics and she made her own lessons, based on guidance from us (I shared her with my grade level partner). She loved that autonomy. I worked it so I did my math when she was in the room as that is when I needed the most help. While I was teaching small groups she worked with the whole group, and then my most needy students who always need help!

I am going to miss her so much this next year.

[SusanTeach]

An aide shouldn't be more work for you. I had one full-time last year for the first time ever (17 years of teaching), and it was wonderful!

What she did:
1. Kept students on-task while I was teaching whole group.
2. Walked around to check work and help as needed when they were working independently. She'd pull several of them to her table if they needed extra help.
3. Pulled 1-4 kids to her table in the mornings during morning work time, to read with them (if they were low on AR), practice math facts (if they weren't practicing at home), etc...
4. Stayed in from recess and worked with kids who needed it. They weren't "punished", but if they weren't doing their homework or were absent, they needed someone to work with them.

The only thing I had to "prepare" for her was to give her a copy of my lesson plans (I just ran it through the copier - same thing I did with my inclusion teacher) so she could have the heads-up on worksheets and she'd make a key for herself if she wanted. I also would run her a copy of their current AR progress once a week so she could see who needed more practice.

If we didn't have students (activity time), she'd always find something to do - straightening books in the library, etc... If I thought of something - bulletin board, etc... I'd let her know and she'd do it. She was wonderful because she liked to stay busy.

It was NOT more work for me. It was a huge help instead.

[OrganizedPup]

I had an aide (we call them teacher's assistant) until this last year. Well, she started the year with me then I had her removed because all she wanted to do was be on her phone and talk bad about me to other staff. My year went so much better when she was removed.

I had said TA in my room for the 2 prior years as well. She was the worst TA I've ever had. She would make copies and copy them wrong. She would cut things out, and cut them out sloppily. She would pull a small group for something like math facts, and would give them the wrong answers. She would check homework and would just put a check on it, when I wanted her to circle incorrect answers so I could then analyze the mistakes. I asked her to sit next to an autistic kid when I was teaching whole group to help keep them on task and focused. Nope, she couldn't do that. She would spend the time on her phone. She would make up her own classroom rules and disregard mine. The list goes on and on. She wanted to socialize more than anything. She worked with 3 teachers and we all would complain to each other about how awful she was but I was the only one who went to the principal about her.

Prior to that, and at a previous school, I had an AMAZING TA.

Things my TA would ensure she was following the routine and rules in my classroom, would listen to how I was teaching whole group and would apply those same strategies when helping kids, would promptly make copies and do anything else you needed, never wanted down time and was always looking for something to do. If she had a few minutes she would straighten the classroom library, dust, organize papers, file papers, sit next to a kid who she knew was struggling or one she knew would/could be a behavioral problem. She was amazing. I knew I could count on her to help be an instructional assistant because she was willing to learn.

[Ally]

One thing I do is have a bin that I keep large ziplocks in with work the aide can do with students in my class. The kids who need extra reading support have a fluency phrase sheet and some books, I have a math ziplock with manipulatives and some review sheets about major concepts for my grade and a fine motor ziplock with some fine motor activities.

I don't have a full time or even half time EA, but if someone has extra time due to an absence, they can come in and I can direct them to a ziplock and student (if I don't need classroom help). Some of the EAs have told me they like coming into my room because they know I will have something for them to do.

I refresh the bags as needed but some, like the fine motor bag, don't need a lot of updating.

If your aide is allowed to photocopy for you (ours are not), I would have a photocopy ziplock too.

[Funshine Bear]

Thanks to all for the wonderful ideas. Our aide has now been hired so I now have plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming school year. Thanks again for taking the time to post your replies!! Enjoy your summer!!!

[stressgirl37]

After many years of never having any assistance in the classroom, the last couple of years I have had an aide for about an hour. Per admin, she was to assist during our intervention block, and ideally work with a group of kids while I did the same. I have been lucky and have had 2 great assistants who were an asset to me and my class. This last year, I had 4 leveled groups and we each met with 2 groups during the hour. Our ELA program was new so we learned it together. This could be difficult with someone who needs a lot of direction.

Another teacher on my team would use his aide differently. He did writing at this time and while he did direct instruction, the aide had a small group who needed extra help or slower pacing. (but working on the same lesson). Some people find that distracting.

Good luck!