What Makes A Good SEN Teaching Assistant?
There are many aspects to consider when answering the question of what makes a good SEN teaching assistant. A SEN teaching assistant is essential for helping SEN students to reach their potential. It is an extremely rewarding career that makes a difference to so many lives but requires the right person and temperament. The SEN teaching assistant job role is becoming more and more important in schools as the recognition of SEN needs continues to grow in the UK. If you are interested in attracting the perfect SEN teaching assistant for your school, why not consider partnering with us so we can help you.
This article will explore the key factors that make a good SEN teaching assistant. These are by all means not all the attributes, but ones we feel are important. Whether you are considering what makes a good SEN teaching assistant because of a career change or thinking about hiring a SEN teaching assistant, these are important attributes to consider.
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Patience
Patience is an essential quality for a SEN teaching assistant. Many SEN students have diverse needs and you must take the time to get to know them and how best to work with them. This is not something you can learn within a few hours or even a few weeks, it takes time and cannot be rushed. SEN students can have challenges that make patience so important such as sensory processing, anxiety, social interaction, and other issues.
For example, a student with autism may require a different teaching style than a student with ADHD. A student with autism may respond well to visual aides like picture cards and diagrams, they may also like a very structured education environment which helps them to feel relaxed. Whereas a student with ADHD may respond well to short breaks to maintain focus along with frequent feedback and positive reinforcement.
Being patient shows that you value the SEN student’s challenges and are willing to spend time to get to know them which in turn builds trust and enables you to help them learn in the best way for them. It is important to understand their differences and take the time to adapt the way you work with SEN students when needed. You cannot help all SEN students in the same way, and it takes patience to learn what works for them.
Organisation
Being organised is an important part of what makes a good SEN teaching assistant. As part of your role, you will be doing many different tasks with many different students. These vary but can include preparing lesson plans, tracking students' progress, and communicating with teachers, parents, and other staff members. There are a variety of tools SEN teaching assistants can use to keep themselves organised such as digital planning software, education tools, and digital calendars. This will depend on what works best for you and what is provided by your employer, they may have a specific tool they use for all their staff to ensure they work well together seamlessly.
Being a well-organised person benefits students in many ways. Many SEN students work best with a very structured routine where they know exactly what is going to happen with little deviation. A chaotic and disorganised routine does not benefit them which can affect their learning progress. Whereas an organised routine helps them to learn at their best and focus on their education and goals.
Effective Communication Skills
If you are considering a SEN teaching assistant job role then you will need to be a great communicator. Some SEN students have communication challenges which can include speech impairments, being entirely non-verbal, or have difficulty understanding instructions.
You will need to be able to communicate effectively using a variety of methods that are tailored for your students. These may include Makaton, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), or speech assistive technology such as speech generation. These require specialist skills to use proficiently, but allow you to communicate with students in the way they prefer and build trust with them over time.
Teamwork
Being able to work with others is an aspect many people take for granted. But it is an important skill to possess for SEN teaching assistants. They often work with a variety of other staff such as speech therapists, counsellors, and of course, SEN teachers . The ability to work well with others is of great benefit to SEN students and ensures they are receiving tailored support from everyone who helps them.
Working together with parents/guardians is of great benefit to SEN students. By ensuring that parents are involved in the student's education, they can reinforce learning while at home which can ensure consistency in the student's routine and alleviate any stress about their education.
Being Positive
Being a naturally positive person is a key attribute of what makes a good SEN teaching assistant. SEN students can sometimes suffer from low self-esteem and lacking confidence. This can lead them to feel negative about their education and not engage with their learning. They may believe that they can’t accomplish their goals and dreams and that there isn’t any point in learning and developing themselves.
But it is your job to build them up, to encourage them to push themselves and reach their full potential. Every time they see you, it is important to smile and be the caring and positive person they need you to be. There can be some challenging situations where it can be very difficult to be positive. This is where resilience and the ability to remain positive are important so as to inspire students to focus on solutions and remain hopeful that things can improve.
Professional Development
The SEN teaching sector is fast-paced and ever-changing. New technologies are being developed and new styles of teaching that you will need to learn. You will need to keep up to date with SEN trends. The SEN teaching assistant job role is rarely boring, it is constantly moving and developing, new students will come who need your help , and old students will move on to the next part of their lives thanks to your efforts and time.
Thank you for reading this article, we hope you have found it interesting. There are countless answers to the question of what makes a good SEN teaching assistant. We have covered our choices, but what are yours? Let us know by commenting below!
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