The Angry Assistant Teacher: What Is Really Going On?
Have you ever been in a classroom where the assistant teacher seems to be angrier than everyone else? The class teacher is calm, the learners are trying to get through the lesson, but somehow the assistant teacher appears to be carrying the temperature of the entire room. You begin to wonder: What is really going on? Sometimes, the behaviour we see is only the surface. Something may be happening underneath that we haven't considered. What Does “Assistant Teacher” Mean to You? For some people, the title assistant teacher quietly carries a message: You are not quite ready to be the main teacher; you are still learning, still being assessed or waiting for someone to decide that you are good enough to take charge of a class. But is that necessarily what the role means? Assistant teachers may have different qualifications, experiences and responsibilities, and schools use the role in different ways. Research has also identified role ambiguity and uncertainty around teaching ass...