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 assistants, including confusion about where their responsibilities begin and end.
The problem begins when a professional role becomes attached to a person's sense of worth.
An educator may begin to think, “If I am only the assistant, then they must not really value what I know.” From there, ordinary classroom situations can start carrying unintended meanings.
Sometimes, It Is the Meaning We Attach
A class teacher makes a decision without consulting the assistant, and the assistant interprets it as disrespect; a learner responds more readily to the class teacher, and it becomes, “They do not respect me.” The class teacher gives feedback, and instead of hearing professional guidance, the assistant hears, “She thinks she knows more than I do.”
The situation may be real, but the meaning attached to it may be something else entirely.
This is one reason communication and self-awareness matter so much in education. Before reacting to what happened, it can be helpful to ask, “What else could this mean?”
That one question can sometimes create enough space for a different response.
You Are Not a Lesser Teacher
Being an assistant teacher does not automatically mean that someone is less qualified, less intelligent or less capable than the class teacher. It simply means that, within that particular classroom structure, the responsibilities may be different.
And there is nothing wrong with having different responsibilities.
In fact, effective collaboration depends on people understanding their roles while recognising the expertise that each person brings. Studies of teaching assistants have found that unclear roles and limited communication can create tension between assistants and teachers and can affect how support is provided to learners.
So if you are an assistant teacher who wants to become a class teacher someday, there is nothing wrong with that ambition. Develop yourself, ask questions, seek feedback, learn the responsibilities of the role and prepare for it.
But do not spend your present role trying to prove that you deserve another one.
Be the Thermostat, Not the Heater
This is where I think about the assistant teacher as a thermostat, not a heater. A heater adds heat to the room. A thermostat notices the temperature and responds appropriately.
In the same way, an assistant teacher should be able to notice what is happening in the classroom and contribute to a healthier learning environment. If the class is already tense, your response should not unnecessarily increase the tension. If the teacher is overwhelmed, your role should include finding ways to support. If a learner is struggling, you should be thinking about what the learner needs, not only about how their behaviour makes you feel.
This does not mean that an assistant teacher should suppress every emotion or remain silent when something is wrong. It means learning to recognise your own emotional temperature before adding it to the classroom.
Dear Assistant Teacher,
If you find yourself constantly angry in your role, I guess it is worth asking yourself some honest questions.
🔶 What exactly am I angry about?
🔶 Is my role clearly defined?
🔶 Do I feel respected?
🔶 Am I interpreting every correction as criticism?
🔶 Am I frustrated because I want more responsibility?
🔶 Have I communicated that desire appropriately?
🔶 Am I responding to what is actually happening, or to what I believe it means about me?
No, these questions do not excuse poor treatment from colleagues, and they do not mean that every assistant teacher who is unhappy is simply misinterpreting situations. Sometimes there are genuine problems with leadership, communication, role boundaries or professional respect that need to be addressed.
But self-reflection gives us another place to begin.
🍀
I would like every assistant teacher to remember: your current role is not a complete description of your professional capacity.
You may be an assistant today and a class teacher tomorrow. You may discover that you enjoy collaborative teaching more than being the sole classroom teacher. You may even realise that your greatest strength lies in supporting learners in ways that a traditional class teacher may not have the time or expertise to provide.
Whatever your professional path becomes, do not allow a job title to become a wound that you carry into every classroom interaction.
Know your role, understand your responsibilities, communicate when something is unclear, ask for feedback, and pursue growth.
And while you are there, remember that the learners are watching all of us.
They do not need to know who is the main teacher and who is the assistant. They need adults who can work together, manage themselves and create a classroom where learning can happen.
So, the next time you find yourself becoming the hottest person in the classroom, pause and ask yourself:
Am I being the thermostat, or am I becoming the heater?
References
Butt, R., & Lowe, K. (2012). Teaching assistants and class teachers: Differing perceptions, role confusion and the benefits of skills-based training. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16(2), 207–219. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603111003739678
Sharma, U., & Salend, S. J. (2016). Teaching assistants in inclusive classrooms: A systematic analysis of the international research. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41(8), 118–134.
Trent, J. (2014). ‘I’m teaching, but I’m not really a teacher’. Teaching assistants and the construction of professional identities in Hong Kong schools. Educational Research, 56(1), 28–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2013.874147
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