TA chat forum

sunny_bunny · New kid Joined: 12 Jul 2008 Posts: 1

Nellie J wrote:

Have I got this right - you're doing wave 3 work with no experience as a TA and the school haven't given you any training??
Talk about in at the deep end!

Hi, Ive just joined your forum and spent the day reading through the posts. I'm a brand new TA (except we're called LSA's *lol* tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to) and I was given sheets of wave 3 material and given 5 minutes to read through it. Then I was given 6 children who were told to 'go with Mrs X for your maths lesson'. I didn't have a clue . . . and still don't for the most part.

Wave 3 is supposed to be fun and games and easy learning for SEN children but when I get lego out (count the prongs for 2 times table) or the coins, counters, connecting blocks or whatever, the kids just see it as a chance to play! Who wants to count boring prongs when you can build a lego gun? *rolls eyes* Get the money out and the boys fight over the plastic pound coins to see who can grab the most! They flick the counters, throw pencils, rubbers, rulers and sulk a lot. The girls, stereotypically are little angels! Very Happy

They are all well-behaved, try hard and want to learn.

Sorry, I'm digressing a bit here. Embarassed

I find wave 3 very confusing. The instructions, downloaded from the internet, are hard to follow and I've had no training in it. The kids were okay with numberlines but when we tried to do adding & subtraction with boxes (another method of doing the work but basically the same as numberlines - it completely confused them! If they "get" one method, surely we should be able to build on that method and progress, rather than redoing it in a totally different way which confuses everyone and now they don't know how they should be doing adding & subtraction! The 'learning games' are just a chance for them to play about, shout and throw things. I don't feel they're learning anything, especially the girls who actually want to learn!

It doesn't help that I'm a new LSA and am working with a very young NQT. Her way of dealing with the class is to constantly shout at them which isn't helping with some of the appalling behaviour!

Sorry, lot of gripes here. Any ideas on how to cope with Wave 3 and make it more accessible? I'm KS2 but these SEN kids are KS1 abilities.
Thanks for any ideas/ help. Smile

Nellie J · New kid Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Posts: 44 Location: Norfolk

Hi Sunny Bunny
Can't believe this is what I'm doing on a saturday night when the rest of the world is out partying! Must be getting old Wink

Thanks for your reply, but you've got the wrong person! - however, having read about your situation it sounds as though its a behaviour issue (as you suggested) rather than a problem with Wave 3. Its always tricky to suggest to a teacher that they need to change their approach...but my instinct is that being an NQT she might be very grateful to have your suggestions and support in controlling the unruly little darlings.

If she sees you as an ally and you can suggest a technique that you've heard works, she'd probably be very willing to try it out. My favourite technique is really simple.......
when working with a group I create opportunities for them to have individual turns at something even if its just answering a question, but I say "ok who's sitting sensibly, who's going to be next?" or "X is sitting quietly, your turn next"
They now compete for who can be the most sensible - its fantastic!

As a whole class noise reducer a wind chime can be tinkled to get their attention or a rain stick used - much less aggressive than shouting.

I won't continue to waffle as I've had half a bottle of wine, so may start talking drivel very soon!

Best of luck Smile

Nellie J x

KPNUT · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 3:48 pm Post subject:

Hi there, have recently worked with year 5 children working at year 2/3 level and have done a little with wave 3, Didnt really like the wave 3 stuff. found it easier to take the objective from year 5 and differentiate it back to year 2./3. this is easier now on the new framework as you press a link and it takes you back, have you tried this or do you have to do wave 3.