Have you ever worked as a teaching assistant?

When my kids were young, I worked in a couple of different primary schools as a TA. I have to be honest—it wasn’t what I had hoped it would be. While I loved working with the kids, the job itself left me unfulfilled.

The first time was in a reception class at a school in North Yorkshire, where we were living. I initially volunteered prior to taking the role on in a paid position, but the experience was overwhelming.

There were four young boys in the class who were regarded as having ADHD. The teacher had been in the profession for many years. Each day would begin with the children “sitting” on the carpet while she spoke to them. By this time, the boys were already struggling to focus, distracted by other, more interesting things around them. The teacher would raise her voice to regain their attention, which would work only momentarily. Before long, she was shouting, and the class descended into chaos.

I would be standing at the sink, washing paintbrushes, feeling grateful to be out of the unfolding drama. Things often escalated to the point where chairs were thrown, or the boys would walk out of the room to occupy themselves elsewhere. I was then sent to coax them back. I felt sorry for the teacher—she had completely lost control. But I was young, still working on my degree, with three young children of my own. Although I was married, I sensed there was still a stereotype of young mums at play. As a volunteer, I knew my place. There was little respect or appreciation for anyone at any level.

At the same time, I worked in a residential unit for children with profound autism who couldn’t cope in mainstream schools. It was a completely different environment. Everyone was calm. People spoke to each other instead of shouting. Tasks were adapted to make them achievable, and there was laughter and mutual respect between adults and children.

When we moved to Buckinghamshire, I took another TA job in a local primary school. This class was older and much calmer. I loved the children in that class. As usual, lessons started with the children sitting on the carpet while the teacher spoke at them. Sometimes there was interaction, but mostly it was about listening to instructions. Afterward, they’d head to their tables to complete worksheets.

At this point, the children would often ask me what they were supposed to do, and honestly, I didn’t know either. I found myself trailing after the teacher like a lost puppy until she finally explained things to me.

My experience as a TA may be completely different from yours. I’ve worked with some fantastic teachers as a tutor, but each time I left the classroom as a TA, I felt... worthless.

However, my time as a TA also taught me that I could connect with kids one-to-one. My skill was in working things out with them as a team. These skills—communication, patience, and respect—turned out to be the ones I needed as a tutor.

The key to tutoring is being able to listen and talk to kids with respect. It’s about acknowledging when something isn’t clear and explaining it in a way that makes sense to them. In many respects, being a tutor was what I had hoped being a TA might be.

If you're looking for a change and think tutoring could be an option for you, I can help. I created the franchise a couple of years ago with the goal of supporting more children across the UK who are struggling in school. The ethos of Clara James Tutoring is to treat each child as an individual, to build their confidence as well as their knowledge, and to make learning fun again.

I’ve kept the franchise affordable so we can help as many children as possible—that’s always been my goal.

If you think tutoring might be right for you and would like more information, click the link below. Tutoring could provide you with the fulfilling opportunity you’ve been dreaming of, while changing the lives of so many children.

CLICK HERE to learn more