Inclusive education fact sheet for teachers

Connecting with Teacher Assistants

This fact sheet offers tips to guide early career teachers to engage with policies and processes to address Teacher Standard 1.6: Strategies to support full participation of students with disability.

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Early career teachers need to consider how to develop and sustain inclusive educational spaces with respect to the diverse learning needs of all students. Working with Teacher Assistants is an important part of this strategy.

1
  • Contact the Teacher Assistants you are working with and introduce yourself.
  • Share knowledge about your students with the Teacher Assistants to build relationships between students and Teacher Assistants.

Note: Take care to ensure you are not sharing confidential information or details without permission

2
    • Consider evidence based intervention programs and structures that offer explicit advice around the role of the Teacher Assistant.
    • Share teaching plans, curriculum and Individual Learning Plans.
    • Highlight the key learning outcomes and adjustments applicable to the students with disability.
    • Unpack the key concepts that students will need to understand, ensuring there are opportunities to ask questions and clarify misconceptions.
3
  • Discuss expectations, including ways to support students to develop independence and ownership of their own learning.
  • Offer feedback and create opportunities to receive feedback.
  • Offer training, advice and resources where possible to help Teacher Assistants.
4
  • Collect and share work samples, assessments and notes about the progress of student with disability.
  • Consult with the student and seek out feedback (you may need to do this discreetly).
  • Discuss the progress of interventions and consider the need for any changes.
  • Alter plans where needed based on evidence and continue to add important information to the Individual Learning Plan.