I’ve been a teaching assistant, and I never felt like a second class person in the school building. I heard plenty of “thank you’s” and “You’re so much help.” As a teacher/ substitute teacher, I always thanked the aides because they know stuff about the kids I didn’t. I’m not sure that this question can be answered universally because every school environment is different. Every school staff member has an important job to make the community live in a healthy way. If you are seeing teacher’s assistants not being treated well, it just may be that particular school. Working in a school is stressful work, no doubt about it, but I have only witnessed aides being treated well by the rest of the staff.

I think some people do. I don’t. I’ve had an amazing assistant before, and if it weren’t for her, I don’t think I would have made it through my first year teaching. However, I’ve also become too close with assistants, and as a result, their performance went down. There’s a fine line between friendship and professionalism, and I can certainly see why people would think assistants aren’t treated respectfully.

Unfortunately that seems to be the case. Parents I’ve known think they are less and not important because they are not teachers. Of course this is wrong. They should be grateful for the extra help their students and children get. How about starting a Teachers Assistants Day, start with your own school and watch it spread! good luck.

i understand what most of you are saying its just the teacher is the main focus in a parents life because they feel that the the teacher knows everything because they got more education and more knowledge of children . But that is true but on hands experience is just as good as education. im not saying that teacher dont have hands on experience im saying that teacher assistants has it too. Because they are involved in the children life as much as the teacher. they get to see what the teacher might miss . they get to help the teacher learn what the children know and dont know which is good because most schools have a lot of students and it hard to focus on every child . I was a assistant at the children school in galesburg and i met one of the parent and she said i feel like i know you because my son mentions you a lot he said tanya and i did this or that .

Maybe only a few, however I feel that most do not and are grateful that you are there (unless you are doing a really bad job). If you expect respect, you will most likely get it.

I don’t. To me, if they are even spending the time to teach you, I’ll be very grateful indeed.