Análisis estratégico competitivo

This superordinate theme was very much about how the TAs reflected upon their relationship and both the rewards they got from it both personally and professionally as well as the frustrations that it caused them. The language the TAs used was around pride in their relationship and the progress the child was making or frustrations around those issues or around feelings of lack of experience or support.

Pride and reward in the relationships and the children’s progress

Anna expressed pride in her relationship with A as well as in his progress. She noted that when A trusted her enough to tell her his feelings it “made me feel really good and very proud of him” (A195). She felt a strong connection with A and this was illustrated when she related, “he often tells me, I cannot do this without you Mrs…” (A369) and that, for Anna, the relationship “means an awful lot to me” (A384).

Beth also noted feelings of pride in her relationship with B when she saw him interact with another pupils and showed affection towards her. She noted, “it amazes me that I am actually really pleased with it” (B594) and she also felt rewarded when “he looks for me, like in the dinner hall, and he gives me a big smile” (B399) and it was this personal connection that seemed to give her a strong sense of worth in her relationship with B. Clare had difficulties with her relationship with C but still managed to find times where there was “a light bulb moment when he does respond which is quite rewarding when he does” (C268) and, again, it was this personal connection, however small, that seemed to impact so strongly on her.

Dena expressed this personal reward in slightly different terms, but equally strongly, when she noted, “it sort of becomes a bit more that just a job when you’ve got the relationship and you’ve really invested I suppose in it” (D443) and she saw this

investment as having paid off in D’s “development, their skills, their progress” (D449). Emma felt personally rewarded when E made progress and noted, “it makes me happy when she does things that I never thought she would be capable of” (E188) and that “it is such a joy to see her progress every week” (E235). Frances, who had a very difficult relationship with F, still found it possible to note feelings of pride in F’s progress. For example, she recalled how she felt when F dressed up as his favourite cat and stood up in

front of the class “and that was a really proud moment, the fact that he could do that and was happy to do that” (F327).

These feelings of pride in their relationships, and in the progress made by the children, seemed to define their role as TAs and their self-worth. It was interesting that personal connections were important for the TAs as many of them described how the children either connected personally to them or with others. To some of the TAs their rewards were about helping the child to overcome their difficulties, as Anna noted when she said, “if A can have as..I do not like to use the word “normal”, but as normal life as he possibly can and be accepted and feel he is part of his community and then I feel great about that” (A386). For Beth the idea that she could help B make friends and overcome his social difficulties was evident when she noted that “B finds this really hard, for him this is a big deal, he is talking to somebody, he wants to make friends with them” (B608). Emma noted a similar feeling of satisfaction when she helped E to interact with another child and that “it makes me happy when she does things that I never thought she would be capable of” (E188).

However, for some of the TAs the relationship had been very hard work and it had been difficult to get the personal and professional satisfaction that others had attained. For those TAs the relationships created many frustrations and it was these that defined how they felt both about the child and about themselves.

Frustrations in the relationships and with the children’s progress

Frances expressed frustrations in her relationship with F throughout her interview and noted, “it is very difficult working with a child like this” (F95). Her frustration was with both his perceived lack of progress and also “it is more that he does not want to do it” (F102). Her frustrations then spilt over into a perceived lack of support from the class

teacher, which impacted upon her ability to support F appropriately. She noted, “I am not happy with it at the moment. The whole situation is very difficult” (F227) as she went on to explain that the teacher was leaving and “she has washed her hands of every bit and then for me as well, because she has had enough” (F230). This external lack of support for Frances impacted upon her feelings about their relationship as well as F was more difficult to work with.

Frustrations occurred for Clare due to C’s difficulties with writing and his subsequent behaviour when asked to do written tasks. These difficulties resulted in her reducing her support time with him, as she “felt frazzled by the end of the day to be quite honest” (C77). Her relationship seemed to struggle because of the physical and emotional demands such that she found it hard to be positive about C when she noted, “I am not very fond of him” (C181). For Beth frustrations were more about B’s progress and she noted, “there are times when you certainly feel that you could get frustrated” (B176) and she clearly struggled to come to terms with those frustrations as “it does not make you feel very good about yourself” and “you are putting pressure on a child really, you do not want to be putting ..when they are finding life quite difficult as it is” (B191).