The Impact of Teacher Assistants at Great Hearts Archway Academies

When the lower schools at Great Hearts were founded in 2009, our founders knew they wanted to deliver a top tier classical education to the masses. They wanted to bring the type of education that was formerly only available at private schools to the general public. One of the ways to deliver this kind of education was to have two teachers in every K-5 classroom.

Our students don’t differentiate between teacher assistants (TAs) and lead teachers. From their eyes, they have two teachers in their classroom.

Having two teachers in each classroom allows them to provide individualized support. No matter the size of a class, there is always someone who needs a little extra help.  When teachers are alone, they have to constantly stop teaching to tend to the needs of individuals which disrupts the flow and engagement of a lesson.  So, with TAs, individuals get help, but the whole group also gets a better uninterrupted lesson.

Building good habits is a huge part of an elementary school education. How to sit, how to raise your hand and wait your turn, how to pay attention and focus, how to follow directions, and how to be polite and thoughtful. A teacher alone in a classroom does not have the capacity to deeply support building these habits while simultaneously teaching a lesson. TAs allow both things to happen smoothly and concurrently all day long every day, thus cultivating our students into scholars.

TAs also teach a subject. This helps them grow in the craft of teaching and build our bench of future lead teachers. When a TA is charged with one subject to teach, they pour their heart into it thus delivering a high-quality lesson, and it also reduces the teaching workload of the lead teacher.

If a teacher is absent, learning continues. They don’t have to have a lost day of watching videos or stuffing 60 children into one classroom because of a teacher absence. The class doesn’t miss a beat.

Although teachers work with people all day long, the vocation can actually be a lonely one.  Having a partner by your side each day to teach with you provides a collaborative environment where people are happier.

TAs know and love their students.  They develop strong relationships with their scholars creating an environment where students feel safe and seen and loved.  That is the kind of environment required for children to truly learn and flourish.

While this is a very effective classroom model, it is also an expensive one. Through Community Investment, families provide some of the financial support to their academies that helps keep teacher assistants in all of our Archway classrooms. Find out more about how you can contribute to your academy’s Community Investment at https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/support-us/community-investment/

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Submit a student application to a Great Hearts Academy by visiting: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/enroll/.