Teach Portsmouth is running a series of teaching assistant information events to help highlight the fantastic opportunities support roles can offer within the city. We wanted to showcase the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects within these positions and interviewed a higher-level teaching assistant from a Portsmouth school. 

Shayla Leib swapped her home-based statistician job to embark on a new career as a teaching assistant. Realising she had strong transferable STEM skills; she was able to re-train and choose something that she enjoyed and fitted around her family life too.

We spoke to Shayla, a KS2 higher level teaching assistant at Meon Junior School who gave us an invaluable insight into her role. Read on to find out more about her journey in choosing to become a teaching assistant.  

I understand that your previous role was based heavily on one of the STEM subjects. How has this helped in your new role as a teaching assistant?

After spending nearly two decades working in the field of data science, I am very numerate and passionate about maths and statistics. This enthusiasm helps me to support and motivate the children I work with. Digital literacy is also increasingly important across the curriculum and having skills in this area means I can support children taking their first steps into topics like computer programming.  

Tell me about your journey in becoming a higher-level teaching assistant?

I didn't think I would get the first job I applied for as a higher-level teaching assistant, but I knew I had a lot of skills to offer so I took a chance. I was honest about the level of experience I had working in schools and explained why I thought the skills from my previous career would be useful. The school thankfully decided I was a good fit for their setting and have supported my personal development.  

How did you know you wanted to be a teaching assistant? Did you volunteer at a school prior to doing your training?

I enjoyed training and managing people as a statistician, so a teaching assistant job seemed a natural side-step into a new career in education. Taking an entry level role as a 1:1 teaching assistant was the first step to see if I liked the environment. Sometimes it can be hard to get your foot-in-the-door without experience working with children, but most schools consider prospective volunteer applications.  

It would be interesting to understand the difference between a teaching assistant and a higher-level teaching assistant. Please could you tell us a bit more about your role and how it differs from other support roles?

Most teaching assistants and 1:1's support individuals or small groups of children by breaking down and explaining key concepts in a relatable way; providing feedback through live marking as well as preparing resources for the class. Higher-level teaching assistants do this too, but they are also responsible for covering lessons - so teachers have time to plan and attend meetings.

What advice would you give others who are thinking about becoming a teaching assistant?

Do it! 

When you go for interviews, make sure you ask questions about career progression and personal development. It's important to keep up to date with your learning as it helps build your knowledge.

Lastly, what makes you excited about going to work every day? What is your favourite part of your role?

It sounds like a cliché, but every day is different and generally in a good way. Children are a lot of things, but they are never boring!

Recently, I led a class building programmable robots and seeing their smiles as they succeeded at something so advanced was truly inspiring. 

The school I work for are really good at empowering their staff to keep learning, just this week I passed my mini-bus driving course!

Feel inspired? Become a teaching assistant! 

If you have been inspired by Shayla's story, why not come along to the Teach Portsmouth teaching assistant information event on Tuesday 1 November at the Portsmouth Central Library. There are 2 sessions one from 10:30 - 11:30am and the second from 11:30 - 1pm). Register online today!