Change the Narrative with Adele Bates

In this episode, Adele and Keith dig into what it really means to value and support TAs and other support staff around behaviour. They talk about how the TA role has changed over the last few decades, from “general classroom help” to one‑to‑one support, behaviour support and intervention work, and how that shift has created a lot of confusion about what TAs are actually there to do. Adele and Keith share stories of TAs being underused, misused, or dropped into high‑risk behaviour-management roles with little training, alongside examples of TAs who are among the strongest behaviour practitioners in the building. They explore how leaders can involve support staff properly in behaviour plans and policy, give them access to meaningful CPD (not just the “leftover” training), and create spaces where TAs can learn from each other rather than feeling isolated.This episode also introduces ABEducation’s TA conferences, and why it matters to give TAs a whole day focused on their role, and how follow‑up sessions help turn that one day into lasting change back in school.Hosted by Adele BatesGuest: Keith BatesRecorded via RiversideMusic by Pocketbeats Music, @pocketsbeatsmusic on InstagramProduction Support by Susan OutlawOperational Support by Hannah John