Teaching Assistant

Problem-Solving on the Spot for TAs: Building Adaptive Confidence

What do you do when a pupil is stuck, the classroom feels busy, the teacher is occupied and you need to make a decision quickly? In many classrooms, teaching assistants are required to make dozens of small decisions every day, often with little time to think and without clear instructions in the moment. This course is designed to help you develop the confidence, judgement and practical strategies needed to problem-solve on the spot, so that you can respond calmly and effectively when situations change. Throughout the course, you will learn how to assess situations quickly, decide what action to take, support pupils without creating dependence, and manage behaviour and learning in a calm and purposeful way. You will build a toolkit of reliable strategies, sentence stems and decision-making prompts so that you are not left guessing what to do, but instead feel prepared, confident and in control when the unexpected happens. By the end of the course, you’ll feel more confident using your initiative, more prepared for challenging or unclear situations, and more able to support pupils and teachers in a way that keeps learning moving forward.
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Yiotina Achilleos-Dania, Saleena Sandhu & Carly Watkins

2 hours

Online Course

By completing this course, you will:

develop quick‑thinking strategies for responding to unexpected challenges;
learn how to make confident decisions when plans change or instructions are unclear;
strengthen judgement around behaviour, learning needs and classroom dynamics;
build a repertoire of ‘go‑to’ responses for common classroom dilemmas;
increase confidence in staying calm, resourceful and solution‑focused.

Course Lessons

Written by: Yiotina Achilleos-Dania

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Yiotina has spent over a decade immersed in the world of primary education. Most of her teaching career, she juggled the roles of Science and Maths subject leader, while working across key stage 1 and 2 (mainly based in years 2 and 6). Armed with degrees in Marketing Communications, Business Analysis and Primary Education (plus a National Qualification of Middle Leadership), she’s been at the forefront of introducing new initiatives, reshaping curricula and championing practical, hands-on learning to ensure every pupil thrives.

From training staff to supporting long-term skill progression, Yiotina has always been passionate about helping both pupils and teachers grow. Now, as a Twinkl CPD Content Writer and Editor, she’s swapped the classroom for the creative space of professional development, using her expertise to craft engaging, impactful courses that continue to support educators and learners.

Presented by: Saleena Sandhu

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Saleena is a Video Content Creator on the CPD team at Twinkl. She has over 10 years of experience as a primary school teacher, having taught across the full primary range from EYFS to Year 6. Saleena has also supported and mentored trainee and early career teachers.

In collaboration with: Carly Watkins

Carly is the Quality of Education Lead at Twinkl PD, overseeing the development of Teachers' Standards courses. She is an experienced primary school teacher and senior leader with a MA in Education Practice and NPQ in Leading Teacher Development. Carly also facilitates the ECF, delivering training for current mentors and ECTs; she is passionate about accessible and actionable professional development for all educators at all levels.