Teacher Advisor Time:What is it?

TA time is generally time set aside within the week for the teacher to meet with the same group of students, known as their advisees.

In planning for a Teacher Advisor model staff should identify the main purpose of TA time within their school community, and then identify the roles and responsibilities of the teachers as advisors, and the expectations of the students as advisees.

In some schools TA time is used for one or more of the following:

Monitoring achievement and attendance

Learning Strategies

Intervention/support Registration/scheduling Career Planning/myBlueprints

The role of Teacher Advisor varies in most schools but generally the main premise is to develop and improve student teacher relationships within the school. The role often includes the following:

Time set aside for the teacher to meet with a small group of student advisees on a weekly basis throughout the year.

TA Block may include time for conferencing with student to support and review their achievement and attendance.

Time is for building community ( ie. Identity, TA group challenges or team building activities for students to get to know one another).

Time might be used to improve communication: review announcements, upcoming school events, time for students to provide input and discuss topics/issues.

TA time might be used as the means for yearly registration and managing course changes

Where FLEX time is offered, teacher advisors might also provide support for assisting students with FLEX choices.

Time used for discussion of topics impacting student learning but maybe not specific to subject areas—ie. digital learning, relationships, healthy choices, time management, stress and anxiety management, learning styles, strategies, understanding the learning process.

TA time might be used to support career planning and career information.