ABSTRACT
The literature stresses the importance of teamwork. For example, Balshaw (1999) suggests that where practice is effective, assistants are seen as partners in the classroom rather than merely helpers. A similar view is put forward by Farell et a l. (1999) who make points about communication and teamwork between teachers and assistants. Fox (1998) suggests that assistants and teachers should establish ground rules for working together. A question assistants might ask teachers is therefore ‘Can I contribute or ask questions during the lesson?’ A variant of this question is considered in more detail here. My question is ‘What interventions are possible and appropriate as a result of what LSAs see or hear in a mathematics lesson?’ The next section explores some possible scenarios.
