Teacher assistants provide instructional and clerical support for classroom teachers, allowing teachers more time for lesson planning and teaching. Teacher assistants tutor and assist children in learning class material using the teacher's lesson plans, providing students with individualized attention. Teacher assistants also supervise students in the cafeteria, schoolyard, and hallways, or on field trips. They record grades, set up equipment, and help prepare materials for instruction. Teacher assistants also are called teacher aides or instructional aides. Some assistants refer to themselves as educators or paraprofessionals.
Find schools below offering teaching assistant certificate programs for your educational needs. Teacher assistants also work with infants and toddlers who have developmental delays or other disabilities. Under the guidance of a teacher or therapist, teacher assistants perform exercises or play games to help the child develop physically and behaviorally. Some teacher assistants work with young adults to help them obtain a job or to apply for community services for the disabled.
Some teacher assistants perform exclusively non-instructional or clerical tasks, such as monitoring nonacademic settings. Playground and lunchroom attendants are examples of such assistants. Most teacher assistants, however, perform a combination of instructional and clerical duties. They generally provide instructional reinforcement to children, under the direction and guidance of teachers. They work with students individually or in small groups listening while students read, reviewing or reinforcing class lessons, or helping them find information for reports. At the secondary school level, teacher assistants often specialize in a certain subject, such as math or science. Teacher assistants often take charge of special projects and prepare equipment or exhibits, such as for a science demonstration. Some assistants work in computer laboratories, helping students using computers and educational software programs.
Many teacher assistants work extensively with special education students. As schools become more inclusive, integrating special education students into general education classrooms, teacher assistants in both general education and special education classrooms increasingly assist students with disabilities. Teacher assistants attend to a disabled student's physical needs, including feeding, teaching good grooming habits, or assisting students riding the school bus. They also provide personal attention to students with other special needs, such as those who speak English as a second language, or those who need remedial education. Teacher assistants help assess a student's progress by observing performance and recording relevant data.
While the majority of teacher assistants work in primary and secondary educational settings, others work in preschools and other child care centers. Often one or two assistants will work with a lead teacher in order to better provide the individual attention that young children require. In addition to assisting in educational instruction, they also supervise the children at play and assist in feeding and other basic care activities. If you want to become a teacher's assistant then look no further than an online course.
As a teacher’s assistant or aid you’ll need to understand a lot of the same concepts as the licensed teacher. The main difference is you won’t have to obtain your state license in order to help. You’ll cover just some of the below modules and topics in your certificate training program.
Behavioral – Learn the different stages of behavioral and human development and understand both physical and social development in kids.
Teaching Techniques – Learn how to work with small groups of children as well as how to teach certain types of curriculum. Depending on what grade level you wish to teach the curriculum covers kindergarten through 12.
Special Needs – Although a degree is generally required to work with special education students you’ll still cover the needs of special needs students. This could mean dealing with kids of a divorced couple as well as homelessness and even children that have suffered abuse.
Most teacher’s aide training programs can be done online and some in less than 3 months. We have listed 3-4 of the top programs that can be completed 100% online and many are priced under $1500. We don’t feel it is necessary to take a program that costs more or that is over 6 months. The goal is to get you quickly trained so you can earn a certificate and start applying for positions in your area.
Assistant teachers can expect to either get paid hourly or they might be salaried employees of the school. Teachers Aids average pay is around $22000-25000 per year. Some private schools will pay more depending on what they require you to do each day as well as if the school is year around vs only 8-9 months long. As a substitute teacher they are almost always paid by the day. This can range from just a few hours to an entire day if the regular teacher is absent. A substitute can expect to get paid $50-125 per day.
Teachers Aid Resources
Teacher Assistants Outlook
Teachers Assisting at Ashworth College
Teacher’s Aide Training at Penn Foster Career School
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