Teacher Assistant
A Teacher Assistant, also known as a paraprofessional or instructional aide, plays a vital role in educational settings by supporting lead teachers across various grade levels, from preschool to high school. They assist with instructional and clerical tasks while following the educational plans developed by teachers and administrators. The role is particularly crucial as public school budgets tighten and class sizes increase, leading to a greater demand for teacher assistants in the U.S.
Daily responsibilities can vary widely, including tutoring students, managing classroom activities, preparing educational materials, and supervising students during breaks. Teacher assistants may work in specialized areas, supporting students with special needs, and must be adaptable to the diverse needs of the student population. While a high school diploma is often the minimum requirement, pursuing further education in related fields such as child development or education can enhance job prospects.
Overall, individuals drawn to this profession typically exhibit patience, creativity, and a genuine interest in supporting children's learning and development, making it a rewarding choice for many, especially those seeking part-time work that aligns with their family schedules.
Teacher Assistant
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Education & Training, Human Services
Interests: Teaching, pedagogy, curriculum development
Earnings (Yearly Median): $35,550 per year
Employment & Outlook: 0% (Little or no change)
Entry-Level Education: Some college, no degree
Related Work Experience: None
On-the-job-Training: None
Overview
Sphere of Work. Teacher assistants support lead teachers as needed. Teacher assistants are sometimes called paraprofessionals, paraeducators, teacher aides, or instructional aides. In most instances, teacher assistants offer instructional support, student support, and clerical help. As public school budgets decrease and class sizes grow, many public school districts in the United States address the issue by increasing the number of teacher assistants on staff.
Teacher assistants follow the teaching, lesson, and behavioral plans developed by the lead teacher and school administrators. At the elementary level, teacher assistants tend to be generalists, comfortable supporting instruction in various subjects. At the secondary school level, teacher assistants tend to be single-subject assistants trained to offer instructional support in math, science, language arts, or the social sciences.
Work Environment. Teacher assistants work in public and private school settings in all grade levels, from preschool through high school. Classrooms and schools have different access to resources, such as art supplies, music lessons, physical education facilities, and field trips. The resources available depend on the financial resources of the school and district, as well as the educational philosophy driving the curriculum.
Occupation Interest. Individuals drawn to the profession of teacher assistant tend to be intelligent, creative, patient, and caring. Often, parents of school-age children seeking part-time employment pursue teacher-assistant positions to align their children’s schedules with their own. Those who work in special-education settings may need to be able to move, lift, and carry students needing assistance. Teacher assistants should enjoy spending long hours with children and adolescents. Successful teacher assistants excel at teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. A teacher assistant’s daily duties and responsibilities vary based on their job specifications and area of specialization. Areas of specialization include preschool, elementary, secondary, or special education support.
Teacher assistants in preschool settings support the lead teacher’s vision and curriculum. A preschool teacher assistant’s daily duties and responsibilities include classroom preparation and cleanup, as well as student care. Classroom preparation and cleaning duties may include labeling materials; organizing work areas, such as the art area or reading area; preparing student snacks and, in some cases, lunch; setting up daily projects, and cleaning up and sanitizing at the end of the day. Student-care duties include greeting students in the morning, calming fears and addressing separation anxiety, promoting a supportive and nurturing classroom environment, maintaining student safety and health, and providing consistent student discipline.
Teacher assistants working in elementary and secondary schools support the lead teacher as needed. A teacher assistant’s daily duties and responsibilities include grading, photocopying, project setup and cleanup, tutoring, small group instruction, homework review, displaying student work on bulletin boards and display boards, presenting prepared lectures and assignments, enforcing school policies, maintaining student records, and supervising students during lunch, recess, and field trips.
Teacher assistants offering special-education support may be assigned to be the full-time instructional aide for a single student, or they may be assigned the job of classroom support. Special-education teacher assistants help students with physical, language, mental, or behavioral challenges. Specific tasks may include feeding assistance, language instruction or translation, peer mediation, riding with students on the school bus, reviewing study habits, helping with homework, tutoring, and documenting student progress.
All teacher assistants must attend staff meetings and participate in teacher-mentoring relationships. Ultimately, teacher assistants must work daily to meet the needs of all students, families, lead teachers, and school administrators.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. A teacher assistant’s immediate physical environment is the classroom and school setting. Occasionally, teacher assistants work outdoors with students. Teacher assistants generally work when school is in session and follow an annual academic schedule with ample winter, spring, and summer vacations. Many teacher assistants work part-time. Summer teaching opportunities in summer school and summer camps are common.
Human Environment. Teacher assistants are in constant contact with students, students’ families, school administrators, and fellow teachers. Teacher assistants may work with students who are on individualized education plans (IEPs), have physical or mental disabilities, or who are English-language learners (ELLs). Teacher assistants must be comfortable working with people from various backgrounds.
Technological Environment. School classrooms include computers and mobile devices such as tablets for student use. Teacher assistants should be comfortable using Internet communication tools and teaching students to use educational software. They may also use computers to perform administrative tasks and record student progress. In addition, teacher assistants offering special-education support to students with physical disabilities may need to help their students with adaptive technology, such as wheelchairs and hearing aids. Teacher assistants should be comfortable with standard office and audiovisual equipment.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students interested in becoming teacher assistants should develop good study habits. Interested high school students should take a broad range of courses in science, math, history, language arts, foreign languages, physical education, and the arts. Those interested in the field of education may benefit from seeking internships or part-time work with children and teachers at camps and after-school programs.
Postsecondary. College students interested in becoming teacher assistants should work towards an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in education or a related field. Coursework in education, child development, psychology, language arts, and foreign languages may also prove helpful in future work. Before graduation, prospective teacher assistants should gain teaching experience through internships or work in daycare, preschool, or camp settings.
Related Occupations
− Secondary and Middle School Teacher
Bibliography
"Teacher Assistants." Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/teacher-assistants.htm. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.