What does a teacher assistant do?
When you're a teacher assistant, you assist the teacher in providing students with attention to ensure they understand the lessons that you teach in the classroom. You teach students in small groups or one-on-one and supervise children both inside and outside of the classroom. Your duties include helping teachers with record-keeping and grading assignments and exams to track the progress of the students. You also enforce the school and classroom rules while taking disciplinary action when it's needed to maintain order.
How you spend your time as a teacher assistant
You replace the teacher if they're absent and take on the role of the main instructor when it's needed. This role also involves assisting the teacher in creating lesson plans to break down complex topics and subjects for the students. You work closely with students to enhance the learning process while maintaining the classroom to keep it clean and tidy. You spend time tracking students' attendance and escorting students on field trips and outings. You assist with different types of tasks, including communicating with parents about each student's progress and reporting behavioral issues to the teacher.
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What is the average salary of a teacher assistant?
The average annual salary of a teaching assistant is $41,170. The lowest salary is $22,730, and the highest annual salary is $62,260. Entry-level teacher assistants earn an average of $24,073 each year, whereas teacher assistants with at least 20 years of experience earn an average of $49,012 annually. The states with the highest employment level of teacher assistants include California, New York, and Texas. The location of where you work is one of the main factors that determine how much you can expect to earn. Some of the highest salaries are available in cities such as Seattle, Baltimore, and San Francisco. Teacher assistant positions are primarily at public K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. Technical and trade schools also hire teacher assistants.
How to earn a higher salary as a teacher assistant
If you want to increase your salary as a teacher assistant, it's important to develop more in-demand skills, including classroom management, behavioral management, and instructional design. Understanding how to perform assessments of students and implement instructions will also enhance your qualifications as an educator. Maintaining consistent performance will allow you to earn a higher salary as you spend more time in the profession and increase your level of experience.
Teacher assistant job description
Do you enjoy working alongside a teacher and helping students learn? Do you enjoy spending time around other people during the day? If so, a teacher assistant job will be rewarding. The position makes it possible to spend time with students and contribute to their ability to learn, grow, and develop. A teacher assistant is an integral role in the classroom setting and will allow you to help everything run more smoothly. The teacher is more focused and organized with the help of a teacher assistant completing different tasks.
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What are the responsibilities of a teacher assistant?
Working as a teacher assistant requires managing a variety of responsibilities that help the classroom run smoothly and efficiently each day. You must create lesson plans with the teacher and assist in creating the classroom schedule. You take attendance and report any absences to the office. You also remain in constant communication with the parents or guardians of the students and report any behavioral issues. The role requires determining the appropriate disciplinary action if students are disruptive or break the rules. You also spend a lot of time setting up the class, organizing the materials, and maintaining a tidy environment.
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Additional duties and responsibilities
As a teacher assistant, you're responsible for enforcing the rules and guidelines that are set in the classroom. You monitor the activities of the students as they spend time working in groups. You spend time helping students improve in specific areas where they may be struggling or failing with their academic performance. You must also have the ability to recognize any areas of concern with the students. In this role, it's important to earn the trust of the students and have strong communication skills. It's also important to find new ways of teaching the material and have a firm but friendly personality. Your assistance to the teacher will contribute to the tone of the setting and should encourage a welcoming environment where students are excited to learn. When field trips or outings take place, you are present to assist in helping to supervise the students.
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What type of equipment do teacher assistants use?
Teacher assistants use a lot of office equipment, including dry erase markers and boards, pencils and pens, and books and papers. You also spend a significant amount of time on a computer during the week creating lesson plans and inputting grades. You will use printers and copiers, as well as textbooks and workbooks, daily.
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What is the work environment of a teacher assistant?
Teacher assistants spend most of their time in a classroom setting. The classroom is where you teach different lesson plans and review various subjects. This requires working indoors throughout the school year. You also spend time outside of the classroom monitoring the students during recess. As a teacher assistant, there are times you attend outings and field trips with the students. You also spend time in common areas of a school collaborating with colleagues.
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Who are your colleagues as a teacher assistant?
Working as a teacher assistant requires spending a lot of time in a team environment and rarely requires working alone. The main colleague you spend most of your time with is the teacher. You spend time assisting the teacher in the classroom while helping instruct the students and providing them with additional information. You also work one-on-one with the teacher to create lesson plans, grade homework or exams, and create the classroom schedule.
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Additional colleagues
In this role, you also spend time with the principal when discussing your responsibilities and meeting to talk about your performance reviews. You report directly to the teacher or principal when you have questions or general concerns. You also work with support staff, including janitors, secretaries, and office assistants.
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What is the work schedule of a teacher assistant?
As a teacher assistant, you work 40-hour work weeks. You work hours depend on the hours of operation of the school, as well as the amount of work that you need to complete outside of the classroom. Expect to work at home when you grade papers or exams, respond to emails, and communicate with the students' parents. Typically, however, you will not receive overtime pay in this role. Some teacher assistants have part-time roles and are only present for a few hours each day at the school or on specific days of the week.
What is the career outlook of a teacher assistant?
The availability of teacher assistant positions will increase by 9% from 2020 to 2030. There will be an average of 136,400 openings available each year in the next decade. This is the same rate of growth for other types of positions in different industries. If you want to stand out among other applicants, it's important to complete an internship. You also have the option of pursing a bachelor's degree in education and transfer the credits you acquired when you earned your associate degree.
What are the advantages of working with Spherion as a teacher assistant?
If you're looking for employment, Spherion is a great resource. Spherion assists you with your job search and will pair you with the right employer based on your set of skills. As a leading staffing company, Spherion has a long list of connections and will provide you with different networking opportunities. Whether you prefer to work with young students or at a university, Spherion has the right connections. Working with Spherion offers many benefits, including:
- Receiving weekly pay
- A quick and easy interview process
- Flexibility
- Different training opportunities
- Working with a personal contact to assist you in your search for employment
- A variety of jobs in the local area
What education do you need as a teacher assistant?
A high school diploma or GED is a requirement to find employment as a teacher assistant. Working as a teacher assistant in some positions also requires earning an associate degree or completing two years of coursework. Some schools or universities only require certification.
Skills & competencies
You must have the ability to teach and have the patience to work as a teacher assistant. This role also requires organizational skills and strong communication skills. Instructional skills and the ability to work as part of a team area also essential.
FAQs
Many people have questions about teacher assistant positions and what they require. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions that offer insight into this in-demand role.
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What's the difference between a teacher and a teacher assistant?
A teacher is responsible for teaching the class, supervising the students, and creating the lesson plans. A teacher assistant helps with large classrooms and completes tasks that the teacher needs assistance with to maintain a fruitful learning environment.
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Can you be a teacher assistant with no qualifications?
There aren't any specific certifications or qualifications necessary for working as a teacher assistant. However, you need at least a high school diploma. In certain positions, you will need an associate or bachelor's degree in education or another field.
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How do I apply for a job as a teacher assistant?
Applying for a job as a teacher assistant is easy with Spherion. You can search for teacher assistant jobs on Spherion.com by job title and location. If you don't see the perfect role, you can submit an open application. Once you submit your contact information and resume through Spherion's open application, a recruiter from the office closest to you with details about potential teacher assistant roles that fit your skill set and professional goals.