A teacher assistant’s responsibilities can vary greatly. Generally speaking, however, these responsibilities fall into several major categories.
- Supporting students with special needs
- Supporting a classroom teacher
- Monitoring students in particular areas
- Teaching particular lessons or classes as a supplement to the core curriculum
A teaching assistant might primarily work within one of these categories, but most assistants find themselves doing a combination of several of these categories as you can read from Studyfromhome – online teaching courses platform.
Supporting Students with Special Needs
The majority of teaching assistants find themselves working with one or more students with special needs. Depending upon what student(s) you work with, you might have one or more of these responsibilities:
- Support a student with intensive needs by helping him or her perform basic life skills throughout the school day.
- Support a student, or several students, with learning disabilities by providing clarification, re-teaching, and accommodations for testing.
- Support a student with behavioral issues by making sure this student does not become a distraction or source of harm to his or her peers.
Supporting a Classroom Teacher
Many teaching assistants will aide a classroom teacher. This aide will look different depending upon the needs of the teacher, but responsibilities for helping in a classroom generally involve at least several of the following:
- Help grade assignments and enter them into the grade book and/or grading system
- Provide additional help to struggling students, either during instruction or by working with them individually in a separate, smaller group
- Provide assistance to students as they work in small groups
- Teach mini-lessons to the class
- Other
Aides are invaluable to a teacher because they provide an extra set of eyes and hands in the classroom, which frees up the teacher to devote more time and energy to serving students. Also, having another capable adult in the room gives the teacher countless extra options for instructing the class.
Monitoring Students in Particular Areas
Oftentimes, at least for part of the day, a teacher assistant will monitor students in areas such as the cafeteria, the hallway, or outside. When monitoring students, the teaching assistant will make sure students are following school rules and behaving safely and appropriately.
Teaching Particular Lesson or Classes
Sometimes, a teacher assistant will be asked to teach a lesson or a class that supplements the core curriculum. This type of lesson or class would generally be considered an “elective” type lesson or class (for example: art, computer, reading skills, etc.)
