Job Description of a Teacher Assistant

Tap to Read ➤ Shashank Nakate

The teacher assistant job requires many attributes to be possessed by the candidate for this job; amongst these, a caring attitude and cool head to work are the most important.

A teacher assistant is one who acts subordinate to the Lead Teacher and assists in different activities associated with teaching. Management of classroom and general supervision are the main responsibilities of an assistant teacher.

Being associated with children, the job of a teacher assistant involves many tasks that are apparently simple but, at times, tricky to deal with. The preschool teacher assistant job description and that of assistant's in general is provided in short, through following paragraphs.

Job Description of Teacher Assistant

The duties of a teacher's assistant are provided in short, in the following paragraphs.

~ Assisting in the planning and implementation of daily program of a Lead Teacher in schools is the primary responsibility of assistant teachers. ~ Classroom supervision in the absence of Lead Teacher is a task which has to be conducted occasionally.

~ Preparing a suitable learning environment for children, supplying them with necessary materials, stationery, etc. and setting up interest centers are few other responsibilities of teacher assistants. ~ They have to attend staff meetings, conferences and the required training programs.

~ The Lead Teachers carry out various activities that lead to emotional, intellectual and social development of children; the assistants should also help teachers in successfully conducting these activities.

~ There are professional organizations which work towards the development of children in their early days. Teacher assistants are expected to participate in programs conducted by such organizations.

~ To help children in developing good habits including that of personal hygiene is a seemingly minor yet important task to be handled by assistants; few of the tasks associated with personal hygiene are toilet training and diaper changing. ~ Reporting to the Lead Teacher in case of observance of problems with children.

~ The teacher assistant should also help in maintaining a neat and clean classroom. ~ He/she must be aware of the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) code of ethics.

Physical Requirements

Candidate for the job of teacher assistant should meet a certain criteria in terms of physical requirements. They must be capable of lifting a weight of up to 40 pounds. Climbing the stairs, ability to stretch & bend are also some of the minimum expectations. They should also have the ability to push emergency evacuation buckets that weigh around 150 pounds.

Special Education Teacher Assistant

One-two years of experience is needed for work as a Special Education Teacher Assistant.

Since, the person (candidate) has to deal with children having disabilities, it is expected for him/her to fulfill the responsibilities being assigned with a bit more caution.

Candidates with knowledge of basic first aid, training and certification in CPR are always given more preference for this job. In some cases, it is also necessary for candidates to be trained in non-violent crisis intervention.

Daycare Teacher Assistant

To apply for the post of daycare teacher assistant, one should have an 'Associate Degree in Early Childhood' or 'High School Diploma'.

Scheduling different activities that help in stimulating cognitive skills and which promotes their development is one of the main responsibilities. To take good care of the children's health and ensuring their safety is also one of the important tasks.

Skills of Teacher Assistant

The job of an assistant teacher though is secondary to that of a Lead Teacher, it is no less important. One has to have many different skills and most importantly the presence of mind to deal with children.

The resume of a teacher assistant should include the objective of applying for a job and a short account of skill sets that one possesses.

The job description provided in the write-up should be helpful for those interested. Any job which revolves around or involves children, offers many opportunities to learn; job satisfaction is also one of the important factors that drives people towards this job.

Dealing with kids as we know is not an easy job. A kind and knowledgeable person, who is equally strong in dealing with emergency situations, should be the right candidate for job of a teacher assistant.