Duties and Responsibilities of the Teacher Assistant

Duties

• An Assistant Teacher must work under the guidance of the teacher.
• He must provide textbooks, notebooks and pencils to the students.
• The assistant must help the students with spelling and other subjects.
• Classroom and play grounds must be monitored.
• Children’s health should be monitored.
• When the students board and leave school buses, assistant teachers must watch them.
• Assistant teachers must provide equipment like tape recorders, film projectors during the lessons in the class.
• Bulletin boards must be prepared for the students.
• If a student has a trouble with a subject, the assistant teacher must teach him the concepts and make sure that he understands.
• Sanitation must be maintained in the classrooms.
• Arts and music must be taught to the students.
• Homework assignments must be distributed to the students.
• The performance of the students in the tests must be observed.
• Emotional support is very important for students. It must be provided to them.
• Staff meetings and conferences must be attended by the Teacher Assistants.
• Charts and graphs must be prepared in order to make sure that the students understand the concepts in the class.
• Attendance of the students must be taken.

Responsibilities

• Librarians must be assisted in the school libraries.
• Computers in the classrooms and laboratories must be maintained.
• Audiovisual equipments must be operated during classes.
• The necessary materials must be ready in the classrooms.
• Records should be maintained.
• Tests must be conducted for the students.
• Recreational activities must be conducted in order to provide mental and social development.
• For school related projects, money must be collected from the students.
• Materials like books which are used by the teachers during classes should be laminated to increase their durability.
• Important papers must be filed and duplicated.

Description of Teacher Assistant

Teacher Assistants are persons who provide support in the classrooms. They work under the guidance of teachers or administrators. They have primary duties like arranging pencils, textbooks and notebooks. Notifications are also made by them.  They also take attendance of the students and monitor classrooms. They also keep a track on the health of the children. Students are watched by the assistant teachers when they board and leave the school buses.

Some of the assistants are responsible for arranging audiovisual equipment. Film projectors, tape recorders are operated by them during the class. During music classes, assistants play the piano. They take part in art classes. Students are helped in reading, mathematics and spelling. Teacher Assistants work in elementary schools and high schools. Assistant Teachers are responsible for providing support for children. They are supposed to look after their needs. It is their duty to make sure that the students understand the classes and complete their assignments. If children have any difficulty in understanding the subjects, the assistant teachers should teach them under the guidance of the teachers.

An Assistant teacher must make sure that the classroom is clean and hygienic. Emotional support should be provided to the children and they must be encouraged to perform well. The performance of the children is monitored by assistants. They try to find out where a student has made a mistake. They then help the student by explaining the subject. Tests are also conducted by the assistants. Assistant teachers must participate in staff meetings, training programs and conferences.  In order for the students to learn in a fast and easier manner required material and equipment must be provided. For a candidate to become an assistant teacher, a high school diploma is required for this field. The person must also be physically fit and health. Mental preparation is also important for a candidate.

Salary and Remuneration

• The salary of a Teacher Assistant depends on his education, skill and place of work.
• Bonuses are also provided for the Teacher Assistants.
• In a school district, the salary range is $13,674-$32,681.
• For a nonprofit organization the salary range is $18,136-$25,308.
• For college and university the salary range is $9,123-$41,426.
• For a person who has less than 1 year of experience, the salary range is $13,504-$32,419.
• For a person who has 1-4 years of experience, the salary range is $12,305-$31,026.
• For a person who has 5-9 years of experience, the salary range is $12,913-$32,062.
• If a person has 10-19 years of experience, the salary range is $13,818-$31,015.
• If a person has twenty years of experience, the salary range is $14,146-$38,787.
• A bonus of $400 is provided to a person who has less than 1 year of experience.
• For a person who has 1-4 years of experience, the bonus is $198.32.
• For a person who has 5-9 years of experience, the bonus is $204.82.
• For a person who has 10-19 years of experience, the bonus is $275.
• If a person has 20 years of experience, the bonus is $333.
• Vacations are also provided for the assistant teachers.

Skills required for a Teacher Assistant

• Communication skills are needed for a Teacher Assistant.
• Organizational skills are also required.
• Interpersonal skills are needed for a Teacher Assistant.
• A Teacher Assistant must be very patient while working with children.
• He must know how to follow a schedule.
• He must talk to the parents about the performance of their children.
• The ability to work independently is required.
• He must operate audiovisual equipment during classes.
• Attendance of the students must be taken by the assistants.
• A Teacher Assistant must check the health of the students.
• Computers must be maintained in laboratories and in classrooms.
• Photocopies of the lessons must be distributed to the teachers and students.
• Moral support must be provided to the students.
• The problems of the students must be understood by the assistant.
• Cooperation is required for a Teacher Assistant and he must be able to help the teacher.
• A Teacher must have a good education and good vocabulary.
• An understanding of science and social studies is essential.
• Physical education must be imparted to the students like sports.
• Knowledge of the history of education is needed.
• Sanitation of the classroom must be maintained.
• A learning environment must be created for children.
• Stationary items must be available in the classroom.
• A Teacher Assistant must make the children to develop good habits.
• A Teacher Assistant must report to the teacher if a child has any learning difficulties.
• The teacher must be assisted in conducting classroom activities.
• Whenever a student is injured, the assistant teacher must know how to administer first aid to him.
• Dealing with emergency situations is very important.
• A Teacher Assistant must attend training programs and conferences.
• A learning environment must be created for students.

Certification and Licensure

• Certification and licensure are not required for a Teacher Assistant.
• If a candidate wants to be a Teacher Assistant in the future, he can join universities which have certification programs.
• A high school diploma is required for this field.
• A college graduation is also required for a candidate.
• A Teacher Assistant must be able to communicate with the parents of the children and the teachers.
• Textbooks, workbooks must be distributed to students.
• Homework assignments must be distributed to the students.
• Arts and music must be taught to the students.
• Administration policies must be implemented.
• Emotional support must be provided to the students.
• He must participate in conferences.
• A Teacher Assistant must know the problems of the students.
• Attendance must be taken by the assistant teacher.
• Librarians must be assisted by the assistant teachers.
• Material must be laminated to increase their durability.
• Computers must be maintained in classrooms and laboratories.
• Audiovisual equipment must be operated.
• Material must be duplicated for students and teachers.
• The performance of the students must be observed.
• Recreational activities must be arranged for students.
• Charts and graphs must be displayed for students.
• An outline of the lessons must be prepared.
• Money must be collected from students for the school related projects.
• A schedule must be followed by the Teacher Assistant.
• Experience is required for this field. A person can then teach at higher schools.
• Guidance must be provided to the students.
• Organizational skills are essential for the candidate.
• Interpersonal skills are required.
• The assistant teacher must know the subject very well.
• A Teacher Assistant must know how to prepare bulletin boards.
• A Teacher Assistant must be willing to take up more responsibilities.

Educational Qualifications of the Teacher Assistant

• A high school diploma is required for the candidate.
• Candidates who have a college background can be taken by schools.
• Courses and programs are offered for candidates by the colleges.
• Teacher Assistants can learn music, art and biology in colleges.
• The schools that recruit the Teacher Assistants provide training programs. The duties to be performed are specified.
• The rules and policies of the schools are also told to the assistants.
• Teacher Assistants must know how to teach children depending on their ages.
• Additional training is provided for the Teacher Assistants throughout the year by the school.
• Emotional support must be provided to the students in order to excel in their academics.
• Students can understand the subjects in the class with the help of audiovisual equipment.
• Art and music must be taught to the students.
• Assistant teachers must conduct tests and distribute assignments to the students.
• Sports should be conducted by assistant teachers.
• An Assistant teacher must take attendance and monitor the health of the students.
• A Teacher Assistant must be willing to take up more responsibilities in the school like handling school projects.
• English must be to known to the Teacher Assistant. He must be able to speak the language fluently.
• Experience is very essential for a Teacher Assistant as it can help him in securing employment in other schools.
• Excellent organizational skills are essential for the candidate and the schedule must be followed.
• Assistant Teachers can work with students individually or in groups. Students can learn more and understand easily.
• An assistant teacher must make photocopies for students and teachers so that time is not wasted in obtaining materials.
• Certification and Licensure are not required for assistant teachers in many schools but universities provide certification programs for those who wish to work as Teacher Assistants in the future.