What Do Teacher Assistants Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

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Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life

Teacher Assistants

Teacher Assistants perform duties that are instructional in nature or deliver direct services to students or parents. Serve in a position for which a teacher has ultimate responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.

Salary
$31500
Becoming One
Medium
Education
Post-secondary certificate
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



Job Description

Job Description

Teacher Assistants perform duties that are instructional in nature or deliver direct services to students or parents. Serve in a position for which a teacher has ultimate responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services. They also tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.

Other tasks include:

  • Teach social skills to students.
  • Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
  • Provide extra assistance to students with special needs.
  • Observe students’ performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.
  • Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.
  • Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.

We asked Teacher Assistants how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

Job satisfaction

69%

How meaningful is this job

82%


69% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.



Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Teacher Assistants take class attendance and maintain attendance records. They assist in bus loading and unloading.

A typical day for a Teacher Assistant will also include:

  • Clean classrooms.
  • Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
  • Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
  • Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, or supervised role-playing methods.
  • Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.

We asked some Teacher Assistants a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? 16% said yes
How important is it to work in a team in this job? 62% said very important
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? 74% said yes
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? 25% said yes
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? 15% said yes
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? 35% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Teacher Assistants also prepare lesson outlines and plans in assigned subject areas and submit outlines to teachers for review. They may also prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Teacher Assistants Collect money from students for school-related projects. They might also Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use.

In addition, they Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Assist librarians in school libraries.

To some Teacher Assistants, it is also their responsibility to Organize and label materials and display students’ work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills.


Working life

Working hours

Less than 40 hours per week

Working schedule

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Teacher Assistant, you can expect to work less than 40 hours per week.

Do Teacher Assistants work in an office-style work environment?

Every day
81%


Never
18%


Do Teacher Assistants work outdoors?

Never
37%


Every day
26%



Is this right for me

Best personality for this career

The Helpers and The Organizers

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.



Learn more about Teacher Assistants

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Related to Teacher Assistants Job Description

Teacher Assistants job description, what do Teacher Assistants do, typical day for Teacher Assistants, what is it like to work as a Teacher Assistant, how many hours do Teacher Assistants work, day to day work of a Teacher Assistant

Additional resources

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/education-training-and-library/teacher-assistants.htm
http://www.nea.org/
http://www.aft.org/
http://www.nrcpara.org/


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