Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, & Secondary School

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Instructional Assistant, Paraeducator, Paraprofessional, TA (Teacher Assistant)

What they do:
Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher with instructional duties. Serve in a position for which a teacher has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.
On the job, you would:
  • Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
  • Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
  • Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.

Knowledge

Business

  • customer service
  • administrative services

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Math and Science

  • psychology
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Education and Training

  • teaching and course design

Skills

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • reading work related information

Social

  • understanding people's reactions
  • changing what is done based on other people's actions

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • order or arrange things
  • notice when problems happen

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Dependability
  • Concern for Others
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Integrity
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Self Control

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Electronic mail software

  • Email software
  • Microsoft Outlook Hot Technology

Computer based training software

  • Padlet
  • Schoology

Desktop communications software

  • ParentSquare
  • Tadpoles

Education

Get started on your career:

Find Training
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Apprenticeship.gov

Job Outlook

Below Average
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.

Salary:

$35,550
$24,200
$48,870
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