Teacher Assistants

Does spending four years or more in college deter you from considering a career in education? If so, you should consider going back to college and becoming a teacher assistant, or paraprofessional. Teacher assistants perform many valuable services in both elementary and secondary schools. Like normal teachers, they must be kind, friendly, professional, and willing to do whatever is needed to help the classroom run more smoothly for students, teachers, and administrators. They are often jacks-of-all-trades and may be asked to perform many different tasks from grading papers and creating bulletin boards to giving extra help to students who need it. If you would like a rewarding profession in a school setting without being required to get a bachelor’s degree, enroll in a training program and get started in your career as a paraprofessional.

Education and Requirements

In some places, teacher assistants are not required to undergo official training but as school employment standards increase, more is being expected from all faculty, including paraprofessionals. In most areas, paraprofessionals are now required to have a two-year degree in education and pass a certification exam before they are eligible to work in a school system. Many people choose to enroll in an online college for training because they prefer the convenience of taking classes from home. An online course can easily meet the educational requirements for paraprofessionals if it is from an accredited program.

Job duties of educational assistants

For teacher assistants who work in an elementary school, the tasks that have to be completed each day are many and cover a full range of skills. As an elementary assistant you may be required to make copies, laminate educational materials, assemble booklets or informational packets, assist with registration days, run errands for other faculty members, or design and put up bulletin boards. You may also be asked to sit with classes while the teacher is called away, help chaperone field trips and school events, or help students who need a little extra assistance. The work is challenging at times but it is also highly rewarding due to the difference you are making in the lives of both the students and the teachers you help.

Teacher assistants in secondary schools may have different types of duties. While you may not be as busy as those in an elementary setting, you will likely perform more detail-oriented tasks such as grading papers and compiling records. There are fewer paraprofessionals working in a secondary school environment but the ones who are employed are an invaluable asset to the school.

Now is the perfect time to make a career change and, if you are interested in getting into education, working as a paraprofessional is a great starting point. In many districts, teacher assistants can get a free education to earn a teaching degree in exchange for committing to teach in the district for a set number of years after graduating. It is a wonderful opportunity to get a higher education degree for free and to have a guaranteed job for several years.