Teaching Assistant

There are typically two types of teaching assistants. The first works in the Elementary School classroom and the second works at the college level, offering assistance to college professionals.

Teaching Assistants are valuable assets in the elementary classroom. They provide help and support to regular classroom teachers, easing the workload and freeing up the teacher to focus on curriculum requirements.

Elementary teaching assistants perform a variety of duties for classroom teachers. They may prepare teaching materials including handouts and art projects. They may research appropriate materials through resources like the library and educational catalogs.

Elementary teaching assistants may also handle classroom duties such as taking the class to lunch, to the library and to recess, so that the teacher may spend this time preparing for classroom instruction. They may read stories to the class and assist students during classroom activities.

Elementary teaching assistants may grade papers and prepare handouts that go home to parents. They may contact parents to set up conferences and prepare report cards and other correspondence.

Often, teaching assistants may support more than one classroom teacher, rotating between classes on a regular basis. They may also provide grade level support, preparing materials that every teacher in the grade will be using, or helping prepare standardized testing materials.

Typically, elementary teaching assistants are just required to have a high school diploma. In reality, however, many teaching assistants are college students who are pursuing education degrees, or college graduates who have already obtained their education degree but have not yet completed their certification requirements. Working as a teaching assistant is a great way to gain experience that will prove invaluable once these teachers take on their own classrooms.

Elementary teaching assistants can locate jobs through their local school systems job sites or by visiting www.gumtree.com.

College level teaching assistants are typically graduate students who are assigned to a professor in their chosen area of study. They perform many of the same duties as an Elementary Teaching assistant on the college level, including grading papers and doing research. However, at this level, they are also typically required to provide a certain amount of actual classroom instruction, under the supervision of the professor. They may also be involved in conducting laboratory sessions with students to complete these assignments.

Teaching assistants may be required to attend the professor's classes, taking notes and preparing assignments to function as an adjunct to these lectures. This work is designed to prepare the student for his own classroom once his graduate degree is obtained.

College teaching assistants may also perform clerical duties such as taking attendance, scheduling appointments, making copies and creating worksheets. They may create study guides and lead study sessions for students prior to tests.

College level teaching assistant jobs are typically open only to graduate students at that particular school, so no assistants are hired from the outside.

Teaching assistants at all levels should have a love for the classroom and the desire to learn the teaching profession. They should be able to operate under supervision, and work well with both teachers and students. Teaching assistants should be creative and able to make suggestions for new teaching materials and activities. This career is the perfect job for the individual preparing for a classroom of his or her own.

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