what is a teacher aide?
You support the teacher in classroom duties as a teaching assistant. While you assist with the learning and development of students, you perform non-teaching tasks. For instance, you prepare to teach materials and resources and perform general administrative work.
A teacher aide's job is more than arranging desks and photocopying worksheets. A happy, productive learning environment depends on a great classroom atmosphere – and that's where you come in. Helping learners with their work and supervising student behaviour creates an environment where every child can learn.
Outside the school, you assist with school trips and other activities such as parent-teacher evenings. The personal attention you give your learners, both in and out of the classroom, is vital to creating engaging, fulfilling classes.
As a teacher aide, you require exceptional qualities. For instance, enjoying working with kids and having a friendly, warm attitude are both critical. You spend most of your day helping children achieve their learning outcomes, and having an encouraging and patient demeanour with the students is crucial. Technical knowledge of teacher aide strategies is also required since you prepare classroom resources and gather the materials needed for a lesson. Sometimes, you also assist teachers with preparing lesson plans which require knowledge of the teaching aide strategies.
find jobsaverage salary of a teacher aide
You earn an average of $30 per hour as a teacher aide. The pay package depends on work experience and educational qualifications. When you are new to the role, your earrings are around $23 per hour. As your experience improves, you can earn up to around $37 per hour.
factors affecting teacher aide pay
As a teacher aide, your working hours differ from workers in typical teacher roles. For instance, you can work part-time or on contracts covering only the school term. With contracts like this, you have more free time and the opportunity for summer work, but it reduces your take-home pay.
Your pay also depends on your location and the type of school you work in. Many schools follow local government pay scales, making pay reasonably predictable. However, non-government and selective-entry high schools don't need to adhere to these guidelines, and not every local authority uses them. As a result, pay varies depending on the type of school. The location influences pay since schools in metro areas pay more than in other regions.
Your qualifications also determine your pay. You will attract higher offers if you have training or experience working with special educational needs (SEN) teachers.
types of teacher aides
Some of the types of teacher aides include:
- general teacher aides: as a general teacher aide, you help school teachers with daily tasks associated with running a classroom. Your job is to provide training materials and help children who have trouble concentrating on improving learning outcomes. You can work with students of various ages, from young to secondary school students.
- integration aides: as an integration teacher aide, you help children with special needs to improve their learning outcomes. You can also support kids with social, intellectual and physical issues. As an integration aide, you work with children with various conditions like autism spectrum disorder or down's syndrome.
- early childhood teacher's aides: you work with preschool children of five years and below. Your work is to prepare the teachers materials and assist with classroom activities. For instance, you help the teacher with story time and art projects and supervise children during play to allow the teacher to finish their work.
working as a teacher aide
If you enjoy working with kids and helping them achieve their learning outcomes, discover a teacher aide's daily duties, responsibilities and career outlook.
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duties and responsibilities
Some of the tasks of a teacher aide include:
- supporting learning activities: as a teacher aide, you help the teacher implement learning strategies. You model and demonstrate language orally or in writing to help students understand the concept. You also help students activate prior knowledge about a topic to develop a context for new learning. Supporting learning activities involves guiding group discussions and working one-on-one with various students.
- supporting the improvement of children's behaviour: as a teacher aide, you interact with students and work closely with them. Hence, your role is to support behavioural development and implement proactive and reactive techniques in the learning environment. You model rapport-building and communication skills with the children you work with.
- assisting students with learning difficulties: as a teacher aide, you support the teacher in handling students with special needs. You can help students with learning disabilities to ensure they keep up with the rest. You provide one-on-one support and assist them with various tasks.
- running the classroom operations: you perform various tasks to facilitate classroom learning. In the morning, you set up the classroom and ensure it is clean before the students arrive. You also assist with administrative work like keeping the class register and collecting student assignments. You also prepare the learning materials for a class and pack up resources after a project.
- accompanying students on trips: as a teacher aide, you help students participate in outdoor activities. When you are not supervising kids in the classroom, you accompany them on class trips and help the teacher manage outings.
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work environment
As a teacher aide, your work takes place in schools, much of it in the classroom. Outdoor assignments range from supervising children during outside play to leading tours of museums or historical sites. The typical teacher aide works in the same school campus throughout the year, although working in multiple classrooms is common. Travel is rarely part of the job. Schools are fast-paced work environments, and your ability to manage time and keep track of projects will be valuable.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer and industry, your colleagues might include early childhood teachers, primary school teachers, childcare aides and tutors. You might also be working close to support workers and other specialists that could consist of, but not be limited to, school nurses, head teachers, high school teachers, school administrators, school coordinators, and special needs teacher aides.
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work schedule
As a teacher aide, you work on a regular schedule dictated by the school day and term structure. The teacher aids workday begins well before students arrive, but you can leave earlier than most workers in office jobs.
Your work hours are predictable, and weekend work is rare. School holidays are another advantage, especially if you're a parent. However, getting time off during school sessions is a challenge. Teachers and other education professionals find getting leave during term time difficult except in emergencies, and teacher aides are no exception.
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job outlook
Your career as a teacher's aide has numerous avenues of growth. You can hone your skills over time through ongoing professional development. With additional training and experience, consider becoming a teacher. As a teacher, you are more involved in aspects of education such as lesson planning, creating teaching materials and classroom teaching. Being a teacher aide is an excellent starting point for becoming a teacher, as your experience offers invaluable practical experience. Many schools support teacher aides planning to make this transition and study for a teaching qualification. Teacher aides can also get additional certification online and become private tutors.
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advantages of finding a teacher aide job through randstad
Finding your teacher aide job through Randstad provides essential advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a teacher aide is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent career. Thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers every year thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.
education and skills
There are no specific requirements to become a teacher aide. However, many employers prefer to hire teacher aides who have experience working with young people.
- work experience: most employers prefer candidates with considerable work experience. You can go for internships or take on entry-level positions to learn the ropes.
skills and competencies
Some of the qualities of a teacher aide include the following:
- multitasking skills: as a teacher aide, you require great multitasking skills. Sometimes, you monitor children transitioning from one activity to another as you complete administrative tasks. Your multitasking skills help you accomplish your tasks.
- resourcefulness: as a teacher aide, you are expected to adapt to the changes in the daily schedule. For instance, if the schedule changes, you should align the new schedule to the classroom resources. Resourcefulness helps you adapt to changes and create a stimulating learning environment for students.
- leadership skills: even as a teacher aide taking up a supportive role, you are expected to lead the students. Leadership skills help you instruct and oversee group projects and other class activities.
FAQs about working as a teacher aide
Here are the most asked questions about working as a teacher aide:
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what qualifications do I need to be a teacher aide?
There are no specific requirements to become a teacher aide. However, many employers prefer to hire teacher aides who have experience working with young people. It also helps to have first aid certifications.
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how much do teacher aides get paid?
A teacher aide receives an average of $30 per hour. When starting, your earnings will be as low as $23 per hour, but your pay increases with experience, and you can earn up to $37 per hour. Your pay package may be higher if you work for private and special needs schools.
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do teacher aides work year-round?
Teacher aides typically work during the school year. They also work during school work hours. Hence, many are on part-time or term-time contracts. Some schools may run classes or activity programs over the summer, creating more demand for teacher aides. If you want to work all year round, you can find tutoring opportunities during your free time.
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what does a teacher aide do?
A teacher aide supports the work of teachers in the classroom. This includes working one-on-one with students, preparing class materials, dealing with behavioural problems, and more. Experienced teacher aides even prepare and deliver lessons, supervised by teachers. Teacher aides also organise trips and school outings for kids.
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can I be a teacher aide with no experience?
If you have relevant qualifications, you can become a teacher aide without experience working with children. However, many employers require some work experience. Also, the soft skills of working with children are very important in teacher aide roles.
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how do I apply for a teacher aide vacancy?
Applying for a teacher aide job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our teacher aide job offers. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.