duties and responsibilities

Some of the tasks of a teaching assistant include: • supporting learning activities: as a teaching assistant, 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 teaching assistant, 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 teaching assistant, 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 teaching assistant, 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.

As a teaching assistant, 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 teaching assistant 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.

who are your colleagues?

Depending on your employer and industry, your colleagues might include primary school teachers , early childhood teacher , maths teacher , PE teacher , childcare assistants 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, secondary teachers , head teachers and special needs teacher aides.

As a teaching assistant, you work on a regular schedule dictated by the school day and term structure. The teaching 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 teaching assistants are no exception.

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 teaching assistant is an excellent starting point for becoming a teacher, as your experience offers invaluable practical experience. Many schools support teaching assistants planning to make this transition and study for a teaching qualification. Teaching assistants can also get additional certification online and become private tutors.

advantages of finding an assistant teaching job through randstad

Finding your assistant teaching 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 teaching assistant 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.

what qualifications do I need to be a teaching assistant?

You require a Certificate III in education support to work as a teaching assistant. It also helps to have first aid and Working with Children Check certifications.

how much do teaching assistants earn?

A teaching assistant receives an average salary of $63,000 per year. When starting, your earnings will be as low as $55,000 annually, but your salary increases with experience, and you can earn up to $70,000 annually. Your remuneration package may be higher if you work for private and special needs schools.

do teaching assistants work year-round?

Teaching assistants 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 teaching assistants. If you want to work all year round, you can find tutoring opportunities during your free time.

what does a teaching assistant do?

A teaching assistant 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 teaching assistants even prepare and deliver lessons, supervised by teachers. Teaching assistants also organise trips and school outings for kids.

can I be a teaching assistant with no experience?

If you have relevant qualifications, you can become a teaching assistant without experience working with children . However, many employers require some work experience. Also, the soft skills of working with children are very important in teaching assistant roles.

how do I apply for a teaching assistant vacancy?

Applying for an assistant teaching job is straightforward: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter . Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here .

teaching assistant

what is a teaching assistant?

You support the teacher in classroom duties as a teaching assistant or teacher's aide. 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 teaching assistant'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 teaching assistant, 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 teaching 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 strategies.

teaching assistant jobs

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average salary of a teaching assistant

You earn an average salary of $63,000 per year as a teaching assistant. The remuneration package depends on work experience and educational qualifications. When you are new to the role, your starting salary is $55,000 annually. As your experience improves, your earnings increase to $70,000 per year.

factors affecting teaching assistant salaries

As a teaching assistant, your working hours differ from workers in typical teaching 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 salary also depends on your location and the type of school you work in. Many schools follow local government pay scales, making salaries 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, salaries vary depending on the type of school. The location influences remuneration since schools in metro areas pays more than in other regions.

Your qualifications also determine your salary. You will attract higher offers if you have training or experience working with special educational needs (SEN) teachers.

Want to know more about what you will earn as a teaching assistant? Check out what you are worth with our salary checker.

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teaching assistant jobs

2

types of teaching assistants

Some of the types of teaching assistants include:

• general teaching assistants: as a general teaching assistant, 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 teaching assistant, 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 teaching 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.

Student, students, young people, youngsters, school, college, study, studying

3

working as a teaching assistant

If you enjoy working with kids and helping them achieve their learning outcomes, discover a teaching assistant's daily duties, responsibilities and career outlook.

duties and responsibilities

Some of the tasks of a teaching assistant include:

• supporting learning activities: as a teaching assistant, 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 teaching assistant, 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 teaching assistant, 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 teaching assistant, 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.
work environment

As a teaching assistant, 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 teaching assistant 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.
who are your colleagues?

Depending on your employer and industry, your colleagues might include primary school teachers, early childhood teacher, maths teacher, PE teacher, childcare assistants 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, secondary teachers, head teachers and special needs teacher aides.
work schedule

As a teaching assistant, you work on a regular schedule dictated by the school day and term structure. The teaching 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 teaching assistants are no exception.
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 teaching assistant is an excellent starting point for becoming a teacher, as your experience offers invaluable practical experience. Many schools support teaching assistants planning to make this transition and study for a teaching qualification. Teaching assistants can also get additional certification online and become private tutors.
advantages of finding an assistant teaching job through randstad

Finding your assistant teaching 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 teaching assistant 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.

4

education and skills

Some of the requirements for becoming a teaching assistant include the following:

• certificate-level qualification: at a minimum, you require a Certificate III in education that prepares you for entry-level jobs. You receive training on classroom learning support. Suppose you already have experience working with kids. In that case, you can improve your qualification with a Certificate IV in education support that provides training on helping students with physical disabilities and learning disorders.

• other certifications: some employers require certification in first aid certificate. Joining the Australian Teacher Aide helps to improve your career progression capabilities.

skills and competencies

Some of the qualities of a teaching assistant include the following:

• multitasking skills: as a teaching assistant, 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 teaching assistant, 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 teaching assistant 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.

5

FAQs about working as a teaching assistant

Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the teaching assistant profession.

what qualifications do I need to be a teaching assistant?

You require a Certificate III in education support to work as a teaching assistant. It also helps to have first aid and Working with Children Check certifications.
how much do teaching assistants earn?

A teaching assistant receives an average salary of $63,000 per year. When starting, your earnings will be as low as $55,000 annually, but your salary increases with experience, and you can earn up to $70,000 annually. Your remuneration package may be higher if you work for private and special needs schools.
do teaching assistants work year-round?

Teaching assistants 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 teaching assistants. If you want to work all year round, you can find tutoring opportunities during your free time.
what does a teaching assistant do?

A teaching assistant 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 teaching assistants even prepare and deliver lessons, supervised by teachers. Teaching assistants also organise trips and school outings for kids.
can I be a teaching assistant with no experience?

If you have relevant qualifications, you can become a teaching assistant without experience working with children. However, many employers require some work experience. Also, the soft skills of working with children are very important in teaching assistant roles.
how do I apply for a teaching assistant vacancy?

Applying for an assistant teaching job is straightforward: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.

teaching assistant.