What is a Teacher Assistant?
Teacher Assistant Definition Perform duties that are instructional in nature or deliver direct services to students or parents. Serve in a position for which a teacher has ultimate responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.
Life As a Teacher Assistant: What Do They Do?
- Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
- Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
- Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
- Prepare lesson outlines and plans in assigned subject areas and submit outlines to teachers for review.
- Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
- Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use.
Teacher Assistant Required Skills
Below is a list of the skills most Teacher Assistants say are important on the job.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Bilingual Teacher Aide
- Helper Teacher
- Teacher’s Assistant
- Special Education Assistant
- Student Teacher
Is There Going to be Demand for Teacher Assistants?
In the United States, there were 1,308,100 jobs for Teacher Assistant in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.4% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 109,500 new jobs for Teacher Assistant by 2026. There will be an estimated 147,900 positions for Teacher Assistant per year.
The states with the most job growth for Teacher Assistant are Utah, Colorado, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Maine, or Connecticut. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Teacher Assistant
Teacher Assistants make between $18,670 and $41,020 a year.
Teacher Assistants who work in Alaska, California, or Washington, make the highest salaries.
How much do Teacher Assistants make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $21,190 |
| Alaska | $39,640 |
| Arizona | $25,620 |
| Arkansas | $21,190 |
| California | $35,350 |
| Colorado | $29,900 |
| Connecticut | $34,650 |
| Delaware | $31,400 |
| District of Columbia | $35,300 |
| Florida | $25,010 |
| Georgia | $21,770 |
| Hawaii | $30,230 |
| Idaho | $24,000 |
| Illinois | $27,710 |
| Indiana | $23,510 |
| Iowa | $25,320 |
| Kansas | $24,650 |
| Kentucky | $27,290 |
| Louisiana | $21,510 |
| Maine | $33,600 |
| Maryland | $33,280 |
| Massachusetts | $35,680 |
| Michigan | $27,570 |
| Minnesota | $32,120 |
| Mississippi | $19,940 |
| Missouri | $27,220 |
| Montana | $26,630 |
| Nebraska | $26,540 |
| Nevada | $31,080 |
| New Hampshire | $30,770 |
| New Jersey | $29,150 |
| New Mexico | $22,180 |
| New York | $31,330 |
| North Carolina | $23,960 |
| North Dakota | $32,550 |
| Ohio | $27,290 |
| Oklahoma | $19,900 |
| Oregon | $32,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $26,640 |
| Rhode Island | $32,840 |
| South Carolina | $23,240 |
| South Dakota | $24,580 |
| Tennessee | $24,890 |
| Texas | $23,290 |
| Utah | $26,230 |
| Vermont | $32,630 |
| Virginia | $28,000 |
| Washington | $35,130 |
| West Virginia | $24,940 |
| Wisconsin | $29,320 |
| Wyoming | $31,310 |
What Tools do Teacher Assistants Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Teacher Assistants:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Blackboard
- Children’s educational software
- Text to speech software
- Screen reader software
- Screen magnification software
- Student information systems SIS
- Hand held spell checkers
How to Become a Teacher Assistant
What education is needed to be a Teacher Assistant?
What work experience do I need to become a Teacher Assistant?
Where Teacher Assistants Work
The table below shows the approximate number of Teacher Assistants employed by various industries.
Related Careers
Those who work as a Teacher Assistant sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: IMCBerea College via Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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