How to Have a Career as a Teaching Assistant

A career as a teaching assistant is a rewarding way to work closely with students without all the responsibilities of a certified teacher. Start as a teaching assistant as an introduction to a career in teaching. Teaching assistants help students and teachers succeed. With their help, students receive more direct attention and teachers benefit from additional help. Teaching assistants are essential members of the teaching team.

Instructions

1. Determine the grade levels that suit you best. Teaching assistants work at all levels. Many teaching assistants work with one or several teachers throughout the school day. In secondary schools, some students with special needs may be assigned a teaching assistant just for them.

2. Know the job duties. Most teaching assistants are not involved in writing curriculum or deciding goals for the class. If you are looking to be in charge of a classroom, a teaching assistant position would not be a good choice. If you work with students who have special needs you may be required to feed the student, help them in the restroom or other duties a classroom teacher does not usually do.

3. Learn the educational requirements. Some states require only a high school education and some require some college courses. Refer to the state's department of education website and local school district's human resources website for specific requirements.

4. Attain certification. Certification may not be required in all states, so check with the state's department of education to see if any certification is needed.

5. Determine your schedule. A good deal of teaching assistant positions are part-time. Full-time positions are just as prevalent.

6. Learn from the job. If you are interested in becoming a classroom teacher, learn from working as a teaching assistant. Regardless of your plans, working as a teaching assistant teaches you a lot about children and about working in the education system.