Being a teachers’ aide can be a very fulfilling career for individuals who love working with children, teaching them and taking care of them. As a teacher aide, your main task is to help a teacher control the classroom and provide care for each child. On some days, your tasks may be as simple as getting the kids ready for gym class or putting on their snow gear for recess. On other days, a teacher may call upon you to help children learn concepts like multiplication or to improve their reading skills. You play a valuable role in creating a positive learning environment for all of the students in the classroom. Maybe you have wondered, “How do I become a teachers’ aide?” If you want to become a teacher aide, then you should simply develop connections with teachers at a local public or private school.
What’s it like to be a teachers’ aide?
When you are a teacher aide, you work during normal school hours. You may work only on a part-time basis and have to fill in for one or two classes a week. If you want to earn a higher income, then you may work on a full time basis for a teacher. One of the most joyful parts of being a teachers’ aide is being able to work directly with children. You can help children with their reasoning abilities. You can also find satisfaction in knowing that you are helping a teacher to control his or her classroom. One of the best parts of being a teacher aide is being able to take part in the daily lessons and having fun in the educational process. Your work is what helps children learn.
Education Requirements
To become a teacher aide, you do not need to have a bachelor’s degree. It is preferable if you have an associate’s degree and are working toward a bachelor’s degree in teaching. Some teachers will not require that you have any sort of educational background. A lot of teachers are just looking for a parent or someone else who can dedicate some help for managing the classroom. A teacher just wants to know that you will be there to help on a regular basis. A teacher also wants to make sure that you can help in taking care of children and helping them learn in the best way possible. If you are pursuing a degree in teaching, then a teacher may actually promote you to a teaching assistant position. This will mean that you can actually assist in teaching lessons to the children.
Salary & How to Get a Job
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of a teacher aide is about $23,000 a year. To get a job as a teacher aide, one should try to make as many connections as possible with teachers in elementary and middle schools. If one has a child in a teacher’s class, then one should try to get to know the teacher to obtain a position as a teacher aide. Most teacher assistants decide to work part time. Other teacher assistants may only work for a couple hours every week. The growth for this type of position is expected to increase by at least 15 percent in the next ten years.
References:
1. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/teacher-assistants.htm
2. http://www.ehow.com/how_2221101_become-teachers-assistant.html