Teacher assistants can range from a wide group of people in the education field. They can consist of high school seniors, college undergraduates, teachers with previous experience but who are looking to work in a different area, and many others. Their work consists of providing assistance to the teacher by tutoring and helping small groups of students at the end of the school day. They may also assist in creating lesson plans for the class, modifying the class schedules made by the teacher, assist in creating goals, and creating charts and other visual aids that may be used during the class. When the teacher may be gone due to an emergency, they may be able to supervise the students by enforcing the rules and policies that the teacher has previously set in place. Not only do they work with teachers, but they can also work with sports coaches and other instructors. The qualifications for entry-level teacher assistants are great organization skills, a professional attitude, and a willingness to help. For teacher assistant jobs at universities, the employer requires the person to have experience in the subject that is being taught, along with an associate's or bachelor's degree. The work is both physical and mental. Not only must the person be required to assist in grading papers, but he or she must be mentally focused so that he or she can pay attention to the task at hand. The work environment depends on the subject that is being taught. For example, a math teacher normally requires a teacher assistant to work indoors, since all of the coursework taught is indoors. A physical education coach may require the teacher’s assistant to not only assist in the school building, but also outside by providing assistance with outdoor activities. Work hours can vary depending on if the Teacher Assistant is providing assistance in day or night classes. They do not work the same hours as the teacher, but may come in for a couple of hours during the workday. Typically the weekly schedules range from 10-30 hours per week any day from Monday through Friday. (Copyright 2018 PayScale.com)

Teacher Assistant Tasks

• Supervise, tutor, and assist students individually and in small groups.
• Maintain and update paperwork including student grades and progress.
• Plan instruction, including creation of lesson plans, modification of schedules, bibliography, or chart creation, and outlines of goals.
• Enforce rules, policies, and appropriate behaviors for different settings.