Assistant Teacher Job Description
The job of an Assistant Teacher involves helping primary teachers supervise students and accomplish daily tasks to manage a particular class. They can be paid assistants, volunteer workers or teachers-in-training who will be given units for this position, which often lasts an entire semester or school year.
Education/Experience Requirements for the job of an Assistant Teacher: A successful candidate must possess a high school diploma and at least 2 years into an education-related college degree. Since this position is often used as an on-the-job training, some educational institutions require some coursework completed in child development and proven academic skills, while others require candidates to pass a local assessment and a background check.
Skills of an Assistant Teacher include but are not limited to: Adequate computer skills, effective teaching, listening, writing and verbal communication skills, as well as strong leadership and organizational skills. He/she must also be creative, patient, proactive, flexible, adaptable, conscientious, confident and approachable. Specialization in a particular subject such as math or languages like Spanish is an advantage.
Specific work elements of the job as an Assistant Teacher include but are not limited to: Preparing lesson materials; presenting subject matters to students and tutoring children individually or in groups; supervising students in school yards, halls, classrooms and other school sites; grading tests and homework; observing student’s performance; organizing games and other activities; participating in teacher-parent meetings; organizing teaching supplies; attending staff meetings; and providing assistance to primary teachers, among others.
