Assisting Teachers as a Teaching Assistant is a Big Responsibility

31st October 2017

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As we know that teachers build the future leaders, teaching assistants, on the other hand, can be tagged as the unsung heroes. Let us focus on the part they play in Childcare and Education training which is undoubtedly quite crucial for the education of the learners in their learning and education. First, let us try and understand the importance of the Teaching Assistants (TAs) in classrooms all around the world.

It is a universally proven fact that students learn and perform their best in a safe, nurturing and happy environment. When there is a large group of students in a classroom it becomes impossible for a single teacher to cater to the needs of all the learners present there; here the assistant comes into the picture and helps in everything including inside and outside the classroom activities to create and maintain the proper environment for each and everyone. Speaking about the assistants' role inside and outside the classroom, along with the teacher they prepare the environment to promote learning and also create curiosity. 

Responsibilities of Teaching Assistants

They help:

To maintain the classroom clean and well organized

To put away the equipment and materials used for the teaching when the class is over.

Plan out the learning strategies and prepare teaching aids and materials.

By giving feedback that is important for the teacher to evaluate her plans and materials and assess her learner’s progress.

Teaching assistants nonetheless add to the teacher’s efficiency in her goal to educate children. Since a teacher is busy with other works like curriculum development and planning the lessons, the assistant provides support to the learners who may have various queries, need encouragement in certain areas or seek assistance to accomplish assigned tasks. Teaching assistants also help manage the learners’ behaviour in the classroom while the teacher is teaching or engaged in other activities. When there are small group discussions or activities among the students, teaching assistants help in supervising the groups and maintaining the decorum.

When the class goes on learning or excursion trips or sports events, the presence of teaching assistants is valuable and at the same time reassuring and help manage the students. 

They help build harmonious and purposeful relationships with learners, parents, teachers and other members of the school staff. They play a significant role in the team, contributing their skills in helping learners grow, learn and develop into productive members of the community. Moreover, Teaching Assistants also sometimes work as temporary teachers when the class teacher is unable to take any class session.

As we have read about the role a teaching assistant plays, it is important that they undergo some special training. As various students may have different IQ level or may suffer from learning disabilities, hence they may require a different type of attention and care. In order to acquire the universal skill of handling an all-inclusive classroom comprising of learners of various learning abilities, enrol for a SEN teacher training program and witness how your career as a teaching Assistant grows.