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What does an associate instructor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Rebecca Sarver

Associate Instructors are responsible for providing instructional assistance to senior educators. Their duties include curriculum planning, covering scheduled classes during senior instructor's absence, and implementing strategies to motivate subject interest. They create models to improve learning while facilitating sessions for students who require additional assistance. Associate Instructors also attend meetings and prepare reports for Senior Instructors. They help in producing learning material and developing new learning programs.

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Associate instructor responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real associate instructor resumes:

  • Lead undergraduate course in entrepreneurship and business case development.
  • Assist classmates with developing positive study habits and strategies for managing classroom material.
  • Form course content by outlining class objectives and expectations through syllabus and grading rubric.
  • Lecture undergraduate courses in mathematics.
  • Design course syllabus and select readings for undergraduate course.
  • Prepare teacher-trainers in high school level science and mathematics.
  • Instruct students on locating colleges that meet their educational needs.
  • Teach math, reading, writing, and reasoning test preparation lessons to high school and college students
  • Develop, promote & implement individualized math & reading curriculum.
  • Work with various students developing practical business applications processes including entrepreneurship.
  • Monitor and assess student progress in areas of fluency, communicative ability, vocabulary, listening comprehension and mastery.
  • Create themed lesson plans to focus on phonological awareness, increase vocabulary, improve pronunciation, and listening comprehension.
  • Develop and instruct specialized courses and laboratory sessions for funeral directors in human anatomy and biology and conduct private tutoring sessions.
  • Deliver lectures on taxation and accounting to graduates.
  • Guide recitation sessions for general chemistry students; teach organization and study skills

Associate instructor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of Associate Instructors are proficient in Classroom Management, Student Performance, and Professional Development. They’re also known for soft skills such as Critical-thinking skills, Interpersonal skills, and Speaking skills.

We break down the percentage of Associate Instructors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Classroom Management, 14%

    Employed several classroom management strategies to approximately 900 students.

  • Student Performance, 11%

    Maintained detailed, confidential records of student performance and learning outcomes for submission to the university/college twice annually.

  • Professional Development, 10%

    Maintain credentials and engage in professional development as required by the accrediting councils.

  • Syllabus, 6%

    Created and Implemented syllabus and schedule for progression of class throughout the semester.

  • Instructional Materials, 6%

    Assist in preparing instructional materials for daily instruction as planned by the teacher.

  • Mathematics, 5%

    Assisted one Mathematics Professor in a finite class V118 for 150 people three times a week.

"classroom management," "student performance," and "professional development" are among the most common skills that associate instructors use at work. You can find even more associate instructor responsibilities below, including:

Critical-thinking skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an associate instructor to have is critical-thinking skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "to conduct original research and design experiments, postsecondary teachers need to analyze information logically." Associate instructors often use critical-thinking skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "develop lesson plans and curriculum guides that foster student learning in critical-thinking. "

Interpersonal skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling associate instructor duties is interpersonal skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." According to an associate instructor resume, here's how associate instructors can utilize interpersonal skills in their job responsibilities: "provide world-class customer service with ongoing observation and interpersonal feedback of corrective measures and proper breathing techniques during class participation. "

Speaking skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of associate instructors is speaking skills. This skill is critical to many everyday associate instructor duties, as "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "presented at international professional conferences, including american studies association and american comparative literature association. "

Writing skills. A big part of what associate instructors do relies on "writing skills." You can see how essential it is to associate instructor responsibilities because "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical associate instructor tasks: "served as the discussion leader for an intensive-writing literature course for undergraduates. "

Resourcefulness. Another common skill required for associate instructor responsibilities is "resourcefulness." This skill comes up in the duties of associate instructors all the time, as "postsecondary teachers must be able to present information in a way that students will understand." An excerpt from a real associate instructor resume shows how this skill is central to what an associate instructor does: "showed resourcefulness and teaching effectiveness in meeting the needs of students with limited english language proficiency as well as learning disabilities. "

See the full list of associate instructor skills

The three companies that hire the most associate instructors are:

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Compare different associate instructors

Associate instructor vs. Teaching fellow

An individual who works at an institution to foster the students' academic strive is known as a teaching fellow. They are known as a self-motivated and education-based counselor. They help to pursue a better career perspective in an individual's academic endeavors.

The annual salary of teaching fellows is $6,959 lower than the average salary of associate instructors.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both associate instructor and teaching fellow positions are skilled in classroom management, student performance, and syllabus.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an associate instructor are more likely to require skills like "professional development," "instructional materials," "course curriculum," and "chemistry." On the other hand, a job as a teaching fellow requires skills like "rehabilitation," "math," "teaching methodologies," and "mentoring students." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Teaching fellows really shine in the education industry with an average salary of $49,553. Comparatively, associate instructors tend to make the most money in the education industry with an average salary of $50,911.The education levels that teaching fellows earn slightly differ from associate instructors. In particular, teaching fellows are 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an associate instructor. Additionally, they're 0.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Associate instructor vs. Instructor of spanish

A Spanish Instructor specializes in teaching the Spanish language in a classroom or one-on-one setting. Their responsibilities typically include preparing lesson plans according to the students' needs and capacity, researching and creating learning materials, facilitating discussions, conducting quizzes and examinations, organizing activities to enhance their language skills, grading the students' performances, and assisting students as necessary. Spanish Instructors monitor the students' progress while maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone.

A career as a instructor of spanish brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of an associate instructor. In fact, instructors of spanish salary is $3,931 higher than the salary of associate instructors per year.A few skills overlap for associate instructors and instructors of spanish. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "classroom management," "student performance," and "professional development. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, associate instructor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "mathematics," "course curriculum," "chemistry," and "lab sessions." Meanwhile, an instructor of spanish has duties that require skills in areas such as "teaching methodologies," "language acquisition," "spanish language courses," and "foreign language." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, instructors of spanish earn a higher salary than associate instructors. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, instructors of spanish earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $61,981. Whereas associate instructors have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $50,911.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Instructors of spanish tend to reach higher levels of education than associate instructors. In fact, they're 5.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for associate instructors in the next 3-5 years?

Rebecca SarverRebecca Sarver LinkedIn profile

Lecturer in Human Services Studies, Elmira College

The use of remote and virtual meetings will continue even after COVID-19. Face to face meetings may still be the preferred method of contact, but the reality is that many clients who need to access services do not have reliable and consistent transportation to get to the services. Phones and computers enable more convenient meetings that are less costly in terms of time and travel. Some clients may prefer not to leave their homes.

Associate instructor vs. Adjunct english instructor

An Adjunct English Instructor prepares and distributes a departmental syllabus that informs students about course requirements, testing assignments, and other pertinent information. They maintain necessary records about student performance and submit reports in a timely manner.

An average adjunct english instructor eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of associate instructors. The difference in salaries amounts to adjunct english instructors earning a $4,902 higher average salary than associate instructors.associate instructors and adjunct english instructors both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "classroom management," "student performance," and "professional development," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an associate instructor is likely to be skilled in "mathematics," "chemistry," "lab sessions," and "literature," while a typical adjunct english instructor is skilled in "teaching methodologies," "learning outcomes," "american literature," and "course objectives."

Adjunct english instructors earn the highest salary when working in the education industry, where they receive an average salary of $52,797. Comparatively, associate instructors have the highest earning potential in the education industry, with an average salary of $50,911.Most adjunct english instructors achieve a higher degree level compared to associate instructors. For example, they're 14.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Associate instructor vs. Associate faculty

An Associate Faculty works at learning institutions where they are in charge of teaching students and managing classes. Although their duties vary upon their employment at school, it usually involves preparing lesson plans and materials, organizing activities and assessments, conducting examinations and quizzes, delivering classroom instructions, and monitoring the students' progress, assisting them as necessary. They coordinate with fellow faculty members and work together to develop strategies and implement policies and regulations to maintain an effective and safe school environment for the students.

Associate faculties tend to earn a higher pay than associate instructors by an average of $13,861 per year.According to resumes from associate instructors and associate faculties, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "student performance," "professional development," and "syllabus. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between associate instructors and associate faculties, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an associate instructor might have more use for skills like "classroom management," "instructional materials," "chemistry," and "lab sessions." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of associate faculties require skills like "social justice," "creative problem," "colleges," and "developmental psychology. "

Associate faculties enjoy the best pay in the non profits industry, with an average salary of $67,765. For comparison, associate instructors earn the highest salary in the education industry.associate faculties reach higher levels of education compared to associate instructors, in general. The difference is that they're 11.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 6.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of associate instructor

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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