What does a classroom aide do?
Classroom aides or teacher's aides are found in special education centers and schools. Some of their many roles include supervising field trips, attendance checking, and preparing classroom materials. They help the teachers by assisting students who need extra attention to keep up with the lessons. Being very patient and proficient in ASL are skills that all of them need to have, especially when working with students in the special education spectrum. They should be very critical to detail to accurately track the progress of the student under their supervision and discuss them with the teachers and parents.
Classroom aide responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real classroom aide resumes:
- Run daily ABA programs with students to reach specific goals and milestones.
- Provide ABA discrete trial teaching to all classroom children under the direction of certify classroom teacher.
- Assist autistic and learning-disable students in scholastic aspects including assignments, mathematics, specials, and classroom activities.
- Provide one-on-one individualize support for students with specific IEP's.
- Differentiate literacy and mathematics instruction, scaffold and reinforce skills in creative, structure activities
- Help implement developmentally appropriate educational activities aim toward identify objectives and goals create for the student base on IEP.
- Create a monthly informative PowerPoint informing parents of the math program on the primary, intermediate and middle school levels.
- Develop and provide developmentally appropriate lesson plans/activities according to NAEYC standards and guidelines.
Classroom aide skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Classroom Aides are proficient in Autism, CPR, and Classroom Environment. They’re also known for soft skills such as Resourcefulness, Communication skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Classroom Aides that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Autism, 15%
Provided Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy to children with autism under supervision.
- CPR, 11%
Received certifications in CPR and first aid as part of training requirements
- Classroom Environment, 10%
Assisted in providing an effective instructional program while updating and maintaining the classroom environment.
- Behavior Management, 7%
Used proactive behavior management techniques to prevent the escalation of challenging or inappropriate behavior.
- Developmental Disabilities, 6%
Provided one-on-one academic and emotional assistance for students (ages 9-20) with behavioral/emotional/developmental disabilities.
- Classroom Management, 6%
Assisted the Special Education Teacher with individualized instruction, whole group instruction, classroom management and organization.
"autism," "cpr," and "classroom environment" are among the most common skills that classroom aides use at work. You can find even more classroom aide responsibilities below, including:
Resourcefulness. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a classroom aide to have is resourcefulness. Their role and responsibilities require that "teacher assistants must find ways to explain information to students who have different learning styles." Classroom aides often use resourcefulness in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "showed resourcefulness and effectiveness in meeting the needs of students with limited english language proficiency as well as learning disabilities. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform classroom aide duties is communication skills. Classroom aides responsibilities require that "teacher assistants need to be clear and concise in discussing student progress with teachers and parents." Classroom aides also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "registered potential ged and esl students through verbal communication, benchmark testing, and data entry. "
Interpersonal skills. This is an important skill for classroom aides to perform their duties. For an example of how classroom aide responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "teacher assistants must be able to develop relationships with a variety of people, including teachers, students, parents, and administrators." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a classroom aide: "coordinated daily activities taught interpersonal skills supervised children during field trips maintained clean and healthy environment for the children".
Patience. A big part of what classroom aides do relies on "patience." You can see how essential it is to classroom aide responsibilities because "working with students of different abilities and backgrounds may be difficult." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical classroom aide tasks: "enhance the learning environment of students by motivating them through assistance, patience and encouragement. "
The three companies that hire the most classroom aides are:
- Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center16 classroom aides jobs
- Step By Step12 classroom aides jobs
- The SOS Group
11 classroom aides jobs
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Compare different classroom aides
Classroom aide vs. Pre-k teacher
Pre-K teachers play an essential role in the lives of young children ages three to five years old by developing and nurturing their interest in subjects appropriate for their age. They promote a creative learning environment and encourage social interactions among students while providing the fundamental educational foundation that will prepare them for a successful start to kindergarten. They are responsible for overseeing children during their mealtimes, reinforcing personal hygiene, and developing children's social skills. Pre-K teachers also plan curriculum and work with other school staff members.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a classroom aide are more likely to require skills like "autism," "behavior management," "developmental disabilities," and "behavioral issues." On the other hand, a job as a pre-k teacher requires skills like "kids," "math," "help support," and "language arts." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, pre-k teachers reach higher levels of education than classroom aides. Pre-k teachers are 5.5% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Classroom aide vs. Assistant language teacher
An assistant language teacher is in charge of performing support tasks for language teachers. Their responsibilities include preparing teaching and coursework materials, assessing student performance, taking attendance records, and holding lectures as a substitute for the teacher. They may also help students who are having trouble following and adjusting to the lessons, assisting them as needed. Above all, an assistant language teacher must monitor the students' progress, all while maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real classroom aide resumes. While classroom aide responsibilities can utilize skills like "autism," "behavior management," "developmental disabilities," and "behavioral issues," assistant language teachers use skills like "english-language," "language curriculum," "elementary schools," and "direct care."
On average, assistant language teachers earn a lower salary than classroom aides. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, assistant language teachers earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $31,308. Whereas classroom aides have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $28,909.assistant language teachers earn similar levels of education than classroom aides in general. They're 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Classroom aide vs. Esl teacher
An ESL teacher specializes in teaching the English language to non-native speakers of all ages, usually in a virtual setting. Their responsibilities revolve around devising lesson plans, organizing learning materials, evaluating progress, and coming up with strategies to make learners feel comfortable. Furthermore, they must maintain a healthy and safe learning environment, whether the lessons are in a one-on-one or group setting. When it comes to virtual learning, an ESL teacher must have the necessary equipment, a stable internet connection, and an obstruction-free teaching location.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from classroom aide resumes include skills like "autism," "cpr," "behavior management," and "developmental disabilities," whereas an esl teacher is more likely to list skills in "kids," "whiteboards," "curriculum development," and "english language. "
Esl teachers make a very good living in the retail industry with an average annual salary of $52,367. On the other hand, classroom aides are paid the highest salary in the education industry, with average annual pay of $28,909.Most esl teachers achieve a higher degree level compared to classroom aides. For example, they're 12.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Classroom aide vs. Education paraprofessional
An education paraprofessional's role is to carry out support tasks for a teacher in a school setting. They are responsible for creating learning materials such as visual aids and presentations, participating in devising lesson plans and assessment methods, grading and evaluating student performances, and even maintaining order in the classroom. There are also instances where they must assist students who are having difficulties catching up with the lessons. Furthermore, an education paraprofessional may also teach under the supervision of a more experienced educator.
Types of classroom aide
Updated January 8, 2025
