What does a teacher assistant do?

Teacher assistants are responsible for aiding teachers in their needs inside the classroom. They help teachers prepare for lessons in class, set up equipment, distribute educational materials to students, and monitor the progress of the students. Teacher assistants also help in managing the children in the classroom, as well as providing the necessary assistance a child may need. This may include helping with the lessons by going table to table, assisting in writing exercises, and tutoring kids one-to-one. Teacher assistants are required to have patience, flexibility, and classroom management skills.
Teacher assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real teacher assistant resumes:
- Lead chemistry recitations, prepare lessons, and coordinate student problem solving sessions.
- Manage student supervision in various environments including classrooms, halls, cafeterias, schoolyards, gymnasiums, and field trip locations.
- Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
- Help clients with ADL's.
- Assist MH/MR clients with ADL's.
- Substitute teacher grades from k-5.
- Assist classroom teachers as needed in grades k-8.
- Work in preschooler room and help the teacher watch and teach kids.
- Print papers, laminate, help children with schoolwork, and run errands.
- Assist the teachers grade papers help plan and organize school relate events PTA member
- Assist the ESOL and/or classroom teacher in administering and scoring individual and group tests.
- Work individually with an ESL student focusing on sight words, spelling, and context clues.
- Read aloud to small groups of students within the class and run errands for the teacher.
- Help the teacher watch kids, play with them, help with breakfast and nap time.
- Plan and develop lessons including goals and objectives, procedures, activities, and materials for ESL students.
Teacher assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 18% of Teacher Assistants are proficient in CPR, Child Care, and Mathematics. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Communication skills, and Patience.
We break down the percentage of Teacher Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CPR, 18%
Maintained certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation(CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator(AED).
- Child Care, 14%
Dedicated child care professional responsible for maintaining a nurturing, safe and intellectually stimulating environment for a classroom of toddlers.
- Mathematics, 10%
Assisted a college mathematics professor in teaching a critical math course covering multiple topics including advanced algebra, trigonometry, and calculus
- Art Projects, 7%
Organized various educational centers and art projects.
- Instructional Materials, 5%
Provided clerical support including photocopying, preparation and distribution of instructional material, allowing teachers more time for planning and instruction.
- Learning Environment, 5%
Support a positive, achievement-oriented and structured learning environment so that students are excited about and invested in pursuing academic excellence.
"cpr," "child care," and "mathematics" are among the most common skills that teacher assistants use at work. You can find even more teacher assistant responsibilities below, including:
Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for a teacher assistant to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what teacher assistants do because "teacher assistants must be able to develop relationships with a variety of people, including teachers, students, parents, and administrators." Additionally, a teacher assistant resume shows how teacher assistants use interpersonal skills: "created class material for undergraduate course, interpersonal management, by creating lectures, powerpoint and exams. "
Communication skills. Many teacher assistant duties rely on communication skills. "teacher assistants need to be clear and concise in discussing student progress with teachers and parents.," so a teacher assistant will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways teacher assistant responsibilities rely on communication skills: "maintain daily open communication with parents maintain confidentiality arrange a classroom environment in accordance to program goals. "
Patience. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of teacher assistants is patience. This skill is critical to many everyday teacher assistant duties, as "working with students of different abilities and backgrounds may be difficult." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "demonstrated patience and understanding while implementing classroom management strategies. "
The three companies that hire the most teacher assistants are:
- ChildServe84 teacher assistants jobs
- Tucson Unified School District40 teacher assistants jobs
- WCCA - Wright County Community Action
23 teacher assistants jobs
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Teacher assistant vs. Substitute school teacher
A substitute teacher is liable for providing learning instruction and managing classroom settings in the absence of the regular teacher. They are responsible for checking student attendance, explaining homework, and maintaining classroom cleanliness. They generally report to the principal at the school to which they are assigned. They plan and prepare lesson plans and teach students a variety of subjects, including English, science, and mathematics. Moreover, they ensure that the students are disciplined, and talk with parents and discuss the progress.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, teacher assistant responsibilities require skills like "cpr," "child care," "art projects," and "ta." Meanwhile a typical substitute school teacher has skills in areas such as "student learning," "substitute teaching," "after-school program," and "math." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Substitute school teachers tend to make the most money working in the education industry, where they earn an average salary of $37,999. In contrast, teacher assistants make the biggest average salary, $32,871, in the finance industry.substitute school teachers tend to reach higher levels of education than teacher assistants. In fact, substitute school teachers are 8.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Teacher assistant vs. Substitute teacher
Substitute teachers are responsible for filling in the role of regular teachers who will not be able to come to school. They may be engaged short-term or long-term, depending on the need. Substitute teachers should have a deep understanding of the topics that are related to the subject matter and are appropriate to the learning level of the student. They should be able to advance the lessons while the regular teacher is unavailable. At times, they are required to create their own lesson plans. Substitute teachers should have the skills of regular teachers. They should also be flexible and adaptable.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that teacher assistant responsibilities requires skills like "cpr," "child care," "art projects," and "classroom environment." But a substitute teacher might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "kids," "math," "help support," and "language arts."
Substitute teachers may earn a higher salary than teacher assistants, but substitute teachers earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $32,682. On the other hand, teacher assistants receive higher pay in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $32,871.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Substitute teachers tend to reach higher levels of education than teacher assistants. In fact, they're 6.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for teacher assistants in the next 3-5 years?
Teacher assistant vs. Head start teacher
A head start teacher is responsible for organizing lectures and monitoring classroom operations for students with financial difficulties. Head start teachers have the same roles as regular teachers, such as preparing lesson plans, conducting assessments to test the students' knowledge, documenting their progress, and planning group activities to observe their personal and social behaviors. They also coordinate with the students' parents to share the child's difficulties and strategize methods to enhance capabilities. A head start teacher must have excellent communication skills, especially in attending to students for their needs and encouraging them to reach their maximum potentials.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a teacher assistant is likely to be skilled in "mathematics," "art projects," "ta," and "homework assignments," while a typical head start teacher is skilled in "kids," "help support," "math," and "child development."
Head start teachers earn the best pay in the education industry, where they command an average salary of $38,680. Teacher assistants earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $32,871.When it comes to education, head start teachers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to teacher assistants. In fact, they're 4.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Teacher assistant 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.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between teacher assistants and assistant language teachers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a teacher assistant might have more use for skills like "child care," "instructional materials," "ta," and "administration policies." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of assistant language teachers require skills like "english-language," "language curriculum," "elementary schools," and "direct care. "
In general, assistant language teachers earn the most working in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $31,308. The highest-paying industry for a teacher assistant is the finance industry.In general, assistant language teachers hold similar degree levels compared to teacher assistants. Assistant language teachers are 0.6% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of teacher assistant
Updated January 8, 2025











