Teacher aides and/or teaching assistants are often thankless jobs. You are there to assist the teacher and work with students that sometimes don’t/can’t/won’t do a lot of work independently. If you aren’t careful you can quickly get frustrated and lose your cool. Below are 16 things that you can do to ensure success.
I am amazed how much the aids that have been in my classroom have done with students and how little they get in return.
They have patience with the students that I don’t.
Not all teacher aids are alike though.
There are some really good ones that fit into the flow of the classroom and some that you would prefer flow out the door and never come back.
Make sure you are prepared to fit into the flow of the classroom you are assigned to by checking out my tips below.
If you are a teacher assistant or trying to become one that here is a list of tips that will help you be successful and effective.
1. Don’t Be Negative!
One of the most annoying things that you can do is be negative.
Don’t complain all the time. It’s draining.
I’m a teacher, I already know that kids are not going to listen to us and will often misbehave.
It’s part of the job.
Just keep your cool, address the problem, and move on.
2. Wear Comfortable Shoes
You are going to spend a lot of time on your feet walking and standing.
Make sure that the shoes you wear are comfortable.
An aide with a throbbing back is going to be on edge more than one that doesn’t have a throbbing back.
If you need a suggestion for comfortable shoes then check out these on Amazon.
Teachers love them.
The aides in my classroom often spend the entire period moving around working with and checking in on different students so a pair of comfortable shoes is a must.
3. Keep Notes On What Does and Doesn’t Work
Your cooperating teacher will love you for this!
Sometimes you won’t have a lot of time to talk to the teacher but being able to hand them a list of what works and what doesn’t goes a long way.
Some of my favorite aides do this all the time and I’m so thankful for it because they often see things I miss.
I always like getting something in writing so that I don’t forget a strategy that was used and effective.
4. Get Good Stickers
This may depend on your grade level.
I teach 8th grade but I know that even my students think it’s okay to get a sticker one in a while.
It makes them feel good, like they accomplished something.
Get some good stickers and take them with you the next time you go to work.
5. See A Need: Fill A Need
I had an aid last year in my 8th grade science class and she did this all the time.
If I was busy and a student needed something she immediately took care of it the best she could. Usually she knew exactly what to do and I didn’t have to do any type of follow-up.
If you can do this for your cooperating teacher you will never be out of work.
If there is a need somewhere during class then go take care of it.
6. Understand Student Accomodations
Make sure you know what kind of accomodations you should be having for the students that you are with.
The teacher won’t have time to look it up all the time so you should have a small cheat sheet with you. Get to know the students and what their academic needs are so you know what is expected for each student.
7. Don’t Be A Pushover
Don’t be too polite.
Be firm and students and teachers will respect you for that.
Aids that are too nice don’t get the respect they deserve from students.
Just like a classroom teacher you need to be consistant and direct when you see a student misbehaving. If it is something that is too much to handle then let the classroom teacher know.
8. Just Do It
Someimtes you may not agree with something that the teacher asks you to do but it is their classroom and you should do it.
If you really feel that something wasn’t right then talk to them about it after the studetns leave.
My favorite aides openly talk to me about their concerns and I respect them for that.
I sometimes ask her for her opinions and she lets me know.
9. Ask The Teacher To Explain Things
There are going to be times where you will be asked to do something that you have never done before.
Don’t be embaressed to ask the teacher to show you what they mean.
You want to make sure you do it right. Just say, “I’ve never done that before, can you show me first?” Better this than not knowing what to do.
It’s better to ask that to not know, I always appreciate when my aides do this because it saves time later.
10. Pay Attention To Classroom Procedures
Every single class you go into will have its own procedures.
Make sure you figure out the procedures of each room and adjust to them. Try to fit in with the classroom. Don’t be an outsider that is just there to help and leave.
11. Be Active In The Classroom
Don’t fall to the back of the classroom and go through your emails.
If you finish what you were doing then ask if there is anything you can do to help.
Sometimes teachers don’t want to bother you or are too busy, so by you reaching out it means a lot.
12. Check On Your Students
Walk around the room and check in with your students throughout the class period or activity.
Make sure they are working and help them with what they are doing.
Ask them questions to guage their understanding of the assignment/activity so you can help if needed.
13. Be Careful Who You Talk To
This tip doesn’t have anything to do with the kids.
There are all kinds of social rules and friendships in schools that you may accidently cross over if you aren’t careful due to the fact that you will be going in and out of several rooms.
You don’t want to make enemies.
For your first year try not to say too much or at least wait until you have an idea who you can’t/shoudnl’t talk to certain people.
14. Look at IEP’s and 504s
Ask if you can see the IEP or 504 of students you may be assigned to.
Depending on where you work you might/might not be allowed to see the documents.
If you are able to then be sure to look at the “accommodation” section for each student. Write down what the classroom accommodations are so you have a list you can go back to when you need it.
15. Don’t Talk About Other Classes
Refer to what I said in tip #13.
Along those lines you shouldn’t talk about what you see going on in another classroom with other teachers.
You don’t want to be the source of gossip or spreading bad news about someone.
If you do it is going to come back to haunt you, trust me. Stay professional and do your job while maintaining trust between you and the teachers you work with.
16 Use Appropriate Language
This is pretty obvious but make sure you use appropriate language while in the classroom when talking to students and the teacher.
I’ve never had an assistant use inappropriate language but you never know.
If you tend to curse a lot at home or use questionable language then you should tone it down for school.
I have been lucky to have some really good aids in my room that know what they are doing and are professional.