Teacher aides or assistants provide instructional and clerical support to teachers in the classroom. A college degree at the associate's level can prepare you to supervise children, record grades, set up equipment, and prepare materials for instruction. Career training can also prepare you to specialize in a certain subject such as math or science for secondary educational settings.
Career Training to Be a Teacher's Aide
Schools have become more inclusive of students with disabilities so you may need career training to work with special needs students. Those students might also include children who speak English as a second language. Classroom-based or online education courses can also prepare you to work with therapists who use games and exercises to help children develop physically and behaviorally. If you currently work as a teacher aide, online education can help you acquire new skills to advance in your career. Getting a bachelor's or master's degree can help you advance to a teaching position.
Career Outlook
- Number of teacher's aides in the U.S.: 1,249,380
- Mean annual wage: $24,880
- Industry with the highest number of teacher's aides: elementary and secondary schools
- Top paying states: Alaska, California, Washington
- Percentage of teacher's aides who work part time: 40 percent
- Top in-demand skills: foreign language, special education knowledge
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010)