Blog post #4: What are the roles of an assistant teacher?
My big topic inquiry question is how does an assistant teacher affect the classroom environment? This big topic question will have implications on a global level because 90% of the world has completed a primary education. This shows that many people are interested in learning! I hope to increase the learning in classrooms, so that the students can have greater access to guidance and help. I hope to also help students learn effectively. I hear many students saying that they spend so much time (almost more than five hours studying.) However, they do not get the marks they think they deserve on the tests. I hope to research more on how to productively study, so we can improve our test scores.
For this blog post #4, I will be writing about the roles of an assistant teacher. I am interested in becoming a teacher. One of the steps to becoming a teacher is becoming an assistant teacher. Therefore, I am hoping to learn about the roles of an assistant teacher because it is the milestone before becoming a teacher. Many of my peers are also interested in becoming a teacher, so I hope to help them decide if teaching is a job for them. I have met many assistant teachers during my elementary school, middle school, and high school years. I noticed their roles vary depending on the grade levels, so I am curious how their role differs between the grades.
Teacher assistants are called educational assistants or EA (1). They help students by working with both teachers and counsellors (1). Overall, they help with teaching, personal care or behaviour support for the students (2). They may help set up the electronic equipment and monitor students during breaks like recess and lunch (2). A school principal may assign EAs to provide support in the library or office when needed (3). There are also many career pathways to develop their careers (3). They may focus on helping kids with autism, hearing impairment or even severe behaviour (4). They will also gain experience to have future jobs in child and adolescent care (4). They provide extra care for those that are often neglected in a big classroom setting, even though they do have behavioural issues (4). They work for online learning, private and public high, middle and elementary schools (4).
Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants have similar tasks. For example, they work with the supervision of teachers/ child-care professionals (5). They help students stay productive with their school assignments (5). They may also observe students and share their opinions with the teacher (5). For example, a teacher may not notice bullying in a big classroom, but the assistant teacher may observe this situation (6). They are also a huge support during field trips because many adults are needed to keep the students safe during excursions (6).
There are also assistant teachers in early childhood educators (ECEAs) (7). They read the children stories, play music, play with blocks, go on field trips, create crafts, and do many theatrical projects (7). They are attentive to helping kids master the basics like eating healthy, dressing for the weather and toileting habits (7). They also prepare food for the children, so they have access to nutritional food (7). They also communicate regularly with parents, so they can know if their child has signs of behavioural issues as soon as possible (7).
I am also planning to research the positive and negative effects of an assistant teacher in a classroom. This will help me find an answer to my big inquiry question because I will research on both the positive and negative effects of an assistant teacher to create a non-biased answer. I have seen many positive effects of an assistant teacher in a classroom. For example, the students are more motivated, the teacher seems less stressed, and the classroom lessons are thoroughly explained. However, I have also seen the negative effects of an assistant teacher in the classroom. For instance, the students are distracted, the teacher is always teaching the assistant teacher and the assistant teacher is disengaged with the teachers.
Here are my [PEER-REVIEWED] sources:
1)“Education Assistant & SEA Careers in BC.” Make A Future, https://www.makeafuture.ca/careers-in-bc-education/support-staff/education-assistants/. Accessed 10 May 2024.
2)Canada, Employment and Social Development. Educational Assistant in Canada | Job Description – Job Bank. http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/explore_career/job_market_report/occupation_report.xhtml. Accessed 10 May 2024.
3)Teacher Assistants in Elementary & Secondary Schools | Vancouver Public Library. https://www.vpl.ca/siic/guide/employment-guides/teacher-assistants-elementary-secondary-school. Accessed 10 May 2024.
4)Education Assistant Program | KPU.ca – Kwantlen Polytechnic University. https://www.kpu.ca/arts/edas. Accessed 10 May 2024.
5)“Educational Assistant.” MacEwan University, https://www.macewan.ca/academics/programs/educational-assistant/. Accessed 10 May 2024.
6)Educational Assistant Certificate | Red Deer Polytechnic. 4 Sept. 2024, https://rdpolytech.ca/programs/educational-assistant-certificate.
7)“Early Childhood Educators and Assistants.” WorkBC, https://www.workbc.ca/career-profiles/early-childhood-educators-and-assistants. Accessed 10 May 2024.
Thank you,
Sarah Kim
