teaching assistant

Your role as a teaching assistant will be to support learning, both in the classroom and out. This support can take many forms. Outside of class, your responsibilities will include: 

• arranging classroom furniture and equipment
• making class resources such as handouts, worksheets or presentations
• monitoring student progress and maintaining class records
• creating displays of student work and other classroom decorations

By taking on these administrative tasks, you can give the teachers you support more time to focus on lesson planning, marking and other pressing jobs. But your support will be just as essential in the classroom as out of it. In the classroom itself, you will take on jobs including: 

• monitoring the class to identify behavioural issues
• providing extra assistance to learners so that the teacher can continue with the lesson
• guiding learners through class activities
• reading aloud, handing out work, and other forms of teaching support

In addition, you'll supervise students on school trips and at other events. 

promoting learning

These are only a few examples of the tasks you might be called on to help with as a teaching assistant. Anything that helps your classroom run smoothly will be within your remit. Even more important than these specific tasks, however, will be your role in creating the classroom environment. By modelling behaviour and promoting good learning practices, especially with younger children, you'll help build the habits that create success. 

Most of your work will take place in schools, much of it in the classroom. Outdoor assignments range from supervising children as they play outside to leading tours of museums or historical sites. The typical teaching assistant works in the same school campus throughout the year, although working in multiple classrooms is common. Travel is rarely part of the job. Schools are fast-paced workplace environments similar with primary school teachers, and your ability to manage time and keep track of projects will be valuable.

As a teaching assistant, you'll work on a very regular schedule, dictated by the structure of the school day and term. The teaching workday begins well before students arrive, but you'll usually be able to leave earlier than most workers in office jobs. Hours are predictable, and weekend work is rare. School holidays off are another advantage, especially if you're a parent yourself. However, getting other time off will be more of a challenge. Teachers and other education professionals find it difficult to get leave during term time except in emergencies, and teaching assistants are no exception.

As your career in education continues, there are two main avenues of growth. In the first, you will hone your skills over time through ongoing professional development. Through training and experience, you can apply for the status of higher-level teaching assistant (HLTA). As an HLTA, you will be more involved in aspects of education such as lesson planning, creating teaching materials and even classroom teaching. You'll also manage and support other teaching assistants. Alternatively, being a teaching assistant is an excellent starting point if your goal is to pursue a career as a teacher. You'll need to earn a teaching qualification to do so, but experience as a teaching assistant will offer invaluable practical experience. You'll develop a better understanding of everything from lesson timing to classroom management, plus greater confidence dealing with students. Many schools offer support for teaching assistants planning to make this transition.

Finding your teaching assistant job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a teaching assistant is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!

Many teaching assistants don't have formal qualifications in education. Instead, they have prior experience working with children or young people. You could gain similar experience by working in childcare. Other jobs that provide relevant experience include tutoring, youth social work and other roles that involve working with children. Previous work with children doesn't need to have been paid work. Volunteering can also provide valuable experience. 

Each teaching assistant role will have its own requirements, so familiarise yourself with opportunities in your area to see what qualifications employers are looking for. 

If you have good literacy and numeracy skills, a job as a teaching assistant might be perfect for you. Unlike a teacher, you won't require specialist subject knowledge, but a wide range of other abilities are important. Most importantly, you'll need a patient and helpful attitude when working with children. The personal and communication skills needed to help children succeed are key to excelling in this role. No less important is a high regard for the safety and well-being of the children who will be in your care. You'll need to understand and carry out your school's policies, which can be quite detailed. 

To be an effective teaching assistant, you'll need to have a flexible approach to work. Although school schedules are fixed, the tasks you'll be called on for every day will change frequently, sometimes on short notice. 

Do you have a can-do attitude and the willingness to pitch in wherever you're needed? If you have those as well as good communication and interpersonal skills, a job as a teaching assistant might be your next career move.

There aren't any specific qualifications required to be a teaching assistant. However, qualifications such as the Award in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools or Diploma in Childcare and Education can be useful. A degree in education or a related field is also helpful, although not required. Want to learn more about working as a teaching asisstant? Then check out this article. 

The median annual salary for a teaching assistant in 2020 was just over £17,900. Experienced teaching assistants can earn £23,000 a year or more.

Because teaching assistants typically work during the school year and during the hours school is in session, many are on part-time or term-time contracts. Some schools may run classes or activity programmes over the summer, creating more demand for teaching assistants.

A teaching assistant supports the work of teachers in the classroom. This includes working one-on-one with students, preparing class materials, dealing with behavioural problems, and more. Experienced teaching assistants even prepare and deliver lessons, supervised by teachers. Want to learn more about working as a teaching asisstant? Then check out this article.

If you have relevant qualifications, it's possible to become a teaching assistant without prior experience working with children. However, many qualifications include some kind of work experience element. Also, the soft skills of dealing with children are very important in teaching assistant roles, so some practical experience will greatly improve your application.

Applying for a teaching assistant job is easy: create a randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!