Teaching Assistants, Special Education

Summary of What they do:

Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher to provide academic, social, or life skills to students who have learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Serve in a position for which a teacher has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.

Tasks On The Job

1. Assist in bus loading and unloading.
2. Assist librarians in school libraries.
3. Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
4. Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.
5. Clean classrooms.
6. Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
7. Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students.
8. Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
9. Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
10. Grade homework and tests, and compute and record results, using answer sheets or electronic marking devices.
11. Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
12. Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, or food preparation.
13. Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use.
14. Maintain computers in classrooms and laboratories, and assist students with hardware and software use.
15. Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.
16. Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills.
17. Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
18. Participate in teacher-parent conferences regarding students' progress or problems.
19. Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
20. Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations.
21. Prepare lesson outlines and plans in assigned subject areas and submit outlines to teachers for review.
22. Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud.
23. Provide assistance to students with special needs.
24. Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
25. Requisition and stock teaching materials and supplies.
26. Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
27. Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
28. Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
29. Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
30. Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.