What qualifications / experiance do i have to have to be a teaching assistant?

Question

Is there a course that i could do at college(i am 28, and a mature student)...how long does a teaching assistant course last for?

Answer 1

I guess it depends on where you live.  In Georgia, you have to have a high school diploma as your main qualification.  I also think they would have you take a workshop to learn about the duties of an assistant.

As a teacher, I had several assistants.  The best ones were warm and caring with children, spoke correctly,  followed directions well, were eager to learn, always looked out for the safety of the children,  did not talk about the children in a disparaging way (especially in front of them), communicated well with parents (were friendly) and didn't gossip about others.  I have had wonderful assistants. The one who weren't so wonderful did not last long.  They probably didn't like the job to start with.

When working with small children, I found an assistant to be absolutely essential.  It was really nice if they could read stories with expression and sing some of the children's songs.  We liked to enjoy learning, but always took our jobs seriously.

Thanks for asking.

Answer 2

You can start with doing a NVQ level 2 and get a job in a school whilst you are working towards this, or the 'teaching assistant certificate' but a school will rarely take you on without experience of working with children.  Any work or voluntary work

Answer 3

It depends on your state's requirements.  In Ohio you only need a high school diploma and one of the following- continuing ed (conferences, workshops, etc) or passing of the paraprofessional state test.  I think it's changing because of NCLB and they may begin requiring an associates degree.  Check with your local school district, they will be able to tell you.

Answer 4

I'd say you'd need atleat an nvq level 3 with teacher training on top of that - as a mature student you're looking at about a years work worth over a grand.