Profession primary school teaching assistant

Primary school teaching assistants provide instructional and practical support to primary school teachers. They reinforce instruction with students in need of extra attention and prepare the materials the teacher needs in class. They also perform clerical work, monitor the students' learning progress and behaviour and supervise the students with and without the head teacher present.

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Personality Type

Knowledge

  • Primary school procedures

    The inner workings of a primary school, such as the structure of the relevant education support and management, the policies, and the regulations.

Skills

  • Implement care programmes for children

    Perform activities with children according to their physical, emotional, intellectual and social needs by using appropriate tools and equipment that facilitate interaction and learning activities.

  • Manage student relationships

    Manage the relations between students and between student and teacher. Act as a just authority and create an environment of trust and stability.

  • Encourage students to acknowledge their achievements

    Stimulate students to appreciate their own achievements and actions to nurture confidence and educational growth.

  • Attend to children's basic physical needs

    Tend to children by feeding them, dressing them, and, if necessary, regularly changing their diapers in a sanitary manner.

  • Maintain students' discipline

    Make sure students follow the rules and code of behaviour established in the school and take the appropriate measures in case of violation or misbehaviour.

  • Give constructive feedback

    Provide founded feedback through both criticism and praise in a respectful, clear, and consistent manner. Highlight achievements as well as mistakes and set up methods of formative assessment to evaluate work.

  • Perform playground surveillance

    Observe students' recreational activities to ensure student safety and well-being and intervene when necessary.

  • Support the positiveness of youths

    Help children and young people to assess their social, emotional and identity needs and to develop a positive self image, enhance their self esteem and improve their self reliance.

  • Observe student's progress

    Follow up on students’ learning progress and assess their achievements and needs.

  • Provide lesson materials

    Ensure that the necessary materials for teaching a class, such as visual aids, are prepared, up-to-date, and present in the instruction space.

  • Assist in children's development of basic personal skills

    Encourage and facilitate the development of children's natural curiosity and social and language abilities through creative and social activities such as storytelling, imaginative play, songs, drawing, and games.

  • Manage children's problems

    Promote the prevention, early detection, and management of children`s problems, focusing on developmental delays and disorders, behavioural problems, functional disabilities, social stresses, mental disorders including depression, and anxiety disorders.

  • Assist students with equipment

    Provide assistance to students when working with (technical) equipment used in practice-based lessons and solve operational problems when necessary.

  • Guarantee students' safety

    Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation.

  • Support children's wellbeing

    Provide an environment that supports and values children and helps them to manage their own feelings and relationships with others.

  • Prepare youths for adulthood

    Work with children and young people to identify the skills and abilities they will need to become effective citizens and adults and to prepare them for independence.

  • Provide teacher support

    Assist teachers in classroom instruction by providing and preparing lesson materials, monitoring the students during their work and helping them in their learning where necessary.

  • Assist students in their learning

    Support and coach students in their work, give learners practical support and encouragement.

Optional knowledge and skills

teamwork principles curriculum objectives common children's diseases provide after school care work with virtual learning environments organise creative performance first aid facilitate teamwork between students assess students teach primary education class content assess the development of youth consult students on learning content workplace sanitation escort students on a field trip liaise with educational support staff prepare lesson content advise on lesson plans promote the safeguarding of young people perform classroom management learning difficulties disability types maintain relations with children's parents

Source: Sisyphus ODB