Teaching is one of the most difficult jobs that a person could choose. Managing a classroom and instructing students effectively can be a hard task with larger classes, which is why many schools hire teachers’ aides. A teacher’s aide is an educational professional that works in support of a licensed teacher. They can provide individual attention to students, provide behavioral intervention and assist teachers with any other tasks they need.
If you’re interested in becoming a teacher’s aide, there are a few important steps that you must take, including earning a teacher’s aide degree. Read about how you can complete a teacher’s aide degree and find out some of the jobs that you can apply for after completing this degree.
Teacher’s Aide Degree Basics
One of the biggest advantages of pursuing a teacher’s aide degree is that these degrees can be completed in as little as two years. The reason that a teacher’s aide degree can be completed so quickly is that they are attained at the Associate’s level. You can either choose an Associate of Arts (AA) or an Associate of Science (AS). Both degrees will give you the skills that you need to be an effective teacher’s aide and will make you eligible for work.
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However, you should be aware that an AS is a close-ended degree. This means that you cannot use an AS degree as a launch pad for a further degree, such as a Bachelor’s in Education. If you think you might eventually go back to school after working as a teacher’s aide, you should choose an AA.
Teacher’s Aide Degree Coursework
To complete your teacher’s aide degree, whether an AA or AS, you will need to successfully complete sixty credit hours. These credit hours will have two focuses, general education courses and courses dedicated specifically to your work as a teacher’s aide.
Your general education courses can include subjects like English, math and science. Teacher’s aide specific courses can include instruction in classroom management, leadership skills and education theory. Most teacher’s aide degree programs also require that you take certain elective courses. You should prioritize elective courses, such as childhood psychology, that will be useful when working as a teacher’s aide.
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It’s also possible to participate in an internship to get real-world teacher’s aide experience.
Job Opportunities
Upon completion of your teacher’s aide degree, you’ll have access to a wide variety of job opportunities. While most people assume teacher’s aides can only work in traditional school settings, you can actually apply for a wide variety of educational jobs.
With a teacher’s aide degree, you can apply for a position in educational settings that include daycare centers, preschools, private schools and both before and after school programs.
Salaries for Teacher’s Aides
Before becoming a teacher’s aide, you should be sure to research your possible salary by examining the career report provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The latest BLS report was released in 2015. This report stated that the yearly median salary for a teacher’s aide or teacher’s assistant was $24,900.
Teacher’s aide positions are expected to grow at a 6% rate between 2014 and 2024. This is the average growth rate for other education careers over this same period.