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Everyone knows who teachers are, but what about teaching assistants? They aren’t talked about nearly enough or as often as they should be.
Just as teachers play a significant role in the academic and personal development of students, teaching assistants also play a vital role in supporting teachers and students in the classroom.
Let’s dive into 5 reasons why they are as important in the classroom and give them the limelight they deserve!
An Extra Pair of Eyes
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While the teacher is busy instructing the class, teaching assistants can help keep an eye on the class to ensure that students aren’t causing any ruckus or disruptions to the lesson.
During group activities or discussions, teaching assistants can facilitate and supervise the students to ensure they are learning effectively and provide assistance when needed for the students to complete certain tasks.
They can also help enforce rules and procedures, take disciplinary actions when necessary, and maintain a positive learning environment.
This allows the teacher to keep the flow of teaching and lesson planning going so they can focus on maximising the learning experience in the classroom.
Individualised Attention
(Pexels – Katerina Holmes)
In group classes, teachers have many students to attend to and often don’t have the time to give individual attention to each and every student.
That’s where teaching assistants can step in and work with students, either one-on-one or in small groups, providing more personalised attention to help students succeed.
This is especially needed for students who require more attention and are afraid to speak up in class because they aren’t confident enough to.
Help With Administrative Tasks
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Teaching assistants can help the teacher with more administrative tasks, such as lesson planning and grading of papers.
Other than that, they can also help prepare teaching and test materials before or during class, as well as put them away when class is over.
This helps teachers focus on delivering high-quality teaching and academic improvement for the students.
This benefits the students as well, as the lessons will run much more smoothly when they have all the materials needed.
More Approachable
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Although most teachers can be friendly and caring people, they still hold power over students, which can make it difficult for some students to approach them at times.
On the other hand, teaching assistants do not have as much power as them; therefore, they can be the ones a worried student needs to confide their problems in when they are going through a difficult time.
They can also provide assistance to students during breaks if needed while the teacher is busy with other tasks.
These situations give teacher’s assistants more opportunities for informal interactions with students, allowing them to build stronger bonds that can be beneficial in the classroom.
Provide Feedback
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Teaching assistants can provide observations from a different party’s point of view on the lessons and give feedback to the teacher.
Things such as the lessons not having a sense of direction or the students not being on the same page as the teacher are a few of the examples of feedback that teacher assistants can give.
This is essential as it helps the teacher evaluate and reflect on their lesson plans and then make improvements to the lessons so that the students can learn more effectively.
Conclusion
(Pexels – Katerina Holmes)
In conclusion, teaching assistants are as important as teachers in the education system.
They are the unsung heroes who are also versatile in their role, from helping out with administrative tasks to providing assistance to students to even just tidying up the classroom.
By providing additional support for teachers and students, this will maximise the positive learning experience in lessons.
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