Potential Positions Potential positions include paraeducator, classroom assistant, educational assistant, instructional assistant, and teacher’s assistant. Employers include public and private schools. Most paraeducators work in classroom settings. They may also assist and supervise students in the cafeteria, schoolyard, school discipline center, or on field trips.
Employment Outlook Strong demand for paraeducators to assist and monitor students, to provide teachers with clerical assistance, and to help teachers meet the education needs of a growing special education population will contribute to much faster than average employment growth. Student enrollments at the elementary and secondary level are also expected to rise, spurring strong demand for paraeducators.
Typical Tasks Paraeducators work under the direct supervision of a certified teacher. Specific tasks typically required of a paraeducator include:
Assisting teachers in the classrooms of public and private schools;
Working positively with children to foster their development, creativity, and self-esteem;
Presenting subject matter to students, using lecture, discussion, or supervised role playing methods;
Helping students, individually or in groups, with lesson assignments to present or reinforce learning concepts;
Preparing lesson outline and plan in assigned area and submitting outline to teacher for review;
Planning, preparing, and developing various teaching aids, such as bibliographies, charts, and graphs;
Discussing assigned teaching area with classroom teacher to coordinate instructional efforts; and
Conferring with parents on progress of students.
This program typically starts in Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters
