Special Education Teaching Assistants

Key Responsibilities

• Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use.
• Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
• Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
• Assist in bus loading and unloading.
• Requisition and stock teaching materials and supplies.
• Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.
• Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
• Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
• Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud.
• Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
• Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.
• Clean classrooms.
• Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
• Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
• Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations.
• Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, or food preparation.
• Assist librarians in school libraries.
• Grade homework and tests, and compute and record results, using answer sheets or electronic marking devices.
• Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
• Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
• Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
• Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills.
• Provide assistance to students with special needs.
• Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students.
• Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
• Maintain computers in classrooms and laboratories, and assist students with hardware and software use.
• Participate in teacher-parent conferences regarding students' progress or problems.
• Prepare lesson outlines and plans in assigned subject areas and submit outlines to teachers for review.
• Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
• Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.