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About Teaching Assistant
You'll become
Average Salaries
Teaching Assistant workers may earn between $23,000 and $50,000 per year
Embrace your desire to support children in a classroom setting, and help them on their journey of growth and development. Teaching Assistant Courses will teach students how to foster nurturing, engaging and creative learning environments, and how to provide support towards oral, literacy and numeracy life skills. Additionally, students of these courses will look at supporting the behaviour of young people, supporting students with additional needs in the classroom, and how to contribute to the safety and health of students. Teaching Assistant Courses allow graduates to work in a range of classroom contexts including public schools, independent schools and community education environments.
Unlock great minds and play a key role in the education sector by studying a teaching assistant course.
With a growing population and more pressure than ever on the education sector, strong support for both students and teachers is critical for our future development. As a teaching assistant, you’ll play a critical role in unlocking the potential of young people and helping teachers and educational administrators thrive in their roles.
Teaching assistants perform non-teaching tasks in educational settings, and play a key role in supporting the social, emotional, and intellectual development of students and young people. As a teaching assistant, you’ll be uniquely placed to help students unlock their potential and teachers to provide the most effective support to students and play an essential role in creating a supportive, engaging environment in which all students can thrive.
You may choose to study a teaching assistant course as a certificate course or bachelor’s degree, and after completing a course may choose to seek employment as a teacher’s aid, pre-school aid, disability aid, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support worker.
If you want to help people to unlock their potential, a teaching assistance course is for you.
What do teaching assistant graduates do?
As a teaching assistant, you can expect to seek employment in a school or child care centre setting, working closely with students, parents and teachers to provide holistic care, support and development in your classroom. Depending on the nature and setting of your role, your tasks may vary, but you may be expected to perform work like:
- Demonstrating, supervising and participating in activities that enhance the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of students in schools and pre-school centres;
- Assisting teachers to plan and manage all aspects of the classroom setting, including managing conflict, planning lessons and preparing indoor and outdoor areas for learning and recreational activities;
- Assisting students with intellectual, physical and behavioural difficulties with their academic studies and social, emotional and cognitive development;
- Supporting children individually to teach social skills and communication;
- Working closely with teachers and administrative staff to prepare and collate teaching aids, materials and resources;
- Understanding and planning for the unique challenges and opportunities faced by members of marginalised communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students without English, and students living with disabilities;
- Liaising with teachers, parents, school staff and community services to provide support for students and their families outside of the school community; and
- Working with school staff members to educate and communicate about recognising marginalised members of a classroom.
Career Outcomes
Career Outcomes
Challenging and deeply rewarding, a career in teaching assistance is a unique opportunity to transfer skills and knowledge and to make a real impact on other people’s lives.
Graduates of teaching assistant courses may seek employment as a:
- Education Support Worker
- Education Officer
- Special Needs Support Worker
- Teacher's Aide
- Teaching Assistant
- Education Assistant
- Learning Support Assistant
- Special Needs School Assistant
- Early Childhood Teacher
- Family Day Care Worker
- Early Childhood Educator
- Playgroup Supervisor
- Teacher Aide
- Teacher Assistant
- Teaching Coordinator
- Special Needs Teacher Aide
- Inclusion Support Aide
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Is teaching assistant right for you?
You’ll find teaching assistance enjoyable and stimulating if you:
- Love children
- Love working with people
- Are patient and empathetic
- Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Are passionate about supporting others
- Are proactive
- Like problem-solving
- Have strong organisational and time management skills
- Enjoy fast-paced work
- Can remain calm under pressure
Job opportunities
According to the Australia Government’s Job Outlook, employment for teaching assistants has been growing steadily for the past decade, and is likely to grow very strongly over the next five years. Approximately 87,000 people employed in supporting roles in the education sector, indicating employment opportunities are available in all areas of Australia. Job Outlook predicts the industry will grow significantly over the next few years, projecting an estimated 50,000 new roles to open by 2020.
Average Salaries
According to PayScale, a teacher’s aide can expect to earn between $23,000 and $50,000 per year, with an average salary of approximately $44,000. PayScale notes a positive relationship between experience and salary, with workers with between 10 and 15 years’ experience earning the highest wages, but the correlation isn’t dramatic and entry-level workers can expect to earn competitive salaries, averaging approximately $40,00 per year.
Learn how to become a
Industry Bodies
While no body exists specifically for aide workers in the education sector, workers can expect to be included in state and national bodies for members of the teaching profession. National bodies include the:
- Australian Teacher Education Association
- Australian Professional Teachers Association
- Early Childhood Australia
- Australian Education Union
- Independent Educators Union of Australia
As teaching is legislated and organised at the state level, each state has its own professional teachers’ committee to advocate for its members’ interests:
- Professional Teachers’ Council, New South Wales
- Council of Professional Teaching Associations of Victoria Inc
- Joint Council of Queensland Teacher Associations
- The Council of Education Associations of South Australia
- Professional Teaching Council of Western Australia
- Network of Education Associations of Tasmania Inc
- Northern Territory Join Council of Professional Teacher Associations Inc
- Council of ACT Education Associations