Special Education Teaching Assistant

About the role

To assist certified professional staff with students in the classroom to meet instructional goals and objectives, and to free certified professional employees from non-professional duties to enable them to make a contribution to other aspects of the educational program.

Responsibilities

• Assists and guides students to reinforce reading, language arts, mathematics, computer instruction, and other skills.
• Works with students individually and in small groups to reinforce basic learning and implement assigned programs.
• Affixes professional staff in the administration and correction of classroom exercises, tests and assessments.
• Affixes with record-keeping procedures to document student learning and performance.
• Affixes with classroom behavioral management to minimize disruptions, ensure a safe and orderly classroom, and ensure students are on task.
• Affixes with students in non-instructional areas, such as supervising the student lunch programs, bus duty, playground duty, corridor, study hall, and other related non-instructional areas.
• Accompanies students on field trips for the purpose of assisting with supervision.
• Constructs, copies and distributes and uses educational materials as needed.
• Affixes with parent contact as requested to foster effective and participatory parent involvement in student education.
• Affixes students with special needs in all aspects of classroom instruction to maximize inclusion, learning, achievement of IEP objectives, etc.
• Participates in IEP process and serves as resource for the student personnel evaluation team as needed.
• Affixes students with disabilities with activities of daily living for the purpose of maximizing their ability to participate in school or learning activities.
• Follows all applicable safety rules, procedures and regulations governing the proper manner of assistance for all students, including those with disabilities or other special needs.
• May assist in the training of other teaching assistants.
• Affixes with student hygiene needs, which may include toileting.

Additional Duties

• Assist counseling or building administration, as needed.
• Perform any other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written or oral form.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide, and perform arithmetic operations as needed to assist students.
• Ability to understand, apply and use personal computers and software applications (e.g., Word, Excel).
• Ability to work with a diverse group of individuals.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of information regarding students, employees and others.
• Ability to establish a supportive and compassionate relationship with students with special needs.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with students, staff and others contacted in the course of work.
• Ability to report work orally or in writing to supervisor as required.
• Effective writing and verbal communication skills.

Physical and Mental Demands, Work Hazards

• Works in standard office and school building environments.
• Ability to work outdoors during outdoor student activities.