Online Teacher Aide Certificate Programs

With an online teacher aide certificate, you would be working directly with the teacher to offer support in the classroom, field trips, library, media centers, and school playgrounds.

Teacher aides are important for supporting learning and academic development. With a certificate or associate's degree in paraprofessional education, you gain the requisite skills to perform effectively in the classroom. You would be responsible for working with students in small teams or individually, in order to reinforce learning, and to provide guidance in completing assignments and projects. The teacher aide also performs important tasks for example taking attendance, recording grades or attendance, monitoring students, preparing instructional materials and setting up educational technology and equipment such as smart boards, and computers. A college education is becoming increasingly important in order to become a teacher aide. In general, teacher aide programs are offered at the associate degree and certificate level. A Teacher Aide certificate is also known as a Paraprofessional Certificate or a Certificate in Early Childhood Studies depending on the context.

Online Teacher Aide Certificate Programs

Kaplan University

• AS in Interdisciplinary Studies / Educational Paraprofessional (Teacher's Aide)

Penn Foster Schools

• Teacher Aide

Locate Teacher Aid Education Programs in your area

Search for Online Teachers Aide Certificate Programs

Teacher Aide Education and Training

The paraprofessional certificate takes about twelve to eighteen months to complete a program of study. Students are exposed to the basics of child development in addition to classroom teaching techniques. Courses might include educational psychology, developmental psychology, teaching students with disabilities, development of instructional materials,child development, and educational technology courses.

The associate degree program of study is designed to offer a comprehensive background in early childhood education. It takes two years to complete and student may be required to take courses in general education, i.e. liberal arts and sciences, in addition to specific courses in child development, classroom management, and instructional techniques. In addition to having the degree or certificate, some states require teacher aides be licensed.

Teacher Aide Careers

Teacher assistants have several duties in addition to assisting, supervising, and instructing students. They perform clerical tasks for example record keeping, filing and typing, record keeping, and maintaining classroom supplies. Related area may include checking students’ homework, grading assignments, tests and projects, operating educational technology equipment.

Some teacher’s aides go on to complete their bachelor and master degree in teaching after gaining classroom experience as a teacher’s assistant. Teacher's assistants work in classroom setting mainly in pre-K, kindergarten, elementary and middle school, as well as in special education classrooms.

Expected Salary and Projected Career Growth

Teacher aide positions are expected to grow at the same rate as teaching positions. The United States Department of Labor projects that the employment of teacher assistants is expected to grow by 10% between 2008 and 2018. This growth is fueled by an increase in class sizes, the need for more individualized instruction, especially for students with special needs, and rising enrollments in schools.

The median annual wages of teacher assistants in 2008 was $22,200. The middle 50% earned between $17,610 and $28,180. The lowest 10% earned below $15,340, and the highest 10% earned over $33,980. Having experience as working with special needs students, a campus or online teacher aide certificate, and the ability to speak a foreign language is a plus.

Online teacher aide certificate programs and elementary education degree programs