Profession early years teaching assistant

Schoolchildren attendants provide care and supervision for children in schools and in before-school, after-school, vacation and day care centres.

Personality Type

• Social / Conventional

Related professions primary teaching

• Primary school head
• Primary school teacher
• Special needs teacher primary school
• Teacher assistant

Knowledge

• Children's physical development

  Recognise and describe the development, observing the following criteria: weight, length, and head size, nutritional requirements, renal function, hormonal influences on development, response to stress, and infection.

• Kindergarten school procedures

  The inner workings of a kindergarten, such as the structure of the relevant education support and management, policies, and regulations.

• Workplace sanitation

  The importance of a clean, sanitary workspace for example through use of hand disinfectant and sanitizer, in order to minimise infection risk between colleagues or when working with children.

Skills

• Attend to children's basic physical needs

  Tend to children by feeding them, dressing them, and, if necessary, regularly changing their diapers in a sanitary manner.

• Maintain students' discipline

  Make sure students follow the rules and code of behaviour established in the school and take the appropriate measures in case of violation or misbehaviour.

• Implement care programmes for children

  Perform activities with children according to their physical, emotional, intellectual and social needs by using appropriate tools and equipment that facilitate interaction and learning activities.

• Observe student's progress

  Follow up on students’ learning progress and assess their achievements and needs.

• Assist students in their learning

  Support and coach students in their work, give learners practical support and encouragement.

• Provide lesson materials

  Ensure that the necessary materials for teaching a class, such as visual aids, are prepared, up-to-date, and present in the instruction space.

• Support the positiveness of youths

  Help children and young people to assess their social, emotional and identity needs and to develop a positive self image, enhance their self esteem and improve their self reliance.

• Give constructive feedback

  Provide founded feedback through both criticism and praise in a respectful, clear, and consistent manner. Highlight achievements as well as mistakes and set up methods of formative assessment to evaluate work.

• Perform playground surveillance

  Observe students' recreational activities to ensure student safety and well-being and intervene when necessary.

• Support children's wellbeing

  Provide an environment that supports and values children and helps them to manage their own feelings and relationships with others.

• Assist students with equipment

  Provide assistance to students when working with (technical) equipment used in practice-based lessons and solve operational problems when necessary.

• Assist in children's development of basic personal skills

  Encourage and facilitate the development of children's natural curiosity and social and language abilities through creative and social activities such as storytelling, imaginative play, songs, drawing, and games.

• Guarantee students' safety

  Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation.

• Provide teacher support

  Assist teachers in classroom instruction by providing and preparing lesson materials, monitoring the students during their work and helping them in their learning where necessary.

• Manage children's problems

  Promote the prevention, early detection, and management of children`s problems, focusing on developmental delays and disorders, behavioural problems, functional disabilities, social stresses, mental disorders including depression, and anxiety disorders.

• Assess the development of youth

  Evaluate the different aspects of development needs of children and young people.

• Encourage students to acknowledge their achievements

  Stimulate students to appreciate their own achievements and actions to nurture confidence and educational growth.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB