12 Key Attributes Teacher Assistants Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Alex Garcia

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Teacher assistants perform duties that are instructional in nature or deliver direct services to students or parents. Serve in a position for which a teacher has ultimate responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.

The core tasks that teacher assistants are likely to carry out include:

Provide extra assistance to students with special needs, such as non-English-speaking students or those with physical and mental disabilities.
Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.

In order to successfully forge ahead with their careers, analysts in a survey carried out by U.S. Department of Labor (via O*NET) have marked out the following as important attributes that teacher assistants would need. These attributes have been selected from characteristics and requirements strongly associated with the occupation. They are

Abilities: Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance
Interests: Preferences for work environments. Occupational Interest Profiles (OIPs) are compatible with Holland's (1985, 1997) model of personality types and work environments. Six interest categories are used to describe the work environment of occupations: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. An OIP consists of six numerical scores indicating how descriptive and characteristic each work environment (or interest area) is for an occupation
Knowledge: Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains
Skills: These include basic skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge. Plus cross-functional skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across jobs
Style: Personal characteristics that can affect how well someone performs a job

We have listed out attributes which were scored 80% or more in terms of importance by the analysts.

Having a strong preference for social work environments. Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 100%

Being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 92.8%

Being honest and ethical.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 91%

Being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 90.8%

Maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 90%

Preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 89.8%

Accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 88.4%

Being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 86.4%

Being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 83%

Being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 82.8%

A willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 81.4%

Developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Attribute Type: Style Score: 80.8%