Occupation Details
Teaching Assistants, Special Education
Assist a preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher to provide academic, social, or life skills to students who have learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Serve in a position for which a teacher has primary responsibility for the design and implementation of educational programs and services.
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Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$35,860.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$65,050.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$102,400.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
162,320
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
192,310
+2,999 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
19,259
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.2%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
College Helps - Some college classes or training
Experience Requirements
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education Requirements
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Training Details
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Skills
Skills information is not available for this occupation.
Knowledge
Knowledge information is not available for this occupation.
Work Environment
Work Environment information is not available for this occupation.
Work Styles
Work styles information is not available for this occupation.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- Alternative computer keyboards
- Audio tape recorders or players
- Braille styluses
- Communication boards
- Compact disk CD players
- Computer laser printers
- Data input scanners
- Desktop computers
- Digital video cameras
- Digital video disk DVD players
- Educational board games
- Emergency first aid kits
- Enteral feeding equipment
- Foot operated mouse equipment
- Head operated joysticks
- Interactive whiteboards
- Intercom systems
- Jellybean switches
- Laminating equipment
- Laptop computers
- Liquid crystal display LCD projectors
- Microphones
- Mouth operated joysticks
- Oral suction tubes
- Overhead projectors
- Page turners
- Pegboards
- Personal computers
- Play structures
- Portable communication devices
Technology
- Appletree
- Blackboard software
- Children's educational software
- ClassDojo
- Email software
- Flipgrid
- Google Classroom
- Google Meet
- Hand held spell checkers
- High School Scheduling and Transcript HSST
- Kahoot!
- Loom
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Duties
Job duties information is not available for this occupation.
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- Assist in bus loading and unloading.
- Assist librarians in school libraries.
- Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required.
- Carry out therapeutic regimens, such as behavior modification and personal development programs, under the supervision of special education instructors, psychologists, or speech-language pathologists.
- Clean classrooms.
- Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts.
- Distribute teaching materials, such as textbooks, workbooks, papers, and pencils, to students.
- Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
- Enforce administration policies and rules governing students.
- Grade homework and tests, and compute and record results, using answer sheets or electronic marking devices.
- Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage.
- Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, or food preparation.
- Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use.
- Maintain computers in classrooms and laboratories, and assist students with hardware and software use.
- Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress.
- Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills.
- Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
- Participate in teacher-parent conferences regarding students' progress or problems.
- Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.
- Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations.
- Prepare lesson outlines and plans in assigned subject areas and submit outlines to teachers for review.
- Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud.
- Provide assistance to students with special needs.
- Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms.
- Requisition and stock teaching materials and supplies.
- Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips.
- Take class attendance and maintain attendance records.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
- Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers.
- Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.