GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES

Performs a variety of paraprofessional instructional support tasks which assists teachers and/or other professional staff working with children or young adults in carrying out a general and certain special educational program in an elementary, secondary, alternative or special education school or center. The teaching assistant provides instructional support to teachers in the daily management and instruction of students. An employee assigned to positions in this class is responsible for performing instructional and clerical tasks to relieve teacher of routine activities and to help carry out daily classroom activities. All three levels of this group of classes have similar kind and level of responsibilities. As a paraprofessional, non-licensed classification Teaching Assistants may, with supervision from a teacher or a principal, assist with the preparation of lesson plans, implement lesson plans, and initiation of new lessons as instructed. However, they may not have final responsibility for assessment, evaluation, and grading of students.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CLASS (May not include all duties performed; not all incumbents perform all essential functions delineated.)

Assists assigned classroom teacher(s) in conducting instructional programs, directing games and fine or performing arts activities, physical exercise programs, or otherwise works with the teacher to provide instructional or developmental activities for a general, alternative or special education students.

Distributes and collects materials, sets up classroom, learning centers, etc. for instructional projects, and sets up and operates audio-visual equipment.

Assists in teaching classes of basic skills; performs remedial instructions or tasks to reinforce learning initiated by a professional educator.

Works with students requiring individual or close attention in math, reading or other subject or activity areas, individually or in small “pull-out” groups.

Reads to children, listens to their recitations, and suggests improvements.

Monitors groups of students engaged in drawing, writing, independent study, or similar work while the teacher is otherwise occupied.

Participates in the assessment of individual student needs and progress and assists the teacher in developing appropriate individualized programs.

Supervises and monitors pupils in off-site vocational training and community travel settings as assigned.

Participates in monitoring, teaching computer-assisted- instructional programs and activities; assists in computer maintenance activities.

Assists in providing safe environment by monitoring students during arrival and dismissal.

Continues instructional and work activities during teacher's absence from the classroom.

Helps maintain order and discipline and assists in managing the behavior of students, including crisis intervention.

Supervises students in halls and classrooms, during lunch period, and student breaks; may eat lunch with students and provides physical and instructional assistance as needed.

Participates in home-school-community involvement activities.

Operates office equipment such as typewriter, duplicator, photocopier, word processors and printers, projectors, and multi-media equipment.

Maintains bulletin boards, student records of attendance; oversees lunch ticket distribution; maintains health charts, and classroom supplies; takes attendance and collects forms, proctors tests, and scores objective tests.

Supervises playground activities, monitors students in cafeteria, during rest period, coming on and off busses, or as they go to and from classes. Monitors students while riding on bus as required.

May participate in after school instructional activities and evening PTO meetings.

Participates in staff meetings, work-shops, in-service training sessions as assigned.

Monitors students engaged in independent study, or similar work while teacher is otherwise occupied; oversees small student groups away from classroom or whole class while teacher is temporarily away from classroom as needed.

Performs other classroom or school wide clerical tasks, such as preparing, compiling, or making copies of instructional materials and reports, typing and filing classroom or student records, or distributing and inventorying textbooks and other instructional materials as assigned.

May, from time-to-time, be assigned as substitute teacher.

Performs related work as required, or assigned.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

TA minimum of two years of college course-work or passing score on Para-Pro Assessment Test