introduction to work as a teacher aide - teacher aide jobs · certificate iv in education support....

© FTTA V8.0 July 2018 ES3-ES4 7

Introductory Chapter

An introduction to the role of Education Assistants in Australian schools

This chapter has been prepared for FTTA students enrolling in the Certificate III in Education Support or the

Certificate IV in Education Support. It explains the basics of work as an education assistant, teacher aide,

teacher assistant or school support officer.

Information may have been generalised and/or may have changed since publication. While effort has been

taken to verify information, FTTA provide no guarantee or warranty that information is correct or relevant

to your situation.

8 © FTTA V8.0 July 2018 ES3-ES4

Defining the role

For simplicity, this learner guide uses the term EA to describe a person who is employed as an education

assistant. There are many types of EAs as you will read later in this chapter. In most cases however, EAs will

normally be:

• Paid employees of a registered school

• Employed to assist the classroom teacher

• Be focused on child development (helping children improve)

There are three common tasks that all EAs are employed to undertake:

• Assist with student behaviour

• Assist with student development

• Assist with operational tasks

In a typical classroom, an EA will circulate from group to group or work one on one with a student. An EA is

not expected to teach the whole class at once as that is the role of the classroom teacher. During class time,

the EA is helping to ensure that students are meeting behavioural expectations (class rules for example) and

are on task. The term ‘on task’ means that students are doing what they are supposed to be doing – normally

learning something, completing an activity or task set by the teacher.

To understand the role of an EA you need to understand the roles and responsibilities of the classroom

teacher. The teacher will:

1. Set the rules, policies and processes

2. Set the learning content, planning etc.

3. Develop resources such as worksheets for students to use

4. Coordinate the operation of the classroom (who sits where, budgets)

5. Keep in contact with parents, senior staff, other stakeholders as needed

6. Coordinate and supervise EAs

7. Deliver learning content to students (class, groups, individually)

Your role as an EA is to assist the teacher in one or more of these tasks. In all cases you should follow the

instructions of your classroom teacher.

Important point: Some experienced EAs may operate their own program with a group of students (such as a literacy program) and be more independent than most EAs (almost like a teacher). Some EAs will be assigned a child with special needs and may take more responsibility for that child in terms of curriculum and behaviour. EAs undertake a wide range of jobs particularly when a need or gap has been identified.

Education assistants can be employed in a range of positions such as those listed below:

• Education assistant - kindy / special needs / specialist program

• Aboriginal and Islander education officer

• Home economics assistant


Common tasks

In your role as an EA you may undertake some of the tasks listed below:

• Preparing resources for students

• Organising, cleaning and storing equipment

• Guiding student behaviour

• Ensure class and school routines are followed

• Recording student progress

• Reporting student progress to the teacher

• Cleaning and assisting with hygienic related tasks

• Assisting children with hygiene and toileting

• Assisting students with special needs

• Supervising students inside and outside of the classroom

• Monitor the environment for hazards and undertake risk management

• Develop rapport with students (and staff)

• Maintain professional conduct (dress, hygiene, punctuality, demeanour)

• Support student literacy development

• Support student numeracy development

• Support student cognitive development (thinking)

• Support student physical development (gross motor, fine motor, physical health)

• Support students to learn new skills (life skills, general knowledge, work skills)

• Assisting with organising excursions and incursions

• Administration tasks such as recording attendance

“They work closely with teachers, developing and obtaining resources, setting up and operating equipment, undertaking administrative duties, supervising students and participating in teaching activities under the direction of a teacher. They provide a wide range of support for students who need assistance to participate in educational activities and achieve learning outcomes.” Department of Education (Queensland) http://education.qld.gov.au/staff/development/employee/teacheraide/

Other names for education assistants may include:

• School support officer

• Education support worker

• Teacher aide

• Teacher assistant

• Integration aide

• Education officer

• Aboriginal and Indigenous education officer

• Home economics assistant


A typical day

Given the diversity found in schools, classrooms, teachers, subjects and activities, a normal day for an EA will

vary from school to school. A typical work day may look like the following:

Time Activity Role of education assistant

830 Students arrive Greet students and parents, prep for day

845 News Assist teacher to set up the first activity:

• Photocopying and laminating

• Gathering and organising resources

900 Spelling Assist students with weekly spelling words:

• Flash cards

• Sounding out

• Word games

945 Writing Assist students with literacy activities:

• Sentence structure and grammar

• Finding the right word

• Brainstorming

1030 Recess Recess duty (weekly roster). Supervise students:

• Play and sport activities

• Eating and drinking

• With medical needs

• With special needs (note: if on duty you will usually have your break when students return to class)

1050 Maths Assist students with numeracy activities directed by the teacher:

• Organise resources

• Support students one on one

• Behaviour management

1150 Sports Assist the sports teacher with:

• Gathering equipment

• Setting up equipment

• Assisting students

1240 Lunch Rotational roster – supervising an area under teacher direction

130 Art • Gather art supplies

• Set up art room

• Clean up art room

• Put away art supplies

230 Home Time Assist as directed (cleaning, organising, other). Often required to remain at school until a certain time.


Tools of the trade

EAs use a range of resources and equipment to assist them with their day to day tasks. This section outlines

a small selection of what you may come across during your placement.

Stationary Keep a good quality and complete set of stationary on hand for efficiency. A simple set may include a pencil case, pens, pencils, sharpener, post-its, ruler, notepads and other bits and pieces depending on your role.

Books It won’t be any surprise that people who work in education settings use books of various kinds. Books can include textbooks, picture books, reading books and any document containing information.

Colleagues A great source of information that is often overlooked. Your colleagues, teachers and parents/caregivers and even students can be a great source of information and assistance.

Internet The internet provides a plethora of information that you should access on a regular basis. The internet is great for research, worksheets, ideas and general information.

Assistive technology Used for students with disabilities and disorders. Assistive technology can include anything that assists people to complete tasks such as hearing or reading aides. Examples include, page turners, large print screens, adapted seating, wheelchairs, audio descriptions, prosthetics etc.

Classroom equipment Each classroom will have a range of equipment such as sports equipment and toys. Most equipment will have some educational purpose.

Specialist equipment You may come across equipment in certain classes such as musical instruments and science equipment. Always follow the teacher’s instructions on how to care for equipment.

Home-made resources Some EAs make their own resources to use in the classroom. This could be as simple as a worksheet or a sample teaching aid.


Common challenges

Like any job that involves working with lots of people in a dynamic environment, there are challenges and

stresses that you will have to manage.

Viruses and colds

People who work in schools are exposed to a large number of people on a daily basis. This can lead to an increase in their exposure to viruses and colds. It is important to follow hygienic processes and to ensure that children learn and follow correct hygienic practices (such as coughing into the elbow).

Learning curve

Starting a new job can be overwhelming at first. This is especially the case in schools because schools are very busy places. The first few weeks can be exhausting due to sensory overload. You will need to learn about new ways of doing things, new skills and learn about how to best work with a large number of diverse people. All of this can be stressful and challenging.

Teachers and colleagues

Like any new job, you will be overwhelmed initially by the new personalities and idiosyncrasies of the teachers, colleagues and others you will be working close with. Some people are easier to get along with than others and some relationships take longer to form than others.

Child behaviour

One of the most commonly noted stresses experienced by school staff is the challenge of managing and guiding children’s behaviour. Some classes are better than others and it may take time for you to practice and learn the best strategies for particular students and groups.

Emotional stresses

This broad category covers a range of stresses that you may experience in the workplace. This can include mental illness, depression or anxiety, feelings of being over-worked, under-appreciated, dread, guilt, insecurity of job/finances, low self-esteem, feelings of incompetence etc.

Parents and caregivers

Although rare especially for EAs, you may occasionally have issues with parents or guardians. In all instances refer to your teacher for guidance.

Resources and equipment

Some classes or schools have better equipment and resources than others.

Personal stresses

Things that happen outside of work hours can affect your work during work hours. For example, if you aren’t getting enough sleep or are stressed due to a family issue, you will think about these things at work. It is important to try and leave home issues at home.


Fast facts

The following facts are attributed to joboutlook.gov.au

This is a very large occupation employing 92,800 workers. The number

of workers has grown strongly over the past 5 years.

Over the next 5 years (to May 2022) the number of workers is expected

to grow very strongly to 114,700. Around 91,000 job openings are likely

over this time from workers leaving and new jobs being created.

• Education Aides work in most parts of Australia.

• They mainly work in: Education and Training; Public

Administration and Safety; and Health Care and Social

Assistance.

• Part-time work is very common. Full-time workers, on average,

work 33.6 hours per week (compared to the all jobs average of

40 hours).

• Average earnings for full-time workers are around $927 per

week (for approx. 33-hour weeks). Earnings tend to be lower

when starting out and higher as experience grows.

• The workforce is fairly mature. The average age is 46 years

(compared to the all jobs average of 40 years) and around 6 in

10 workers are aged 45 years or older.

• Around 9 in 10 workers are female.

• In 2016, the unemployment rate was similar to the average.


Types of schools

Education in Australia is compulsory until a certain age

depending on the state. Some states require attendance

until at least the year in which the child turns 17 (through

formal schooling or a combination of training and

employment). Compulsory school education in Australia

generally begins with preschool. Students then enrol in

primary school (grade k-6), followed by secondary school

(or high school, grade 7-10) and senior secondary school

(or college, grade 11 and 12). There are various versions

of this system in each state, territory or region.

Schools in Australia are either government or non-government. Non-government schools include private

schools, faith-based schools and alternative schools such as Montessori. All schools in Australia are

predominantly publicly funded by the federal government.

The details below may differ depending on your location. Information has been generalised in many cases.

Kindergarten

Often shortened to Kindy and generally undertaken around the age of 4 for 12 months. Kindergarten is not

compulsory however it is very common for parents to enrol their children in kindy when they are old enough.

Kindy programs are not always operated by schools and many childcare services offer kindy programs. The

purpose of kindy is to:

• To learn through play in a structured learning environment

• To learn how to make friends, share and develop social skills

• To develop basic knowledge and expand on language skills

• To learn how to express ideas and thoughts through art, dance and play

• Help with the transition from home to formal full-time school

Pre-primary

Pre-primary is the first year of formal schooling and starts at around 5 years of age. Pre-primary is full time

and is compulsory in some states such as Western Australia. You can think of pre-primary as half way

between kindy and primary school. Pre-primary is operated and delivered by early childhood teachers

employed by a primary school.

Primary school

Primary school begins after pre-primary and runs from year 1 until year 6 or 7. This is the first stage of

compulsory schooling in Australia.

• A structured learning environment with a qualified teacher in each class

• Attendance is required Monday-Friday and is spread across 4 school terms of around 10 weeks

throughout the year (some states run 3 terms)

• Learning follows the key areas and concepts outlined in the curriculum

• Student begin to learn specialised knowledge such as foreign languages

High School

High school, also known as secondary school or college, covers the years 7-12.

• Teachers are specialists in learning areas such as maths or science

• Students generally move from class to class approximately every hour

• Option to choose classes/programs based on interests such as sport or second languages


Special needs

Students with learning difficulties or disabilities have an equal opportunity to an education under law.

Generally speaking parents can choose:

• To have their child mainstreamed, meaning the child will attend a mainstream school often with

additional support such as an assigned EA

or

• To send their child to a special needs school with funding and facilities that specialise in the delivery

of education to students with additional needs or impairments.


The school community

Meet some of the people you will come across in a typical school environment.


Australian Curriculum

A curriculum is a set of tasks, activities, experiences and outcomes of learning. The curriculum is designed to

support students to achieve a desired level of competence. According to the School Curriculum Framework

of WA for example, the Curriculum Framework sets out the 'knowledge, understandings, skills, values and

attitudes that students are expected to acquire'. These requirements are described as a series of learning

outcomes.

It is the classroom teacher’s responsibility to create programs, lessons and assessments in line with the

requirements of the curriculum. However, you will need to be aware of the basic structure of the curriculum

and how it is used to create programs and lessons. You can read about the Australian Curriculum at

https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

You can also find more curriculum related information for your state by clicking on the link below:

State Website

ACT www.education.act.gov.au

NSW www.dec.nsw.gov.au

NT www.education.nt.gov.au

QLD www.education.qld.gov.au

SA www.decd.sa.gov.au

TAS www.education.tas.gov.au

VIC www.education.vic.gov.au

WA www.education.wa.edu.au

NATIONALLY www.australiancurriculum.edu.au www.acara.edu.au

Your classroom teacher is the best person to speak to if you wish to learn more about the curriculum being

used in your school.

https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/


Common school policies

As well as being familiar with Department of Education policies, it is also important to familiarise yourself

with your school's policies. These can be accessed by:

• Speaking to the classroom teacher, your line manager or the principal

• Reviewing the school’s website or the Department of Education’s website

• Referring to the school handbook or website. Although generally written for caregiver, you will find

lots of relevant information

School websites usually contain a whole range of information including the types of programs, newsletters

from the past, maps and other important documents. When starting work at a school, this information can

help you familiarise yourself with your new employer much quicker.

Teachers often produce their own policies, rules and routines. This means that if you are working with a

number of teachers in a number of classrooms you will need to make adjustments for each class. Policies at

the class level often involve systems or routines. These systems or routines help busy classrooms to run more

efficiently. Some common policies, rules or routines developed by each individual classroom include:

• Dealing with lateness

• Homework

• Assessments

• Behaviour issues

• Record keeping

• Cleanliness

• Seating arrangements

Many systems are unwritten such as dealing with minor behavioural issues. Other systems are formal such

as behaviour contracts for students that consistently misbehave. It is important to become comfortable with

locating, reading, and understanding these types of policies.

Many education support workers have their own systems, procedures and routines. For example, a support

worker may have a set of processes for dealing with disruptions or recording student progress. Special needs

education assistants may have systems and routines for dealing with certain students and certain situations

such as more serious behavioural events.


Pay and allowances

Education assistants are employed by either a

state government (education department) or an

independent employer (such as an independent

school). Because of this the amount that EAs can

earn and the conditions of employment will vary

from one school to another.

Most education assistants come under an

enterprise agreement. This is a document

normally negotiated between the relevant union

(representing the workers) and the organisation

(such as the education department). The

enterprise agreement sets out pay rates,

allowances, leave and a range of rules such

as the process for redundancy, right to

training and certain types of leave such as

cultural leave.

One important aspect of most agreements

are the pay scales. EAs, like teachers and

principals, are paid based on the amount of

experience they have. For example, each

year of FTE (full time equivalent) experience

you have, your pay will be slightly higher (to a limit). This is usually referred to as a tiered pay scale. The

purpose of this system is to reward experience and a higher level of expertise and to motive experienced

staff to continue their employment the following year.

Northern Territory pay scales (Government)

AT1 Assistant teacher $46,806





Source: nt.gov.au, 2016 (accessed May 2018)

Generally speaking there are two types of EAs in terms of the enterprise agreements. The first is mainstream

EAs such as those in kindy classrooms and the second is special needs EAs who are often more highly

qualified (Certificate IV). Special needs EAs are usually paid slightly more than mainstream EAs. Note that

each state is different however. Two other types of EAs typically found in general agreements are home

economics assistants and AIEOs (Aboriginal and Indigenous Education Officers).

Interesting! An enterprise agreement is similar to the Modern Award. A Modern Award however covers the entire industry in all states and is made by the federal government (Fair Work). An enterprise agreement is lawful provided that workers are better off under the agreement than under the relevant modern award.

Source: Education Assistants' (Government) General Agreement 2016


Below is a list of the agreements or awards for EAs working in public schools:

WA Education Assistants' (Government) General Agreement 2016

QLD Department of Education and Training Teacher Aides' Certified Agreement 2015

NSW Crown Employees (General Assistants In Schools - Department Of Education And Training) Award

Vic. Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2017

SA South Australian School And Preschool Education Staff Enterprise Agreement 2016

Tas Tasmanian State Service Award

ACT ACT Public Service Administrative and Related Classifications Enterprise Agreement 2013-2017

NT NTPS Teacher and Educator 2013-2017 Enterprise Agreement

(current as of 31 May 2018)

How much do Education Assistants get paid?

The table below outlines the typical pay that EAs in the public sector could expect to receive not including

entitlements such as travel, district or casual allowances if applicable. Note that in some states EAs do not

work 38 hours (e.g. WA = 32.5). Some specialist or leadership roles may attract higher salary.

WA $41,743 - $52,930 (2018)

QLD $49,166 - $63, 674 (2017)

NSW $45,516 - 48,711 (2015)

Vic. $44,695 - $61,951 (2018)

SA $46,791 - $64,903 (2018)

Tas $52,926 - $56,325 (2018)

ACT $45,058 - $66,285 (2018)

NT $46,806 - $65,092 (2017)

Note: This information has been summarised and the relevant award should be consulted for accurate

information. Salary may depend on experience, location of work, position, qualifications and other factors.

http://www.jobs.act.gov.au/about-the-actps/agreements

https://ocpe.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/243994/NTPS_Teacher_and_Educator_2014_2017.pdf


Qualifications

Certificate III in Education Support

This is the introductory course that covers most of the topics required to work as an EA such as safety,

behaviour, development, diversity and learning strategies. Most EAs have at least this qualification and often

enrol and graduate before beginning paid employment.

Certificate IV in Education Support

This is the second level in the Education Support pathway. It builds on the Certificate III in Education Support

with more technical or advanced strategies as well as more units related to working with special needs.

Typically, this qualification is seen as the requirement for working in special needs centres (students with

disabilities).

Diploma of School Aged Education and Care

This course is a big jump from the Certificate level courses especially in the level of understanding required.

This is for EAs or child care educators who plan and deliver their own programs. Educators who are employed

to manage Outside School Hour Care programs may hold this qualification.

Other qualifications

Some EAs will hold other qualifications in addition to those listed above. This may include qualifications from

other countries or qualifications that are no longer available such as the Diploma of Education Support. Some

EAs hold qualifications that are related to their work in some way such as the Diploma of Community Services

or a child care qualification such as the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care.


Finding work

To maximise your chances of employment, we recommend the following process. Most EAs begin their

career by undertaking relief work first. Once you have proved yourself to the school, they will hopefully offer

you more permanent work when a position becomes available:

1. Prepare your resume (see sample in your course portal)

2. Write a simple 1-page cover letter (optional) explaining your availability

3. Obtain your clearances

4. Make 50 job packs by photocopying the following and put into large envelopes:

a. Resume

b. Cover page

c. Copy of clearances/ID

d. Copies of relevant certificates

5. Wear appropriate and professional clothing

6. Personally go to all schools that you are willing to travel to and:

a. Hand over a job pack to each school

b. Ask to be considered for any positions

c. Ask to be placed on the relief list

Important: Special needs schools are generally located within the larger primary or high school. However,

they are separate schools with their own principal, teachers, EAs and classrooms. Make sure that you submit

your job packs to both schools.

Hint: Many people decide not to apply to high schools as they are intimidated by older children. This is

almost always unfounded and most EAs that go to high schools enjoy their work as much as EAs in primary

schools. There are generally more positions available in high schools as fewer people apply.

Some states have online notice boards or job boards where you can find and apply for advertised positions.

In many cases, the position is awarded to a person who is already known to the school and has worked in

the school previously. For this reason, we recommend beginning with relief work at more than one location.

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