Teacher AssistantÂ
(Female, Age 44) from Raleigh, NC
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 44 who works as a Teacher Assistant in Raleigh, NC. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Teacher Assistant |
|---|---|
| Salary | $19,500 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Raleigh, NC |
| Years Experience | 3 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work in an elementary school as a TA in a severely and profoundly disabled special needs class.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I am responsible for toileting, and activities of daily living for these children. I carry out their IEP goals, and introduce pre-vocational skills.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
10 days sick leave per year, matching retirement, health and dental insurance. school holidays and summers off
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
Under compensated
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes, I enjoy it as it forces me to be social, an attribute that does not come naturally to me.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work with one teacher and one other teacher assistant.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 1
Benefits: 2
Hours: 5
Co-Workers: 6
Supervisors: 7
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 3
The Actual Work: 4
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | Arrive at work, prep classroom for the day (leave out dishes for breakfast, change group chart) |
| 8am to 9am | Kids arrive, diaper check, breakfast in kitchen (hand over hand and supervised feeding) |
| 9am to 10am | Breakfast clean-up, another round of toilets, work tasks (pre-vocational skills) |
| 10am to 11am | “Free” time, Group(review of days of the week, months of the year, weather, colors, shapes, etc), sensory time |
| 11am to 12pm | Free time, prep for lunch, specials (art, music, PE) |
| 12pm to 1pm | Supervised Lunch, lunch clean up, “quiet time” (lights out in classroom, students doing calming activities), prep for craft |
| 1pm to 2pm | Toileting, Craft of the day, Free time |
| 2pm to 3pm | “Specials”, dismissal at 2:45 |
| 3pm to 4pm | Clean classroom, sanitize surfaces and toys, go home at 3:30 |
| 4pm to 5pm | |
| 5pm to 6pm | |
| 6pm to 7pm | |
| 7pm to 8pm | |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
School district website job lisitings
What was the application process?
I re-applied. I worked for the district some years ago, left, then came back.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
yes. I interviewed with the principal and the 2 SPMD (severe and profound mental disabilies) teachers.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
My experience, what job I held at time of interview, if I was comfortable tube feeding (thru a gastric tube), if I enjoyed working in a group, what my greatest strength was.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. I was told what the duties of the classroom were.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
I’ve worked with disabled children of all ages, in both residential and educational settings.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
N/A
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Attain experience working with preschoolers, as that is the developmental age of my students. Then apply to the school district.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Commitment to education, flexibility, ability to keep it together under stress, knowledgeable about children’s disabilities in classroom
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, A person off the street would not be successful
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Don’t become discouraged if you don’t see progress right away. Sometimes simple concepts take months, even years, to click. And if you expect to get rich teaching, find another profession.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. It is in the field I wish to obtain my degree in.
What are your current career goals?
I plan on going back to school to obtain my teaching degree.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It’s the toughest job I’ll ever love. 🙂
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Nanny | 2 years | 15000 | Supervised woman’s 8 year old daughter while mother worked. Helped with homework, transportation, light housekeeping. Was a live-in position |
| Prior Job 2 | Teacher Assistant | 4 years | 15, 700 | Helped teacher implement IEP (Individualized Education Plan) goals, redirected behaviors, taught small and large groups |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.5 | Westchester Community College | Communication |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
N/A | N/A | N/A |
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