Pre-School Aide

Preschool Aide

Preschool teacher aides help the lead teacher in managing a classroom of children who are five years or younger. They instruct and supervise them in social and developmental activities, help feed and change them, and generally provide one-on-one attention when needed. It is usually the responsibility of the preschool teacher's assistant to plan activities for children, such as storytelling or art projects. He or she must help organize the classroom and plan intellectual activities for children, per the lead teacher's requests.

The duties of a preschool teacher's assistant includes interacting with children, preparing snacks, teaching children about numbers, colors and shapes, helping them get dressed and changing their diapers when needed. They also evaluate students' social development and physical well-being. Preschool teacher's assistants should be prepared to take on the role of lead teacher when needed.

Supervision preschool teachers and aides ensure the safety of all children under their care. This means supervising children in the classroom, on the playground or in public on school outings. Supervision includes knowing where all children are and insuring that they are safe, and stopping any unsafe activity, which is of particular importance with preschool-age children. Aides and teachers may also be called upon to help children if they are injured, and to take appropriate actions to protect the students in the event of an emergency.

A preschool teacher's aide may help children with any personal care needs. These may include using the bathroom, hand-washing, feeding or assisting in serving meals, and changing clothes. When children need help with such tasks, teachers and aides should allow the preschool child to do as much as possible independently, and teach her the skills. For younger preschool children, teacher's aides may change diapers or assist in potty training, accompanying children to the bathroom.

Preschool teacher's aides are often responsible for clerical duties in the classroom, such as filling out incident reports, working on bulletin boards or displays, duplicating, laminating or otherwise preparing instructional materials. Where aides take over such duties, it allows teachers more time for preparing lessons and instructing students. In a preschool setting, teacher's aides may also have some basic cleaning duties, such as disinfecting toys and equipment or cleaning up areas after mealtimes or snacks.

Teacher's aides are often responsible for working with students in small groups after the teacher has given instruction. The aide may read to students, work on projects or help reinforce material per a teacher's lesson plans. Preschool teacher's aides assist preschoolers with basic tasks such as cutting, pasting and writing. A teacher's aide can work with a substitute, ensuring that the daily routine remains intact.

Education: Must have a high school diploma and some college credit or equivalent experience. Experience: Previous teaching experience or experience working with children. Personal Qualities: Need to be friendly and inviting. Need to adapt easily and enjoy learning. Must be 21 years of age or older.