Teaching Assistant Courses Online
Taking courses online may be the cheapest and most convenient way to meet the No Child Left Behind “highly qualified” requirement for teaching assistants. This article will help you answer two questions:
- What courses should I take?
- Where should I take these courses?
What Courses Should I take?
There are no specific courses and no specific program that you need to complete to meet the requirements to become a teaching assistant. Because teacher’s aides are a non-certified position, the most you need to do is demonstrate academic competency and responsibility by completing about two years of college coursework.
I would recommend taking online courses that will both maximize your competitiveness in the job search and get you started towards another career at the same time. To do this, take courses that are part of a teacher certification program, such as courses about designing a curriculum, educational psychology, using assessments, classroom management, etc. Even if you do not currently plan to gain certification, taking these classes will not only make you far more qualified to employers, but also be very helpful if you change your mind in the future.
Other classes that will help you stand out to employers are classes that relate to diversity and classes that develop your skills in core subject areas such as Reading, Math, English, Science, and Social Studies. Having a solid grasp of English language writing and reading is especially valuable to schools, so take classes that demonstrate your mastery of these subjects.
Where Should I Take These Courses?
You have many options for Online Teaching Assistant Courses for a teaching assistant position. The two things you should keep in mind when selecting an online college are:
- Will the college provide me with a quality, accredited education?
- How much will it cost to take courses at this college?
Some online universities will provide a great education, but will also cost an enormous amount of money. Other online colleges will be very cheap, but will not provide you with quality credits that employers will trust.
You can find reviews for online colleges easily through a search engine.
