School Teaching Assistant Transferable Skills (Explained)

Working with children at a school means you’ve naturally built up many personal & TA job role skills in the classroom. As a teacher assistant you could be appointed with 2 separate job roles at one school, possibly both on a part time basis if they see you as capable for both job titles.

Taking and using skills, qualities and experience as a school TA is beneficial for applying for jobs & career change working in other school job positions or other industries.

School teaching assistant transferable skills

You’ve amassed a lot of class assistant skills and qualities including:

• Good English & maths skills or literacy/numeracy and knowledge of primary school science.

• As a HLTA you have transferable lesson preparation, assessment & teaching skills.

• You’ve gained good written & verbal communication skills working with teachers and pupils.

• You work well individually and with groups of school pupils while positively controlling behaviour.

• Computer literate & other IT skills using a variety of multi visual & audio aids.

• Excellent planning, organisational & multi tasking skills.

• Problem solver with an analytical mind for school educational setting.

• Patience, calm under pressure while working to tight deadlines.

• You’re adaptable, flexible with a creative mindset.

• Can observe pupils and record data using administrative skills.

What skills does a teaching assistant need?

School lesson preparation

Good communication between the teacher assistant and class teacher requires being established and regular using verbal & written communication so each person knows what lesson topics is being delivered.

Starting the day before class teacher assistants require to be well organised & prepared where creative and imaginative lesson props have been set up, possibly collaborating with the class teacher.

At secondary school you work more individually preparing or photo coping worksheets, organising & setting up equipment, keeping pupil progress & attendance records. You’ll communicate with department teachers where they’ll pass on instructions of lesson topics you deliver.

Classroom lesson teaching support

In class lessons teacher assistants use a multitude of skills to support pupil learning and to help manage an efficient lesson under the teachers lead. TA’s are adaptable, flexible and helpful to support pupils with questions they have. You’ll also form positive working relationships with children & teachers using open communication, observation, motivational and listening skills.

When asked by a class teacher in lessons to work with small groups you support class learning & activities that are teacher or pupil lead using organisational & behaviour management techniques.

Teacher assistant becoming a teacher  

Some long term school teacher assistants go on to become qualified teachers through initial teacher training or by QTS only route. Indeed becoming a school teacher its beneficial getting prior experience working with children, especially in a class learning setting.

You’re using transferable TA skills & experience of answering & explaining concepts or supporting pupils completing classwork with maths & English skills as well as motivational techniques.

Taking one of the many teaching assistant job roles available allows you to build up job description skills that are transferable to being as a qualified teacher:

• Behaviour for learning strategies essential as a teacher.

• Good organisational & planning skills.

• Support pupils learning in class & school activities through whole class, small group and 1:1 lessons.

• Use observation, monitoring and recording admin skills from being a TA to utilizing them as a teacher.

• Adopt teacher assistant skills of able to build working relationships with school staff and pupils, work collaboratively with others to deliver excellent lessons as a teacher.

Pastoral school head of year role

All schools have their share of issues with some larger schools employing a school pastoral head of year to monitor student progress and behaviour management. School teacher assistant transferable skills can be used from teamwork, admin, IT skills, pupil encouragement & motivation, record keeping, written & verbal communication, and good organisational skills.

You’ll need an abundance of patience as a head of year as a few school pupils will break rules and you deal with behaviour issues regularly using decision making skills that are used by teacher assistants daily.

Education physiologist  

Transferable skills of working as a teacher assistant motivating, encouraging, problem solving, monitoring and supporting learning can be used to work as an educational physiologist.

You become focused on children’s learning & development finding ways for kids to improve motivation, but first investigating & finding out what issues children have to sole them.

Using school TA experience of behaviour management, student motivation & encouragement, assessment techniques and recording & data analysis are all transferable skills from teacher assistant to educational physiologist.

Working with special educational needs (SEN) children

Similar work experience and skills to school class assistants are learning support teaching assistants (SEN) providing support for individual pupils learning needs. Key difference is you support one child’s learning in school following them from lesson to lesson.

You’re using transferable TA skills such as patience, building a working relationship, knowledgeable in maths & English, analytical and problem solver.

Further, you answer and explain questions if required what the teacher has instructed giving the pupil space and time to answer questions on they’re own.