Key Skills for Successful Education Assistants

Being an education assistant is a rewarding career, but if you want to succeed, you’ll need to have the proper set of skills. If you are considering a career as an education assistant then you will want to make sure your skill set matches what the job demands. The good news about these skills is that all of them can be taught through teaching assistant courses like the ones that make up the Education Assistant Diploma program at Ashton College. We’ve broken down what the key skills for success as an education assistant are, and how Ashton College will help you build on those skills.

Communication Skills

Of all the skills an education assistant needs, this is the most critical among them. Education assistants are expected to work one-on-one with individuals with disabilities and being able to both listen to them and speak with them is of the utmost importance.

Through an education assistant course, you’ll learn how to support individuals with disabilities by addressing their specific needs while acknowledging their individuality. The communication skills taught in these courses will provide you with the knowledge necessary to meet the unique challenges of your line of work.

Flexibility and Creativity

Flexibility and creativity allow education assistants to adapt to the needs of individuals and create engaging activities to help students learn. This skill goes hand-in-hand with communication skills as it requires education assistants to understand both the disabilities that affect an individual as well as the individual themselves. By being flexible and creative, you can find ways to adapt lesson plans and activities to meet individual needs and keep students learning.

Time Management

Education assistants have a great deal to get done on any given day and it’s important to know how to prioritize tasks and manage time properly. The average day for an education assistant involves working with special needs students in a classroom environment, adapting lessons to support the learning needs of those students, assisting the teacher with lesson planning as needed, and observing and assisting both in the classroom and outside of it.

An education assistant course helps you with time management by teaching you what to expect during an average day, and how to effectively deal with each part of that day. You’ll have the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate your new career, and practical experience thanks to the practicum at the end of your program at Ashton College. By the end of the program, you’ll have an understanding of what it takes to be an education assistant and how to manage your time properly.

Patience

Perhaps the only skill you can’t be specifically taught in an education assistant course is patience. It doesn’t matter how skilled you are as an education assistant, there are going to be difficult days, and it’s during those days that you will need patience the most. Regardless of how the children you’re working with behave or any factors that might affect your mood and behaviour, you need to be able to maintain a calm and composed demeanour.

A Commitment to Learning

Naturally, being involved in education means being committed not only to helping others learn but to helping yourself learn as well. The commitment to learning applies to each of the other skills on this list as well. Successful education assistants are always working to improve their communication skills, build on their creativity, and cultivate their patience. The next step towards demonstrating your commitment is to apply for the education you need to move forward. Apply now for Ashton College’s upcoming Education Assistant Diploma Program and learn the skills you need to be a successful education assistant.