Characteristics of Great Teaching Assistants
Teachers are persons who provide knowledge in the form of education to pupils or students either formally or informally. A teaching assistant is a person who assists a teacher described above in doing his or her duties.
An excellent teaching assistant should possess empathy which is the capability to understand and enter into another's feelings. He or she should be able to understand the student’s feelings.
He or she should be organized which means that he or she should be orderly and operating according to principles. He or she should use a lesson plan to help in student education.
He or she should have excellent communication skills. Communication is the activity of conveying information. This includes both oral and written. How a message is being conveyed, matters a lot and the teaching assistant should be able to express information confidently, concisely and clearly. He should also use body language appropriately. This helps him to know if the students are bored or even tired and then take the appropriate action. Education includes a lot of giving information to the students. Use humor and smile a lot.
He or she should be reliable. Worthy of being depended on is the meaning. The lecturer or teacher and the students expect him or her to perform the duties assigned to him or her accurately.
He or she should be trustworthy. The teacher and students have placed all their trust in the teaching assistant, and they have confidence or faith in him or her. He should not violate their trust by being immoral like being in relationships with some students.
He or she should be social. This is applicable to both the students and the teacher. The best way to learn and know people is by socializing with them. This will enable him or her to try to nurture talents and creativity which will enable to think for themselves.
He or she should possess a positive mental attitude. Life is full of challenges. This does not mean that we should give up. We should keep on fighting until the fight is over. Being positive minded helps encourage a person.
He or she should be patient. Patience is crucial because it enables him or her to understand his or her students with time. If the students are failing and disappointed, he or she should be able to cope with them.
He or she should be an excellent in listening. This will enable him or her know the students and the teacher. After then he or she will be able to deliver accordingly. We should talk little and listen a lot.
He or she should be alert, keen or sensitive. This will enable him or her to execute the duties properly since he or she will know what is happening around and from that take the appropriate action.
Dress code tells a lot of persons. He or she should dress well. It enables students to respect him or her which will ease his or her work.
He or she should set goals and try to achieve them. He should be able to read all the rules and regulations and follow them.
