Things to Keep in Mind When Hiring an Education Assistant Professional

The role of an educational assistant is to help teachers in their day-to-day responsibilities. They work as a team with the teachers to accelerate learning and aid the development of students. This requires them to undergo formal training and have relevant experience in the field. As an employer or a hiring professional, there are a few things teaching assistant job interview questions that you should ask to find the right candidates. Here we have tried to encapsulate a list of qualities, attributes, credentials and attitude that you should look for in your prospective education assistant professional:

1. Solid Foundation

Your candidate should have a solid foundation in child development, theoretically as well as practically. This comes post proper training. Good institutions such as Columbia College offer a comprehensive program for aspiring education assistants. Their course structure encompasses all the aspects of child care and learning support. So, if your candidate has undergone prior training from a renowned college, then he or she might be the right fit for your organization.

2. Leadership Quality

Leadership quality is not something you can access easily. But, you can ask relevant questions to get an understanding of the leadership skills in your candidate. Questions about past events and how they have dealt with crisis situations can help you understand the capabilities of your candidate and assess them on their ability to lead or take initiative in any situation.

3. Practical Experience

It is always good to hire a candidate with prior experience as they have learned a great deal on the job. But if your candidate is a fresh graduate, then you can check for their practicum or work experience. The Education Assistant Training Program offered by Columbia College has 150 hours of mandatory practicum experience and 10 hours of practicum seminars. This ensures that the students completing this course have a good exposure regarding their job responsibilities and allied challenges.

4. Passionate About the Job

You cannot hire someone who does not have a passion for teaching or is not good with children. Your prospective education assistant should be someone who enjoys being with children and understands them well. They should be sensitive towards students. As an education assistant, they should have a sound understanding of dealing with difficult children. All of these qualities are present in someone who is passionate about their job.

5. Patience

If you are in the teaching profession, there is no way you can be a hot-headed person. Patience and tolerance are important virtues of a good education assistant. You can include different types of tasks in your list of teaching assistant job interview questions to make sure the candidate has the required aptitude for the job. This way you can filter out candidates who are good at what they do.

Hiring professionals from renowned colleges like Columbia can narrow down your search for this vacancy and help you find the right candidates for your organization. Consult our experts or visit our campus to know more.