If you’re looking for an enriching, meaningful career where your work truly makes a difference, educational assistant training is the place to start.
Education Assistants (EAs) work one-on-one with students who have academic, ESL or behavioural challenges—giving these children the customized care and attention they deserve.
Some people know they’re meant to be EAs right out of high school. Others change careers later in life to enter this rewarding job field. But all people who pursue EA training have a few essential character traits in common. If you’ve found your way to this article, it’s likely you possess some of them yourself!
Read on for 5 signs that could mean you would make a great educational assistant.
1. Students in Education Assistant Courses Are Compassionate
A common thread among all EAs is their compassion. People who succeed in this career are naturally considerate, empathetic, and kind. They truly care about the well-being of others, and believe everyone deserves dignity and respect.
Does this sound like you? With the right training, you can channel your compassionate nature into a meaningful diploma. You’ll join EAs in the field who work every day to encourage friendly, positive classroom atmospheres where all students feel valued and heard.
2. Individuals with Education Assistant Training Are Responsible
Graduates of Education Assistant courses know that there’s more to this career than hanging out with the students they are assigned to assist (although that’s usually the best part). EAs are required to produce student observational data, work on speech and language activities outlined by communication specialists, and even administer medication as directed by a care plan.
Above all, they are responsible for keeping their students safe. Whether using equipment under the direction of an Occupational Therapist or simply reading a book to their assigned students, student safety is an EA’s primary focus. If you are a responsible, reliable person able to guard a child’s safety while meeting strict professional and ethical standards, you can succeed in an EA career.
3. Those in Education Assistant Careers Have a Love of Learning
As an EA, you can expect to spend most of your workday in a classroom or similar educational facility, working alongside elementary or secondary school teachers. To thrive in this kind of environment takes a love of learning and of helping others learn. Education Assistant training will prepare you to be part of a collaborative education team—responsible for preparing educational materials, implementing customized student programs, and more.
4. EAs Believe in Inclusion for Students with Disabilities
Are you motivated to help people with disabilities live full lives? It’s this motivation that has helped people with disabilities assert their space in the classroom, and shaped Canada’s inclusive education system. Inclusive environments allow students with and without disabilities to work alongside one another, developing mutual respect and friendships. The right training will teach you how to effectively advocate for the inclusive, supportive conditions that let these friendships grow.
5. Education Assistant Program: For Those Who Want to Make a Difference
As you may discover for yourself if you become an EA, there are few things in life as rewarding as helping individuals with challenges achieve their goals. Students count on EAs to help them reach exciting developmental milestones, protect their rights in the classroom, and lift them to their highest potential. If you want your life’s work to have a real and lasting positive impact in your community, become an educational assistant and make your mark.
Are you interested in enrolling in an education assistant college? Visit Stenberg for more information or to speak with an advisor.
