Teacher’s aides work in schools assisting teachers and supporting children to learn and develop new skills. They also assist the teacher with administration tasks, behaviour management, planning and developing resources and often work with students with disabilities one-on-one.
Read MoreSo you want to become a teacher aide but are not sure of exactly how to go about it? This article explains everything you need to know in order to become a teacher aide in Australia.
Read MoreThis article will summarise the learning opportunities available to teacher’s aides in Australia and includes qualifications, certificates, short courses and self-directed learning.
Read MoreThe ability to study online has been a boon for parents, especially women, who can study at a time that suits them, and don’t need to take time off work or spend money to put children into child care. The average age of our students is 37 and most of them have very busy lives – hence the benefits and popularity of online study cannot be understated.
Read MoreWorking as a school services officer (SSO) is one of the most rewarding yet challenging careers that you can contemplate undertaking. This is a fantastic career if...
Read MoreIntegration aides are also known as teacher’s aides or teacher’s assistants. They are employed to support children in schools, including primary schools, high schools, special needs schools and alternative schools such as Montessori and Steiner schools.
Read MoreThis article was produced in order to answer and discuss many of the common questions that receive from people considering a career as a teacher's aide in Perth Western Australia (also known as Education Assistants).
Read MoreIn this article, we discuss the common questions from students and those considering a career as a teacher’s aide in Victoria – also known as integration aides...
Read MoreIn the past, teacher’s aides were sometimes employed to do menial tasks such as making coffee, storing records and photocopying - those days are long and truly gone.
Read MoreIn this article, we answer the most common questions regarding teacher’s aide courses in Queensland – taken from thousands of enquiries over the years.
Read MoreScaffolding is the gradual reduction of support and guidance in response to a student’s progressive competence at a given task.
Read MoreEffect size (in terms of teaching strategies) refers to the impact that a particular strategy, technique, circumstance or issue has on student learning.
Read MorePhonics learning is the foundation for success in all subjects and it is the necessary precursor to higher-level reading and writing tasks.
Read MoreWe explore the four main levels from the ‘levels of instruction’ and its application to the classroom practice.
Read MoreChunking is dividing a larger task into separate ‘chunks’. Dividing a challenging task into small components means each component can be given due attention.
Read MoreExplicit instruction is considered by many to be good-old fashioned teaching: the teacher determines what students need to know and then teaches it.
Read MoreActivities, strategies and resources are selected based on their ability to move learners toward the educational goals in the most effective manner.
Read More‘Metacognitive skills’ is a catch-all term for the dozens of techniques used to think and learn in a more efficient and effective way.
Read MoreReflective practice is more than just ‘learning from your mistakes’ – it’s about perfecting your performance and maximising your effectiveness in the shortest period of time possible.
Read MoreThe concept of differentiated instruction has been well-received by the education community and it has become something of a buzzword in recent times.
Read MoreChildren use play to learn how communication works: manipulating words, tone, volume and expression for their own ends.
Read MoreEvery teacher is responsible for monitoring and assessing the progress of their students so that action can be taken if any issues are identified.
Read MoreTextbook learning happens when teachers organise learning activities based on (or guided by) a published book written for this specific purpose.
Read MoreThe core concept with mastery learning is that students learn a topic until they can achieve an 80-90% score in an assessment.
Read MoreDeliberate practice is a continual push for performance improvement that is usually achieved by practising small parts of the task until each part is perfected.
Read MoreOne of the effects of the learning by teaching strategy is that the student-teacher consolidates their knowledge by self-assessing their own abilities during each step of the process.
Read MoreWhen teachers actively implement motivational strategies, it is usually to raise student motivation to the point where educational goals are achievable.
Read MoreStudents work in pairs or small groups (of 3-5) to complete a task or activity.
Read MoreAssistive technologies allow people with disabilities to perform tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for them to do.
Read MoreA social story is a list of steps that shows the student how to deal with a specific situation. It is usually written through the eyes of a cartoon character representing the student.
Read MoreTeaching aids can be defined as any object used in the educational environment to support learning and to make life easier for the teacher.
Read MoreThe think-aloud strategy not only shows what teachers or experts do and how they think, it provides a model for students to copy.
Read MoreA KWL chart is a simple and effective type of graphic organiser used by teachers to introduce and guide students through a new topic or text.
Read MoreGraphic organisers have been used by teachers for many years. While there are many types, they all have one thing in common: they organise information in one way or another.
Read MoreThe primary purpose of homework is to increase the amount of time spent on learning. However, there are various other reasons why teachers set homework.
Read MoreBuilding rapport is not a teaching and learning strategy in the technical sense. Teachers don’t specifically plan for building rapport and no significant part of any lesson is devoted to it.
Read MoreThere is no doubt that teachers ask a lot of questions and we can therefore safely deduce that a teacher’s questioning skills have a sizeable impact on learning.
Read MoreHigh-performing teachers are continually providing feedback to their students, whether it be quick verbal signals, facial expressions, verbal comments or formal feedback.
Read MoreMany of the strategies used in the past continue to be used in some way or another by teachers today.
Read MoreMental scripting is a self-talk technique that involves planning and practising a way of thinking (usually to complete a task more effectively).
Read MoreGood practice is to identify transferable skills as part of the planning process so that there is a combined focus – killing two birds with one stone, as they say.
Read MoreReviews also link past learning to future learning – they are a staging area to regroup and they provide a springboard for the next step in the learning sequence.
Read MoreTeachers use games to build rapport. Students are given an outlet for energy, an opportunity for physical exercise and a means to release stress and anxiety.
Read MoreOne-on-one instruction is without doubt the most effective teaching strategy in terms of improving educational performance.
Read MoreLearning styles is a type of differentiated instruction that categorises students not by ability levels but into one or more categories of ‘preferred’ ways of learning.
Read MoreBased on the theory of multiple intelligences, 2 people can be as ‘smart’ as each other but in very different ways.
Read MoreThe basic premise of remedial instruction is to help students to ‘catch-up’ to their peers and thus prevent ongoing academic issues.
Read MoreSelf-directed learning happens when a student takes responsibility for all aspects of their own learning, including making decisions on what, when, where and how they will learn.
Read MoreLimited class time is used for complex tasks that require teacher support and expertise. Homework is used for basic tasks such as reading and simple practice questions.
Read MoreThis article for covers technology learning, online learning, work-based learning, blended learning, contextual learning, immersion learning, incidental learning and cross-curriculum learning.
Read MoreMicrolearning involves providing a large number of highly targeted ‘nuggets’ that are digitally available to students for when they have time to learn.
Read MoreThe purpose of overlearning is to make the task seem ridiculously easy to ensure it is completed to a high standard with no stress. Overlearning has several benefits.
Read MoreSpaced learning (also known as disturbed practice) refers to the theory that practising at regular intervals is more effective that practising all at once.
Read MoreIn problem-based learning, tasks and activities are centred around working toward a solution to a stated problem.
Read MoreFor deep learning to occur, students need to be intrinsically motivated, engaged in the activity and to feel safe in attempting tasks that challenge their abilities.
Read MoreA discussion is the exchange of ideas by 2 or more people related to a central topic or problem. In the classroom setting, discussions mainly refer to whole-of-class activities facilitated or led by the teacher.
Read MoreThis article for for teachers and teacher aides covers debating, brainstorming, rehearsals, role plays and simulations.
Read MoreThis article covers underused but effective teacher strategies incluyding case studies, peer modelling, peer questioning, peer tutoring, think-pair-share and extended investigations.
Read MoreTeam teaching is a strategy that involves 2 or more teachers working together to teach a class. It is also known as ‘co-teaching’ or ‘shared teaching’.
Read MoreBloom’s taxonomy is found in every education textbook. It is a hierarchical taxonomy of cognitive skills, it shows levels of thinking from the most basic to the most complex.
Read MoreThis helps students to mentally transition from the playground and to prepare themselves for the learning to come.
Read MoreBackwards design and designing down are 2 terms that refer to the process of designing and developing a learning program of some kind.
Read MoreThe zone of proximal development refers to the level of difficulty in a given learning task (that is neither too hard nor too difficult) when adequate support is provided by a teacher.
Read MoreCognitive load theory is more of a useful titbit than a teaching strategy. It is premised on the idea that our brains have a limited mental capacity at any one time.
Read MoreThe psychological tendency for humans to remember the first and last items in a list or sequence. Teachers can take advantage of this tendency by presenting the most important information first and last.
Read MoreAlso known as the Pygmalion effect, the self-fulfilling prophecy refers to how easily a person is influenced by the expectations of others even if that expectation is based on a false belief.
Read MoreAlso commonly known as ‘early finishers’, anchor activities maximise learning time and minimise down time by providing learning opportunities that are largely self-directed.
Read MoreIn an educational setting, coping strategies refers to the way in which learners predict, prepare, perceive, manage, react and alter their behaviour when stressed.
Read MoreIndividual Education Plans (or IEPs as they are more commonly known) are developed when students are identified as having particular needs that are not adequately addressed with additional support alone.
Read MoreFormative assessment is a central technique used by high-performing teachers. Teachers ask hundreds of questions every day to check if a student’s learning trajectory is in line with the goals of the lesson.
Read MoreA final assessment (such as an exam or test) usually held at the end of a course. Students results are scored and used toward their final grade.
Read MoreWhen learners have mastered phonics, the next focus should be spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary.
Read MoreThe essence of building on existing knowledge is to reduce the amount of new and isolated content that students are required to learn.
Read MorePrediction is a powerful strategy as it provides a gateway to help students access a text. As students read or view a text, they search for details to confirm or disconfirm their predictions.
Read MoreA cue is like a clue. When we don’t fully understand something, such as a sentence with one or more unfamiliar words, we search for cues to help us make meaning.
Read More2 common reading strategies all kids should learn, and all teachers/ teacher aides should implement.
Read MoreSuccessful readers do more than simply read the words on a page. They think about the text not just as they read, but before and afterwards as well.
Read MoreRe-reading is an effective comprehension strategy for all ages, including both struggling and advanced readers.
Read MoreStudents read something several times until they can read the passage aloud with almost no errors (except for the very occasional ‘um’ or short pause).
Read MoreRe-telling requires a student to summarise and describe a passage that they have recently read, usually to a teacher or small group.
Read MoreWhen you imagine something in your mind, you are visualising it. Visualisation is our unique and individualistic interpretation of a text.
Read MoreCompare and contrast strategy is used in early childhood to learn new sounds, in high school to consider 2 elements of a text, and even at the highest echelons of tertiary education.
Read MoreOutlining the main points in a text (summarising) and combining related key points (synthesising).
Read MoreSelf-questioning helps passive readers to become active readers by directing their reading. During and after reading a passage, students ask themselves questions.
Read MoreLessons and programs have separate and often seemingly unrelated goals. At some point in time, teachers want to show students how these goals are related.
Read MoreThe idea is to use writing as a vehicle for organising thoughts, brainstorming, reflecting, consolidating previous learning, reviewing, linking and collating ideas.
Read MoreA multiple-exposure strategy can be used to study the same (or a similar) problem on several occasions in order to develop automaticity and process skills.
Read MoreWhat exactly is critical literacy, how can you become critically literate and what does being critically literate actually look like?
Read MoreAs an education assistant, you have a responsibility to ensure the safety of students, yourself and your fellow staff members. This extends to all situations where you are supervising children.
Read MoreThe Institute of Teacher Aide Courses is the go-to provider for nationally recognised teacher aide courses. We provide a supportive, flexible and high-quality experience for busy adult learners.