Driving JEEP to school

Maurice D. Smith, GUEST COLUMNIST

Four and a half years ago, I proposed the creation of a 'teacher assistant' post in all public schools with enrolment exceeding 500 students. That, like many other recommendations which came from practitioners, made its sojourn to the scrapyard.

Interestingly, the change of Driver has brought with it a scurry of attempts to find 'work' for thousands of unemployed persons who have started to celebrate the arrival of the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP), while they wipe the sweat of frustration from their brow.

Recently, Dr Omar Davies announced a slew of projects totalling $1.18 billion to be rolled out under the JEEP. In tabling a ministry paper in the House of Representatives outlining the initiatives, he noted that the first phase of JEEP, which will start this month, will see the employment of some 5,000 individuals across five ministries, with Education being assigned 815 persons to work in schools as, among other things, teacher assistants.

Teacher assistants are para-educators who provide support to the professionals to whom is entrusted the grave responsibility of teaching and learning. The prefix 'para', which is Greek in origin, refers to positional support; being alongside; or parallel to.

trained to assist pros

Deductive reasoning, therefore, suggests that a teacher assistant ought to be paraprofessional - a term reserved for persons in particular occupations that are trained to assist professionals but are themselves not licensed or certified to independently undertake and practise the primary tasks associated with that specific occupation.

In 2008, according to the United States (US) Department of Labour, there were some 1.8 million teacher assistants, with the number expecting to grow by at least 10 per cent by 2018. Undoubtedly, there is an expressed need for such a functionary in our classrooms. Teachers, through their professional organisation, have been for years calling for their assignment.

So now that their advent is apparent, let us take a closer look at a possible profile. In essence, two kinds of teaching assistants exist: those who give instructional support and those who offer administrative support.

Under the general direction and guidance of classroom teachers, teaching assistants usually provide instructional reinforcement to students either on an individual basis or in small groups. They listen, while students read, review or reinforce concepts or may help pupils research information in class.

role at high school

At the secondary-school level, teacher assistants often specialise in a certain subject such as math or science and use the teacher's lesson plans to tutor and shape student progress. In addition to instructing, assisting and supervising students, teacher assistants often grade tests, check homework and record relevant performance data. Many teacher assistants work extensively with students who are gifted, learning disabled or otherwise challenged, and are present but more often than not underserved in our general education classrooms.

Then there are those teacher assistants who help to supervise students during lunch breaks, playtime in the schoolyard, when on corridors or on field trips. They set up and operate audio-visual equipment, help prepare materials for instruction, or may assist with records management.

In the US, approximately four in 10 teacher assistants work part-time, and only about 16 per cent work less than 40 hours per week. Most of those who provide instructional support are present at school for the traditional nine- to 10-month academic year.

Educational requirements for teacher assistants vary by country and range from a high-school diploma to some college training, although jurisdictions are increasingly preferring applicants with the latter. Teacher assistants with instructional responsibilities usually require more training than do those who do not perform teaching tasks.

US federal regulations require teacher assistants with instructional responsibilities in schools that serve large numbers of students who come from low-income households to meet one of three requirements: hold a two-year or higher degree; have a minimum of two years of college; or pass a rigorous state or local assessment. A number of community colleges, therefore, offer associate degrees or certificate programmes in that regard. Teacher assistants are sometimes required to pass a background check, and in some instances have previous experience working with children and hold a valid driver's licence.

overcrowding impediment

Every overview of the Jamaican education system bemoans the fact that overcrowded classrooms are a significant impediment to optimal student performance, as in many instances, teachers struggle to provide much-needed individual assistance to students whose learning is challenged by a myriad of reasons.

Consequently, many pupils do not access the kind of instruction that remediates their learning difficulties. The situation is further complicated as many such students become frustrated and often resort to displaying antisocial behaviours and so, unfortunately, teachers spend a significant amount of time attending to and attempting to resolve these issues as opposed to being allowed to actually facilitate teaching.

As we embark on this commendable initiative of placing teacher assistants in schools, it is not to suggest that we now need to have a distinction in their roles, but we must ensure that persons so engaged are able to respond fairly and respectfully and should enjoy working with students who come from diverse backgrounds.

Teaching assistants ought to demonstrate initiative and a willingness to follow a teacher's directions, have good writing skills, and be able to communicate effectively. Those who tutor and review lessons must have a thorough understanding of class materials and instructional methods and should be familiar with the school's organisational structures, its culture and operations.

All teaching assistants should be deemed mentally healthy: physically fit; unquestionably sound in their interactions with children; and not criminally culpable.

I do not know how long JEEP will be around, but I sincerely hope that long after it has driven out of our schoolyards, it will leave behind teacher assistants.

Maurice D. Smith is a doctoral student at Howard University. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and maurice.d.smith@bison.howard.edu.