Job Description

Read below to get an idea of the position and to formulate questions for your interview

Organization and Lesson Actions

The kids are separated into two groups, 1-2nd grades and 3-5th grades. Sometimes they are in the same room, sometimes they are in separate rooms. For each group a teacher is needed. Then, as we get to about 7-8 students, another teacher is added. So for example, if there are 24 students in the class, there should be 3-4 teachers in the class. This is so we are not overwhelmed and outnubmered too badly. I would like to say you would never end up in a class alone with a bunch of students, but it has happened, though rare and definitely not ideal.

The teacher and the teacher assistant are really the same position. The students start by taking turns reading the lesson out loud. The teacher at this point picks out who reads. The teacher assistants go around the classroom making sure the students are paying attention and reading along silently. When they get to the experiment page, time permitting, the students read the experiment over, then the teacher explains the experiment or project. At this point the teachers and teacher assistants are doing the same thing, we are very hands off at this point. The kids line up to get their materials, take them back to their desk, and do the experiment, then clean up. We are there for manual dexterity and to help clean up spills.

The experiment pages look exactly like the experiment pages from a high school or college lab experiment. It has the objective, the materials list, and then has the procedure (steps for the younger ones). The only difference is that step one is usually “put a paper towel on your desk. But the next step is “pipette 25mL into test tube b.” After cleaning up, the students do worksheets; questions, mazes, word search, etc. It’s important if they ask during the questions “what’s the answer to this one” we not just give them the answer. I am infamous for saying “Oh, if only there were 2-3 pages at the front that gave you all the answers.” Then I would have them turn to the area and tell them to read that half of the page, etc, so they can read and find the answer themselves. They usually just jump straight to the word search though. During this time, we are primarily packing up and cleaning, so we don’t stay after too long.

Times and Compensation

We don’t pay by the hour, we pay by the session, or meeting. We meet with the students for 1.5 hours once a week. Typically the hours are either 3-4:30p or 3:30-5:00p, or a variation between the two, depending on the location. Typically for some schools, you need to be there about 15 minutes before the start time. However, for theones that start at 3p, if you get there at 2:45p, you will not find a parking spot. Our teachers come in at those schools at 2:30p (if you are only able to come later because of work/school, you still can, and I have had teachers do so in the past, so don’t let time contraints keep you from reserving an interview). We then meet with the students, and then factor in about 15 minutes later for late parents/cleaning. It is $50 per session, salaried, averaging about 2 hours per session. However, if the session goes an hour long for cleaning, you will get paid extra for that extra time, but those are rare.

Lesson Knowledge

You are not expected to know the knowledge of every subject in science off the top of your head. This is what the earlier entry time is for. I recommend just skimming the lesson, but really reading the experiment/projects. This is because you will be reading the lesson along with the students, and also hearing it. Also, very rarely have students asked questions during the lesson, they want to get to the experiment and do the fun stuff. In an ideal world, your copy of the lesson would somewhere along the way say STOP in red letters. Then it would give you stage directions and speaking directions. “Say this, wait for answers, the answer is so and so, say good job.” This is non-specific, but very true. I am trying to make the lessons monkey proof. However, I said ideal. This has been done for harder lessons like atoms, molecules, and DNA, but others haven’t been done yet. However, they are relatively straight forward, and not to sound mean, they are written for 8 year olds, you shouldn’t have an issue.

Locations

This year is a good year, we have multiple locations. We are VERY part time. The schools and us don’t like Mondays, it seems like every other week is a holiday. We don’t care for Fridays, because no one wants to stay late at school on a Friday. That leaves us with Tues-Thurs. Right now we currently have a private school that has moved from Thursday to Tuesday in Farmers Branch, at the intersection of 635/35 (general locations only at this point). Another private school on Tuesday in Richardson/Dallas has been put on hold (635/75 interchange) . We have public schools on Wednesday in Grapevine (114/121 split) and Thursday in Colleyville (26/Glade Rd). You do not have to work every location, although you definitely can. Aside from that, we are also in city rec centers. On Wednesday and Thursday, we are in the Grapevine Rec Center, and on Thursday we are in the Southlake Rec Center. Rec center hours are from 5:30p-7:00p. This means you can work a school for one session, and then work a rec center later that evening and pick up a second session. However, the rec centers have to meet our minimum, a whopping 5, which they seem hard pressed to do. This may surprise you, but I can handle 5 students, but I typically offer those hours (late notice) to teachers to get you the experience and more hours.

Schedule and Training

Once we have worked out which schools you will be in, your schedule is set. You will have to fill out an availability every semester (Sept, Jan, Jun). This is so if it changes due to school/work, we can change accordingly. The only variable is the rec centers. They may meet one month, and not the next, so don’t count the rec centers as certain. We cross train completely, so one week you will assist the younger kids, then assist the older kids, then teach one, then teach the other. After a few times of this, you will be asked which age group you prefer, and we will try to put you with your preference. I would like to say training involved a good deal of shadowing and building up, but it usually breaks down into throwing you to the wolves. Cute wolves, but wolves nonetheless.

Conclusion

That said, this is a very do the job, and leave. You don’t have to study, come in early, stay late, etc. You are very rarely contacted outside of the meetings, in fact I loathe to text or call your personal phone. I communicate mostly through email. I will still communicate through text if you like or prefer, just not enjoy it. This is another reason it is great if you are in school or planning it, or a second job. I look forward to meeting you and discussing the position further.