Considered working as a Teaching Assistant? This interview will take you through the ups and downs you can expect in the position, what it takes to land the job, what you can expect to earn and more.
I grew up in Texas, near the Mexican border. We went back to Mexico frequently to visit family, but my family elected to stay in America and become citizens. Growing up, I never really liked to speak Spanish with my family. Now, I realize that being bilingual has been a great asset. In fact, I have gotten quite a few jobs simply because I am bilingual.
I currently work as a teacher assistant helping in the English as a Second Language Classroom in a class in the city. I work with children who have just emigrated to the country from places like Mexico and Puerto Rico. The teacher in the class where I assist has classroom experience in speaking Spanish, but she is not fluent. Her first language is English. That is why it is so important to have a bilingual assistant.
One of the funniest things that happened to me in the classroom happened when I first started. I was working with another teacher who had just graduated from college. I got into the classroom and I realized that the kids were using vulgar slang names in her classroom. She had no idea what the words meant because she had never learned them in college. I mean, they don’t exactly teach you names like that! During a break, I talked to her and told her what the words meant. Several other teachers overheard our conversation and mentioned that their students were also using such words. I ended up making up a worksheet of vulgar slang terms and handing them out to the teachers. It was funny in a way, but it was information that they really needed to know. The kids really were surprised when they realized that their teachers knew what those words meant!
Of course, there are days when I just do want to quit. It can be difficult working at the school sometimes and dealing with parents. There are times when I need to sit in meetings between parents and staff and translate for both sides. Sometimes these meetings can be very good and I feel I am being helpful. Sometimes, things don’t go so well and I get blamed by the parents for siding with the staff when I should be helping them. It can get very ugly at times. On those days, I just want to quit. Or at least pretend that I am not bilingual anyway.
I got started in this field almost by accident several decades ago. The school needed someone to translate for meetings. The principal also wanted someone to create worksheets and information sheets for parents who did not speak English. For example, those parent information forms can be very difficult to fill out if you do not know what they are asking for! Now, the parents who speak Spanish get information packets in Spanish. One day, the aide was out sick and I was asked to take her place. The rest just sort of happened. I was very lucky however.
My job can be stressful. I remember one little girl was so overwhelmed on her first day of school, she turned her desk to face the rear of the classroom and just screamed and screamed. She did not know any English and she was so frustrated because she couldn’t understand anything. We were able to work with her and we were making progress, but then her parents moved. I often wonder what happened to her.
I do like this field, but I’m not sure that I would ever want to become a teacher. I am very happy being an aide. I like the fact that I get to help the kids and that I do not have to worry about creating lesson plans or dealing with angry parents. During the day, I am mainly there to help out the kids. My duties really depend upon the kids. Some years, I have students who do not know any English. When that happens, I do a lot of translating work to help the kids to understand the lessons. As the year progresses, the students need less translation help but they may need help in other ways. Usually, we have new students move into the district during the year and I also help those students. In some ways, it is more difficult for them. Not only do they have language issues, but they also need help with their lessons because they need to catch up with their peers.
I do get a nice amount of vacation. Being a teacher, I do get the summer off. However, I spend a lot of the summer helping the teacher to get supplies and create resources for the classroom. Sometimes, I get calls from the school to come in to help with meetings and other things.
The things that move my heart are the kids that come into this country but just do not have the skills to do well in school. It is hard to achieve if you do not know the language. When you factor in the fact that some of the kids I teach live in families where they are struggling financially, it really can tug at your heartstrings. When I see that kids are coming to school with shoes that have been duct taped together or can not buy lunch because they do not have the money, it really upsets me. Then, I need to figure out a way to tactfully approach certain subjects with their family. For example, they can apply for programs to help them with the cost of lunch. We also have a program to help people who can not afford shoes and clothing for their children. Sometimes, the parents are proud and do not want help. Sometimes, they are grateful for the help though. It really makes me feel good when I can help a family out.
Recently, one of my prior students was accepted into a college. It really made me happy for her! I remember when she first came here and didn’t know too much English. I remember working with her a lot and now she is going to college to be a teacher. That made me really happy. Those are the things that keep me going.
If I had a friend who was thinking about working as an aide, I would encourage them to do so. This is a great job for people who like to help other people. In addition, there is a definite need for bilingual professionals in the school today. I see that this will only increase in years to come.
This is a true career story as told to AllBilingualJobs.com and is one of many interviews with bilingual professionals, which among others include a freelance writer and an operations specialist.
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