Use this template for paraprofessionals, also called teacher assistants, instructional aides or classroom assistants. Some states license the role and set aide levels that shape the duties you can list, so check the state requirements below.
Job summary
The paraprofessional supports student learning under the supervision of a certified teacher at [Campus name]. Working in [general education / special education / bilingual] classrooms for [grade levels], the paraprofessional helps deliver instruction to individuals and small groups, supports classroom routines and helps keep students safe throughout the school day.
Duties and responsibilities
- Work with individual students and small groups to reinforce lessons planned by the teacher.
- Help carry out individualized education programs (IEPs) and behavior plans as directed by the teacher and special education staff.
- Prepare instructional materials and set up the classroom for activities.
- Help administer and score classroom assessments and record grades and attendance as directed.
- Supervise students during transitions, lunch, recess and arrival or dismissal.
- Support students' personal care needs where the assignment requires it.
- Communicate observations about student progress and behavior to the supervising teacher.
- Follow district policies on student privacy, safety and confidentiality.
Qualifications
Required
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Experience working with children or parents, for example in schools, child care, youth programs or camps.
- Ability to communicate, read and write in English for daily classroom work.
- For instructional roles in Title I programs: two years of college study, an associate degree or higher, or a passing score on the district's academic assessment.
Preferred
- College coursework in child development, education or a related field.
- Experience supporting students with disabilities or emergent bilingual students.
- Fluency in [language], for bilingual assignments.
Certification and requirements
- Title I programs, in every state. Paraprofessionals with instructional duties in Title I programs need two years of college study, an associate degree or higher, or a passing score on a formal state or local academic assessment (34 CFR §200.58).
- State permit or certificate. Many states license paraprofessionals or teacher aides. Name the credential exactly as your state education agency does.
- Background check before the first day, under your state's rules.
Texas requirements
- Educational Aide certificate (I, II or III), recommended by the district, which decides the level. Aide I requires a high school diploma or equivalent and experience with students or parents; Aide II and III add college credit hours or years of aide experience. Certificates are valid for two years and are reissued, not renewed.
- Duties must match the level. Aide I performs routine tasks under the direction and supervision of a certified teacher; Aide III works with individuals or groups of students under the teacher's general guidance (19 TAC §230.61).
- Title I programs: TEA counts two years of college as 48 semester hours, and expects Title I paraprofessionals to hold the aide certificate within one year of hire, in addition to the federal qualifications above (TEA guidance (opens in a new tab)).
- A candidate with a valid Texas teaching certificate can serve as an aide without an aide certificate.
- Criminal history review, including fingerprints, through TEA as part of certification.
Schedule, pay and terms
- Schedule: [hours per day], [number] days per year, following the [campus/district] calendar.
- Pay: $[hourly rate or annual range], per the district's [paraprofessional pay schedule]. Nationally, teacher assistants earned a median of $36,780 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (opens in a new tab).
- Employment type: non-contract, at-will position.
- Start date: [date].
How to adapt this description
- State the aide level you'll assign, and remove duties that don't fit it.
- Name the program (special education life skills, inclusion, pre-K, bilingual) and the grade levels.
- If you support aides who want to become teachers, through a Grow Your Own program or tuition help, say so. It's one of the strongest recruiting messages for this role.