Teaching Assistants and Teacher Aides
Official O*NET title: Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education (25-9042.00)
Also called: teacher aide, paraprofessional, classroom assistant, classroom aide, educational assistant
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing teaching assistants and teacher aides work
5 of 17 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Amber (some AI use) — 29%. 2 newer tasks are not in the data yet and left out.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
- Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
- Organize and label materials and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their eye levels and perceptual skills (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Conduct demonstrations to teach skills (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Type, file, and duplicate materials (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Enforce administration policies and rules governing students (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Teach social skills to students (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Discuss assigned duties with classroom teachers to coordinate instructional efforts (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Present subject matter to students under the direction and guidance of teachers, using lectures, discussions, supervised role-playing methods, or by reading aloud (main task) — too new for the AI data
- Clean classrooms (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Observe students' performance, and record relevant data to assess progress (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Prepare lesson materials, bulletin board displays, exhibits, equipment, and demonstrations (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Distribute teaching materials (main task) — too new for the AI data
- Laminate teaching materials to increase their durability under repeated use (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Requisition and stock teaching materials and supplies (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Plan, prepare, and develop various teaching aids — some recorded AI use
- Operate and maintain audio-visual equipment — some recorded AI use
- Take class attendance and maintain attendance records — no recorded AI use
- Participate in teacher-parent conferences regarding students' progress or problems — no recorded AI use
- Assist in bus loading and unloading — no recorded AI use
- Maintain computers in classrooms and laboratories, and assist students with hardware and software use — too new for the AI data
- Grade homework and tests, and compute and record results, using answer sheets or electronic marking devices — no recorded AI use
- Distribute tests and homework assignments and collect them when they are completed — no recorded AI use
- Collect money from students for school-related projects — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers”. Try the prompt for: “Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and teaching assistants and teacher aides
Will AI replace teaching assistants and teacher aides?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 5 of the 19 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Amber rating (some AI use). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 18 of the 28 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which teaching assistant tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: tutor and assist children individually or in small groups to help them master assignments and to reinforce learning concepts presented by teachers; use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations; plan, prepare, and develop various teaching aids.
Which teaching assistant tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: supervise students in classrooms, halls, cafeterias, school yards, and gymnasiums, or on field trips; enforce administration policies and rules governing students; teach social skills to students. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 59% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a teaching assistant start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Teaching Assistants and Teacher Aides ranks #277 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #61 of 63 in Education.
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