Teacher Assistant Skills for a Resume
Schools hire teacher assistants who support students consistently and carry out the teacher's plans. Show the students and settings you work in, the support you give and the trust teachers place in you.
Updated
13 skills at a glance
Hard skills
Hard skills
What the work takes, how a hiring manager judges each skill, and a bullet point that shows it.
Small-group and one-on-one instruction
Mention the subjects and group sizes, and any progress students made.
Example bullet pointLed daily phonics practice with four first graders; three moved up a reading group by winter.
Behavior intervention plans
Show that you follow plans consistently, and what changed.
Example bullet pointUsed a student's reward chart and break cards every day, and his classroom outbursts fell over the semester.
Data collection for IEP goals
Show accurate, regular records that the team relies on.
Example bullet pointRecorded daily data on three students' IEP goals, giving the case manager complete information for every review.
Classroom preparation and organization
Show how your preparation helped lessons run smoothly.
Example bullet pointPrepared materials for science stations every Monday, so lessons started on time all week.
Student supervision
Mention where and how many students you supervise, and how you keep them safe.
Example bullet pointSupervised 120 students at lunch and recess, settling conflicts before they escalated.
Assistive technology and communication devices
Name the devices and how you helped students use them.
Example bullet pointSupported a nonspeaking student with a speech device, adding new words for each unit with the speech therapist.
Personal care and mobility support
Show care given safely and with dignity.
Example bullet pointHelped a student who uses a wheelchair with transfers and personal care, following the school nurse's plan.
Basic first aid
Mention your certificate, and calm handling of incidents.
Example bullet pointGave first aid for playground injuries and wrote clear incident notes for the nurse and families.
Soft skills
Shown through what you did, never claimed as adjectives.
Patience
Show it with students who struggle or test limits.
Example bullet pointStayed calm and consistent with a student in crisis, helping him return to class within minutes.
Consistency
Show how keeping to routines helped students.
Example bullet pointKept the same morning routine every day for a student with autism, which made his transitions much smoother.
Calm presence
Show how your calm helped a class or a student.
Example bullet pointTook charge of a noisy class during a fire drill and led students out quietly and in order.
Following direction
Show that teachers trusted you to carry out their plans.
Example bullet pointTaught the teacher's lesson plans to a small group while she worked with the rest of the class.
Flexibility
Show how you adapted to changing needs.
Example bullet pointCovered three different classrooms in one week during staff absences, learning each routine quickly.
Licenses and certifications
Give them a section of their own, with who issued each one and the year or expiry date.
- ParaPro Assessment or state paraprofessional requirement
- State aide or paraprofessional license, where required
- CPR and First Aid
- Crisis prevention training (CPI)
Keywords from teacher assistant job postings
Use the ones that are true for you, in your bullet points as well as your skills list.
- students
- small groups
- individualized education programs
- behavior plan
- one-on-one
- inclusion classroom
- supervise
- progress data
- autism
Each posting has its own words. Our guide to tailoring your resume to a job description shows how to find them and where to put them.
Where to put your skills
- In a skills section: a short list of the hard skills the posting names, in its words.
- In your bullet points: every skill that matters should show up in something you did, with a result. That is where a hiring manager believes it.
- In your summary: two or three of the skills the job asks for most.
More on choosing them in how to choose and prove the skills on your resume.
Questions
What skills should a teacher assistant put on a resume?
Small-group instruction, behavior plans, data collection for IEP goals, classroom preparation, supervision, assistive technology, personal care and first aid, plus patience, consistency and a calm presence.
Do teacher assistants need a certificate?
Many districts ask for a paraprofessional certificate or some college credit. List what you hold in a section of its own.
How do I show my impact as an assistant?
Describe the students you supported and what changed for them: reading levels, behavior or independence.
Put them to work
Start from a teacher assistant resume that already uses these skills, for an invented person, and make it yours in the builder.