If you are a teaching assistant, it already means you have an abiding passion for education and learning, you admire spending your time with children and young people. However, with great experience, patience and super people skills you may progress to a Higher Level Teaching Assistant.
Who is a Higher Level Teaching Assistant?
A Higher-Level Teaching Assistant is an educational professional and a role that exists in countries like the UK. You can become a HLTA by obtaining additional qualifications and training while enhancing the skills and expertise for your learners. As a higher-level teaching assistant, your day-to-day duties will vary and highly depend on the severity of your learners’ needs. Generally, you will support and work with children, and monitor learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and disabilities.
Requirements to Become a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant
- As HLTA is a continuation status from a TA role you must be working as a Teaching Assistant in an educational with enough experience.
- As a result, to become an HLTA, you must have an experience as TA and be employed in that capacity.
How HLTA is Different from Teaching Assistant?
Higher Level Teaching Assistant and Teaching Assistant both involve supporting teachers and helping learners in an educational setting; however, there are dissimilarities between the two positions. Key differences between TA and HLTA include:
- Compared to TAs, HLTAs have more responsibilities; while Teaching assistants help teachers in preparing materials, support learners with their activities and classroom management, Higher Level Teaching Assistants have additional responsibilities including assessing learner’s progress, planning, preparing and delivering lessons and also helping individuals or groups with their tasks.
- HLTAs have more autonomy in their work; they can teach, lead lessons, and guide and manage classrooms. Conversely, TAs work only under the direct supervision of the class teacher.
- Other than that, higher-level teaching assistants have higher salaries due to their additional qualifications than Teaching Assistants. However, salaries may vary and depend on various factors such as level of experience and institution.
If you are a teaching assistant, then you can achieve a salary increment and a more rewarding career by progressing towards Higher Level Teaching Assistant Course.
Duties and Responsibilities of a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant
The role of a level 4 higher-level teaching assistant is a blend of a teacher and a teaching assistant. Besides general teaching assistant duties, some common responsibilities of HLTA include the following:
- Planning, preparing and delivering learning activities,
- Assisting learners by keeping them on track with their activities and lesson and ensuring they are motivated and engaged during their lessons,
- overing lessons in teachers’ absence and in their PPA time.
- Preparing classrooms for lessons – setting up projectors or televisions for video presentations,
- Selecting, preparing and adapting resources for learners of different abilities and learning styles,
- Managing, teaching and working with individuals or smaller groups of learners,
- Assessing learners’ progress and providing focused support in the form of interventions.
What Benefits Can Be Expected from the Course?
There are numerous advantages that can be availed of becoming a HLTA; besides being a great way to increase your knowledge and responsibility, an HLTA course can provide you with the following benefits:
- By enrolling in the HLTA course, you will be able to face and deal with challenges by developing and evolving your skills, understanding and knowledge within the work environment.
- You can grow intellectually or individually by broadening your knowledge and skills on how to efficiently support small groups or individuals.
- You will efficiently develop transferable skills which will be considered valuable even if you pursue a different path in the future.
- You can assist teachers with planning, preparing and delivering lessons while also helping them in preparing the required material.
- By working with teachers you will be able to help raise the teaching standards and also help learners in reaching their full potential.
- After successfully achieving, you can upgrade yourself and earn a better salary.
- You will have a flexible working schedule; however, the level of flexibility may vary and depends on the school’s policies.
- Last but not least, you can enjoy each aspect of your job while working with children and young people.
What are the Job Prospects after Achieving a Level 4 HLTA Certificate?
After completing your L4 HLTA course, you can apply for educational positions across all educational sectors. Potential Higher-Level Teaching assistant jobs are listed below:
- Higher-level teaching assistant
- Cover Supervisor
- SEN – Special Educational Needs – Support
- Learning Mentor
- Subject Coordinator
- Private Tutor
- Intervention Tutor
- Inclusion and Assessment Coordinator
- Exam invigilator
- School Mentor
All things considered, you can attain a Level 4 HLTA certificate and distinguish yourself from other colleagues because this position goes beyond the traditional role of a TA. You can lead small group activities, provide cover supervision, have a higher autonomy and facilitate student learning efficiently.
On top of that, by achieving HLTA you can become a valuable asset in an educational sector, contributing to the overall educational experience of learners. So, what are you waiting for? Register your interest with us today and get yourself enrolled on our Level 4 Certificate for Higher Level Teaching Assistant Course.
