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Teacher’s Aide Certificate Program with Externship


Program includes National Certification & an Externship Opportunity


The Teacher's Aide Profession

Teacher's Aides are essential to the effective management and flow of classrooms for early childhood education. Teacher's Aides help to ensure primary teachers, administrators and instructors at this level are able to run an effective and efficient classroom whether as part of an education-focused day care, a nursery school or other education environment for young children Teacher's Aides support the primary teacher in both instructional and clerical tasks, help with overall class supervision and can assist in a variety of special and day-to-day projects. Professionals committed to early childhood education understand how to communicate with children at this age and also how to design and implement curriculum in all subject areas that is both age- and developmentally-appropriate. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs in this area are projected to grow 14% to 2022.


The Teacher's Aide Program

This program introduces the historical, theoretical and developmental foundations for educating young children and designing and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum in order to provide the primary teacher with the most help possible. This particular program focuses on development of children from birth through age 8, the roles, responsibilities and requirements of individuals working in early childhood classrooms as well as curriculum development so that Teacher's Aides can assist the teachers most effective while also helping to cultivate a creative, caring and nurturing environment for young children. This program will introduce early childhood education with a focus on developmental expectations and challenges of young children, supervising and caring for young children, as well as strategies and tools for educating young children by developing thoughtful, engaging and exciting lesson plans that will lay the foundation for their education for years to come.


Program Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Analyze the roles, responsibilities, and requirements for those who work in early childhood education (ECE) settings and the evolution of the field of ECE
  • Analyze current issues in ECE that have implications for children, families, and society
  • Describe the age-related developmental accomplishments of young children from birth through age 8 in each of the developmental domains
  • Analyze programs that support individual differences, culturally responsive, and inclusive
  • Analyze ECE standards as related to preparing developmentally appropriate activities
  • Analyze practices that ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all children
  • Compare strategies to develop emotional self-regulation and avoid challenging behaviors
  • Describe strategies that foster childcare worker and family partnerships
  • Describe the role of assessment/documentation to inform curriculum development
  • Evaluate the attributes of professionalism in ECE including advocacy, and social justice
  • Analyze how a learning experience reflects a developmentally appropriate practice
  • Explain how curriculum is affected by theories, models, government programs, and standards
  • Create a plan to establish reciprocal relationships with families
  • Plan developmentally appropriate learning environments and experiences for young children
  • Compare different teaching techniques in relationship to children's development and learning
  • Compare various forms of assessment for planning, documenting, communicating, and reflecting
  • Design a developmentally appropriate math, science, technology, literacy, social studies, physical education,creative arts, or other integrated learning experiences

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS

  • Explain the mission and purpose of the early childhood professional
  • Describe the various roles of professionals in the field of early childhood education
  • Explain education expectations for those working in various roles in the field of early childhood education
  • Describe the unique characteristics of various early childhood settings including family child care, center-based care and education (public and private), infant/toddler care, Head Start, public pre-kindergarten, primary grades, and after-school care

HISTORY & THEORIES OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE)

  • Describe contributions of historical figures to the field of early childhood education
  • Compare the various theories of child development
  • Compare the various learning theories
  • Explain characteristics of early childhood program models

CURRENT ISSUES IN ECE – RESEARCH, TRENDS AND POLICY

  • Identify current issues in early childhood education
  • Describe the current trends in early childhood education in terms of their impact on children, families, and early childhood professionals
  • Analyze the implications of research on early childhood education

CHILD DEVELOPMENT

  • Describe the characteristics of children ages zero through age eight in each developmental domain
  • Describe the typical age-related developmental accomplishments for each age group, including infants and toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, and children in the primary grades
  • Explain how knowledge of child development impacts care and education of infants and toddlers
  • Explain how knowledge of child development impacts teaching for preschoolers
  • Explain how knowledge of child development impacts teaching of children in kindergarten
  • Explain how knowledge of child development impacts teaching of children in the primary grades

EFFECTIVE TEACHING: DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES (DAP),ENVIRONMENTS, AND PLAY

  • Explain the concept of developmentally appropriate practices
  • Explain how DAP considers the age-related developmental characteristics of young children
  • Explore how DAP addresses individual differences
  • Describe how DAP is responsive to social and cultural contexts
  • Apply developmentally appropriate teaching practices to learning in the developmental domains
  • Describe how DAP influence the arrangement of the learning environment
  • Critique the application of DAP to the early childhood education environment
  • Explain the role of play in developmentally appropriate environments

SPECIAL NEEDS, AND CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY

  • Describe early childhood education inclusive practices
  • Analyze early childhood education interpersonal environments that are responsive to cultural, linguistic, and individual needs
  • Analyze early childhood education physical environments that are responsive to cultural, linguistic, and individual needs
  • Explain the terminology in special education

EFFECTIVE PRACTICE AND CURRICULUM STANDARDS

  • Describe the various standards that promote recommended practices
  • Explain how program quality standards impact curriculum development
  • Explain how the developmental domains and knowledge of content areas relate to curriculum development
  • Describe the characteristics of effective curriculum
  • Explain how intentional teachers plan and implement curriculum

HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELL-BEING OF ALL CHILDREN

  • Describe practices that promote health, good nutrition, and cleanliness in early childhood settings
  • Analyze the qualities of early childhood environments that promote safety in indoor and outdoor settings
  • Explain practices that promote the health, safety, and well-being of all children
  • Justify the role of play in healthful development and learning

GUIDING YOUNG CHILDREN

  • Explain the guidance strategies that facilitate appropriate behavior in early childhood
  • Identify how individual guidance strategies impact specific behaviors in children
  • Determine how to use a variety of guidance strategies in the early childhood education classroom
  • Promote practices that support the development of self-regulation skills
  • Determine the effectiveness of early childhood environments in promoting appropriate behavior and reducing inappropriate behavior of children

FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

  • Describe diverse family structures and impacts on family life that challenge children's learning
  • Describe the benefits of creating positive relationships and meaningful family involvement
  • Describe types of effective communication techniques for involving families in early childhood programs
  • Explain the role of the early childhood education teacher in connecting families to community resources

ASSESSMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN

  • Describe the different approaches used to assess young children
  • Describe the advantages and disadvantages for various types of assessments in early childhood
  • Explain the positive contributions of documenting assessment results to teaching and learning
  • Explain how assessment findings shape decision making and influence teaching, learning, and early childhood program quality

PROFESSIONALISM IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

  • Explain what it means to be an ECE professional: ethical conduct and using evidencebased practices
  • Describe the role of advocacy in the field of ECE
  • Explain ways early childhood professionals can contribute the development of policies that impact early childhood education
  • Explain what it means to be a culturally competent early childhood professional

DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE

  • Recognize the relationship between developmentally appropriate practices and quality
  • Explain the three areas of knowledge (age-related expectations, individual differences, and social and cultural contexts) that form the core of developmentally appropriate practice
  • Explain the role of active child engagement in developmentally appropriate practice
  • Analyze stages of play in relation to developmentally appropriate practice

CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONS, MODELS, AND STANDARDS

  • Compare the major early childhood theories
  • Compare early childhood education program models
  • Describe how federal- and state-based programs have impacted early childhood
  • Describe what standards might affect curriculum development in the early years
  • Explain the benefits and concerns of using standards in early childhood education
  • Explain how early learning guidelines and state standards can be used in curriculum development

FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS

  • Describe the benefits of establishing reciprocal relationships with families
  • Critique different communication strategies for establishing reciprocal relationships with families
  • Compare ways of involving families in curriculum development and implementation

ENVINROMENTS – PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL

  • Evaluate a child-teacher relationship for children 0–8 to determine if it is warm and caring within a developmentally appropriate environment
  • Describe appropriate guidance techniques for a given situation
  • Critique a schedule for learning opportunities
  • Critique a physical environment for learning opportunities

CURRICULUM PLANNING

  • Describe the different elements a teacher must consider in developing curriculum plans
  • Plan appropriate learning topics for young children
  • Critique plans for learning experiences with young children

CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION

  • Analyze the purpose of teacher-led small group instruction
  • Analyze the purpose of teacher-led large group instruction
  • Analyze the purpose of learning centers
  • Analyze the purpose of outdoor learning activities
  • Compare the uses of various instructional strategies

ASSESSMENT AND REFLECTION

  • Describe the need and use for assessment in the classroom
  • Compare the various forms of assessment
  • Describe multiple uses of assessment in an early childhood classroom

MATH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY

  • Describe the characteristics of a developmentally appropriate mathematics curriculum
  • Describe the characteristics of a developmentally appropriate science curriculum
  • Describe the characteristics of a developmentally appropriate technology curriculum

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CREATIVE ARTS

  • Describe the characteristics of a developmentally appropriate visual arts curriculum
  • Describe the characteristics of a developmentally appropriate music and movement curriculum
  • Describe the characteristics of a developmentally appropriate drama curriculum
  • Describe the characteristics of a developmentally appropriate physical education curriculum

LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

  • Describe the characteristics of a developmentally appropriate literacy curriculum
  • Describe how teachers support language development in children
  • Describe how children's literature supports developmentally appropriate curriculum

SOCIAL STUDIES

  • Describe learning experiences that support children
  • Describe the characteristics of a developmentally appropriate social studies curriculum
  • Describe the characteristics of a developmentally appropriate multicultural and anti-bias curriculum

INTEGRATING CURRICULUM

  • Create a lesson that integrates developmentally appropriate content from at least two different curriculum areas
  • Create a learning center that integrates developmentally appropriate content from at least three different curriculum areas
  • Create an integrated theme or project that includes developmentally appropriate content from at least three different curriculum areas

Note: This program can be completed in 6 months. However, students will have online access to this program for a 24-month period.

Education and National Certifications

  • Students should have or be pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
  • There are several National Certification exams that are available to students who successfully complete this program:
    • ETS ParaPro Assessment Certification Exam
    • National Workforce Career Association (NWCA) Teacher’s Aide (TCHR)

National Certification

Upon successful completion of this Auburn University program, students would be eligible to sit for the Educational Testing Service (ETS) ParaPro Assessment Certification. Students who complete this program are encouraged to complete the externship option with their program. Students who complete this program can and do sit for the national certification exam and are qualified, eligible and prepared to do so. Auburn University works with each student to complete the exam application and register the student to take their national certification exam.

Externship / Hands on Training / Practicum

Although not a requirement, once students complete the program, they have the ability to participate in an externship and/or hands on practicum so as to practice the skills necessary to perform the job requirements of a professional in this field. Students will be assisted with completing a resume and/or other requirements necessary to work in this field. All students who complete this program are eligible to participate in an externship and will be placed with a participating organization near their location. Auburn University works with national organizations and has the ability to place students in externship opportunities nationwide.

Note: No refunds can be issued after the start date published in your Financial Award document.