SSOs or teacher aides work under the supervision of a classroom teacher to support childrens' learning, to manage and guide their behaviour, and to help with the logistical and operational needs of running a busy, dynamic classroom.

Teacher aides in SA can work in a range of settings including kindergartens, primary schools, high schools, senior colleges, special needs schools and various specialist programs. There are plenty of options should you choose to study a nationally recognised teacher aide qualification in SA with a reputable provider such as ITAC.

Could this be you? An ITAC student on placement demonstrating her knowledge of best practice teaching strategies.

After completing the introductory CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support or the higher level CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support, you might find work in a mainstream classroom in South Australia where you will mainly support younger students with their langauge development.

In high schools, you may work in subjects such as science, humanities and social sciences (HASS), the arts, physical education, English or mathematics. To learn more about the subjects in the Australian Curriculum follow this link to the ACARA website. You will learn all about the Australian Curriculum in either the CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support or the CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support.

To learn more about the types of tasks that you may undertake as a teacher aide or SSO in SA, we recommend reading this article: What do teacher aides do in Australia?

An ITAC student finishes her placement after facilitating a small group literacy activity utilising the skills and strategies she learnt in her course.

Students who study the CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support from SA may find employment in a range of roles in private, independent or government schools. This includes kindergarten, pre-primary, primary and high schools, as well as senior colleges and religious or alternative schools (such as Montessori and Steiner schools).

According to ACARA (the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority), there are 716 schools in South Australia (including 453 primary schools, 78 secondary schools, 160 combined schools (k-12) and 25 special schools).

In other words, there are plenty of opportunities in SA for those who have the right skills, demeanour and personality, as well as a love for helping others. You will also need to study best practice skills, techniques and strategies such as behaviour management techniques, and teaching and learning strategies. You can only learn these skills by enrolling in a research-based teacher aide course.

A teacher aide supporting an oral literacy activity.

The CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support is a more advanced qualification and is for anyone seeking employment as a SSO in a South Australian school. It is popular for those who wish to work with children with special needs particularly in specialist programs such as literacy and numeracy programs or special need’s schools.

As with the CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support, students can find work in a range of schools in South Australia. Anyone considering a career in this industry can, however, choose to enrol directly into the CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support or the very popular Teacher Aide Combo.

Are there online courses in South Australia to become a teacher aide or SSO?

ITAC currently offers both the CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support and the CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support via online mode to South Austalian residents.

When studying online, most of the learning is completed by logging into our easy-to-use, bespoke learning platform where students access webinars, lectures, videos, readings and a range of other learning materials – all from the comfort of their own home and at a time that is convenient to them.

ITAC's courses take the average student 600 hours to complete (including the work placement component). However, given that our programs are self-paced, students who have experience with children, or who have worked or volunteered in other relevant industries, can expect to complete the course much sooner.

All students in South Australia are required to complete a work placement in a local school. The placement involves practising a series of activities (such as supporting literacy and numeracy activities), as well as helping the teacher with managing behaviour and other logistical tasks.

ITAC visits all students during their work placement to provide support and guidance as well as to help students perfect their practice. The site visit is a valuable and essential part of the course so be sure to enrol with a provider who physically visits their students. Not sure where you might like to do your placement? You can find schools in your area by searching online (such as by using the education department’s ‘Find a school’ tool).

Online learning is becoming more and more popular with adult learners – even those who are not tech-savvy.

According to the SA government, teacher aides (often called SSOs in SA) provide curriculum support to teaching staff by:

• “contributing to the planning and delivery of curriculum with participating teachers
• delivering curriculum to children in small groups or to individuals under the direction of the teacher or director
• performing administrative duties and records management
• organising and preparing materials and resources for activities, and organising activities within the safety guidelines under the direction of the teacher
• discussing program implementation and evaluation with the teacher
• helping organise special events and children's work displays.”

To work as a teacher aide in South Australia, you will need to complete a nationally recognised qualification and have a suitable personality and demeanour to work in the school environment.

You will need to be professional, calm, patient, as well as enjoy working with people and children in particular. Once you hold either the CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support or the CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support, you can begin looking for work as a teacher aide or SSO in South Australia.

Teacher aides support learning and development in a range of subjects including art.

Your job search may include browsing government websites such as the SA government’s job’s board, online advertisers such as SEEK (mainly for private schools), or by contacting schools directly.

This final method is how the majority of SSOs find work in South Australia, and usually by starting with ‘relief’ or casual work to begin with. Schools like to get to know new recruits to ensure they are a good fit for the school, the classroom, the teacher, their students and the educational activities being delivered.

Relief or supply work (the terms used for casual work in schools) is also an opportunity for new SSOs to visit many different schools and classrooms. Casual staff get an extra 25% on top of their usual daily rate, but do not get personal leave or annual leave.

The CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support is the introductory qualification for anyone seeking employment as an SSO in SA. This is the entry level course that covers all of the basics and is for those intending to work in a mainstream classroom (not with students with disabilities or disorders). There is a focus on instructional skills, literacy and numeracy as well as behaviour management techniques in this course.

The CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support is a more advanced qualification for anyone seeking employment as an SSO in a South Australian school, particularly those who wish to work with students with special needs or in specialist programs such as remedial literacy and numeracy classes.

Students of the CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support learn the same techniques and skills found in the CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support, plus additional and more advanced techniques such as:

• metacognitive skills
• coping strategies
• executive functioning
• using social stories
• cognitive load theory
• many other essential skills that will make you an invaluable team member.

It takes approximately 600 hours to complete a teacher aide course in South Australia by online learning. Students who have experience in the education sector or a related field (or who have experience raising children) may be able to complete the course faster (sometimes in half the time or less). This is because many of the skills that you have developed over the years are applicable to this course.

Students who are new to Australia and/or who are not fluent in English may need additional time and support in order to work through the learning materials in preparation for the assessments – even more reason to enrol with a professional, reputable provider.

The Certificate III and IV in School Based Education Support qualifies you to work in any school in South Australia, and in almost any position that involves work in a classroom (or similar learning environment) assisting and support students and the teacher. This includes various job title such as:

• teacher aide
• school support officer (or SSO)
• school services officer (also SSO)
• education assistant
• education support worker
• teacher assistant
• special needs education assistant
• school-aged care assistant
• learning support officer or LSO
• classroom assistant
• integration aide
• many other school-based positions.

The CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support is the entry-level nationally recognised qualification for anyone seeking to begin a career as a teacher aide, school support officer or teacher assistant in Australia. It is the most commonly held teacher aide qualification.

The CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support focuses on providing educational support services to a wide range of students in mainstream classrooms in order to improve students’ learning, development, behaviour and abilities. You will also learn how to assist the teacher with the operational and logistical needs of the classroom.

The CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support focuses on work with special needs students including those with multiple disabilities, comorbidities and complex needs. This is the special needs qualification that covers everything required to effectively support children with disabilities and disorders in the educational environment.

It covers almost everything from the lower level course but with a focus on applying those skills to the work of supporting students with special needs. Many South Australian students who complete this qualification find work in special needs schools and centres – positions that attract a higher salary and more independence and responsibility.

To become a teacher aide or SSO in SA you will first need to complete a nationally recognised teacher aide course such as the CHC30221 Certificate III in School Based Education Support or the CHC40221 Certificate IV in School Based Education Support.

Depending on your provider, you will learn skills and strategies to develop your pedagogical awareness, understanding and abilities. This basically means you will learn ‘how to teach’ albeit not whole classes (SSOs only 'teach' one-on-one or small groups).

Some of the skills and strategies that you will only learn with ITAC include:

• the levels of instruction such as guided learning and shared learning
• scaffolding and modelling
• metacognitive skills
• a plethora of reading and writing learning strategies
• how to facilitate group work and pair work
• how to plan simple activities
• intervention and remedial instruction
• best practice one-on-one instruction.