Teacher Aide Courses in Perth WA

Australia’s most popular best practice teacher aide course

Studying a teacher aide course in WA has never been easier. With 1129 schools in WA and new schools opening every year, becoming a teacher aide is more than achievable. FTTA’s unique teacher aide courses will help you achieve your career goals. Our courses are based on international research and best practice skills, strategies and techniques helping to become an invaluable and essential member of your school community.

Enrol in the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support to get your career started. The CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support is recommended particularly if you have experience with children and want to be qualified for all teacher aide positions in Western Australia. The Teacher Aide Combo, however, is our flagship program, combining the best of the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support and the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support.

Only at FTTA will you study and master a range of teaching and learning strategies such as explicit instruction as pictured above.

Below you will read about studying and working as a teacher aide in Western Australia. For specific details about an individual course or program, follow one of the links below:

• CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support

• CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support

• Teacher Aide Combo

Teacher Aide Courses in Perth WA – 10 fast facts

If, like most people, you are too busy to read this article from go to whoa, simply read the main points below:

1. Teacher aides work in schools to support student learning and development – mainly with students with disabilities or disorders.
2. To become an effective teacher aide in a WA school, you will need to master a series of teaching, learning and behaviour management techniques.
3. FTTA offer teacher aide courses in Perth by either class-based or online/distance learning.
4. All students have access to tutorials, webinars, pre-recorded lectures, readings, interactive activities, and their friendly trainer.
5. All our trainers are ex-teachers or teacher aides with years of experience.
6. You will need to complete a placement of 100-hours in a local school.
7. The Teacher Aide Combo is very popular, looks impressive on your resume, saves time, and saves money compared to studying two separate courses.
8. The CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support is known in the industry as the ‘special needs’ teacher aide course.
9. Many students end up working where they completed their placement (provided they enrol in a quality course and learn best practice pedagogy).
10. Pedagogy is a term that simply means ‘way of teaching’ or ‘the art of teaching’.

Teacher Aide Courses in Perth

The table below compares the two nationally recognised teacher aide courses available in Perth WA: CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support and the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support, as well as our Teacher Aide Combination Course.

CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support
vs
CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support

As you can see from the table above there is little difference between the two teacher aide courses in terms of mode, structure and availability. The main difference between the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support and the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support is the course content, graduate outcomes and job role.

The CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support is targeted towards a more generalist position in WA schools. This often involves working in lower grades with mainstream students who may have mild disorders, disabilities or temporary difficulties such as language or literacy gaps in their learning and development.

The CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support, however, is geared towards supporting students with more complex needs such as disabilities, disorders, difficulties and comorbidities. Students still learn how to support students by implementing a range of best practice teaching and learning strategies, albeit in a more complex environment with students with additional needs.

So, which course is for you?

the introductory:

CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support

the higher-level special need’s course:

CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support

or the best value course with maximum employability:

Teacher Aide Combo

Research-based, best practice teacher aide courses – say what?

It is vital for your career, confidence, and professional skills that you study a course that teaches you best practice strategies such as explicit instruction and one-on-one instruction. Unfortunately, FTTA is one of the only providers in Australia delivering best-practice teacher aide courses based on national and international research.

You may have noticed that we like to use the term ‘research-based’ and ‘best practice’ to describe our courses. So, what exactly does this mean? In simple terms, when we develop our courses, our experts comb through research from Australia and around the world to find what works. We look at what teachers are taught in universities, the skills that governments want their teachers to have and what the research says about teacher aides and their effectiveness. Here are just three examples:

• Australian professional standards for teaching,
• High impact teaching strategies for Victorian teachers, and
• Graduate teacher induction program WA.

From there, we develop and provide you with the best information and resources so you can become the most effective teacher aide possible. This means the services that you provide your students will be second to none – in many instances you will know more teaching strategies than your teacher!

Practically speaking, this means that we base our teacher aide courses around a whole heap of best practice strategies, skills and techniques that are used by high performing teachers, teacher aides, schools and government around the world including Australia. Depending on which teacher aide course you enrol in, the following strategies are likely to be part of your course:

• Traditional, tried and tested strategies such as scaffolding, modelling, rapport building, text-book learning, and goal setting.
• More modern approaches such as cooperative learning, play-based learning, online learning, technology learning, blended learning and cross-curriculum learning.
• Advanced and lesser known strategies such as Cognitive Load theory, serial-position effects, the self-fulfilling prophecy, the Zone of Proximal Development and flipped learning.
• Literacy strategies such as phonics, active reading, pre and post reading tasks, graphic organisers, using cues and prediction, spelling and grammar supports, modelling, guided and shared learning and critical literacies to name a few.
• More generic skills that all high performing teachers and teacher aides have mastered such as motivational skills, questioning skills, feedback skills, reflective practice and games.
• Transferrable and life-long strategies and skills such as study skills, specific transferrable skills, metacognitive skills, mental scripting and many others.
• Physical and skills development strategies such as deliberate practice, over-learning, spaced learning and massed practice.
• Strategies to support students with special needs such as assistive technology, intervention and targeting approaches, social stories, aids and props and differentiated instruction.
• A range of student-centred strategies such as learning by failure, self-directed learning, pair and group work, debating and role plays.
• A range of teacher-centred strategies such as team teaching, explicit instruction and scaffolding.
• Strategies and approaches to support the operational needs of the classroom such as methods for planning learning sequences, behaviour systems and using data for continual improvement.

You are almost certain to only find these and many other teaching strategies in one of FTTA’s research-based, best practice teacher aide courses. While most providers teach a few strategies, at FTTA you will learn dozens, if not hundreds of practical and effective strategies and techniques making you an expert in your profession.

By the way, we forgot to mention that this list is just the beginning of what you’ll learn at FTTA – we didn’t even mention the other 4 or 5 topics in your teacher aide course!

FTTA is the leader in teacher aide training – our students are highly sought after and are the best in the industry. Don’t waste your money on an inferior product – enrol with the professionals and give your career a head start.

Answers to your questions about teacher aide courses in WA

If you’ve read this far, there is no doubt that you have some questions – and so you should – enrolling in a teacher aide course is a big step. To help you out, we have put together a few articles covering everything that we believe you should know before enrolling in a teacher aide course in WA.

For the visual learners: Pictorial guide to teacher aide courses in WA

Above: Build your pedagogical skills, confidence, career and dream lifestyle by completing a nationally recognised teacher aide course with the leader in teacher aide training in Australia. FTTA students learn best practice, research-based skills and strategies such as those demonstrated above – which strategies do you think this teacher aide is implementing? Scaffolding, modelling, feedback, questioning, rapport building, linking to existing knowledge, elaboration, guided or shared learning, think alouds, advanced organisers, phonics, number sense, team teaching, games and quizzes, formative assessment, reflective practice, learning styles or maybe differentiated instruction? She is probably using all these strategies!

Above: Study a best practice, research-based teacher aide course in WA and learn a range of valuable and essential teaching skills, techniques, and strategies that will make you an invaluable member of your school community. Only at FTTA will you study strategies and techniques such as reading and writing support strategies, formative assessment, metacognitive skills, individual education plans, explicit instruction, re-reading, repeated reading, intervention and remedial instruction, questioning techniques, reflective practice, setting goals, guided learning, shared learning, scaffolding, modelling and many others.

Above: As you can see in this image, teacher aides work closely with students for most of the day. They predominantly work one-on-one, with pairs or small groups of 3-6. They do not teach the whole class as that is the job of the teacher. Teacher aides in Australian schools are expected to implement a range of teaching and learning strategies such as scaffolding, modelling, worked examples, explicit instruction, whole-part-whole learning, setting goals and many others. These basic strategies are the bread and butter of all teacher aides. Unfortunately, you will only learn these key strategies, and many others, with the leader in teacher aide courses in Western Australia: FTTA.

Above: Studying with a reputable provider and learning best practice skills and strategies means you will have the ability to take on higher-level responsibilities such as running a program with a group of students (as pictured). Only at FTTA will you learn best practice strategies based on international research such as one-on-one instruction, cognitive load theory, motivational strategies, scaffolding, modelling, shared learning, guided learning, and many others.

Above: Many classrooms today take advantage of technology and use it throughout the day in almost all lessons. This is particularly the case in special needs classrooms. Picture above, an FTTA student graduates from the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support after completing their placement in a special needs school. By implementing research-based, best practice teaching and learning strategies, they were offered a position in the school where they completed their placement. You too can get your career up and running and begin the life-long challenge of educating the next generation of leaders by enrolling in Australia’s best teacher aide course: only at FTTA.

Above: After demonstrating research-based, best practice teaching and learning strategies, the student above passed the final assessment for the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support and is now enrolled in the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support. As you can see from the picture, FTTA students learn to implement strategies and techniques for a wide range of topics and subjects including literacy and numeracy. Teacher aides spend most their working day supporting students’ development such as with props, equipment and hands on activities as pictured here. Could this be you in a few months?

Above: Where do you think your skills would be best utilised? Pictured above is an FTTA student who spent their 100-hour placement helping students to develop their reading and writing skills by implementing a range of creative art activities. They implemented strategies from their course including one-on-one instruction, games and quizzes, linking to existing knowledge, immersion learning, modelling, scaffolding, chunking, learning by teaching and many others. You too could be part of this exciting, stable and rewarding sector by enrolling in a research-based, best practice teacher aide course with Australia’s leading provider: FTTA.

Above: Supporting the development of reading and writing skills begins in early childhood with phonics and whole-word learning. Pictured above, an FTTA student from the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support showcases some of the resources and activities they have been using to develop students’ phonemic awareness (ability to use sounds). By enrolling in a quality teacher aide course in WA, and by learning and practising best practice teaching and learning strategies and skills, this student was offered work at the school where they completed their work placement. Could this be you in a few months?

10 tips for choosing a teacher aide course in WA

Maybe FTTA isn’t your cup of tea in terms of studying a teacher aide courses in WA. Regardless, we want to make sure that you choose a provider that is high quality, value for money, reputable, gives you the skills you need to land your dream job, and who provides a satisfactory experience overall. Here is how to figure that out:

1. Choose a provider who visits you on placement. This essential service helps you to perfect your professional practice.
2. Choose a provider who offers a multitude of support services. This includes webinars, tutorials and face to face time.
3. Choose a provider who you can visit or call for help. You don’t want to be waiting a week or two every time you need help.
4. Choose a provider who has multiple trainers who can assist you. Some smaller providers have 1 or 2 trainers and if they are sick who will help you?
5. Choose a provider who provides a range of online videos and lectures that their trainers have developed. Some online courses are no more than a pile of PDFs from Amazon.
6. Choose a provider who writes their own materials including learner guides. This is a sure sign of a team who knows their stuff.
7. Choose a provider who run classes (even if you have no plan to go to any of these classes). As a general rule, better quality providers run classes.
8. Choose a provider who uses a clustered assessment approach. Better yet, choose a provider who uses a holistic assessment approach. This saves you time – lots of time – in fact, it can half your course duration.
9. Choose a provider who teaches a range of metacognitive skills, coping mechanisms and study skills – your success depends on it.
10. Choose a provider with whom you feel comfortable working with – are they reputable, do they offer dozens of courses or specialise in teacher aide courses?

8 detailed answers to 8 common questions from WA

1. How much do teacher aides earn in WA?
2. Is it easy to find a teacher aide job in Western Australia?
3. How do I become a teacher aide in Western Australia?
4. Tell me about FTTA's teacher aide courses in WA
5. Can I study a teacher aide course in WA online?
6. Are teacher aides in WA called education assistants and is there a difference?
7. Is the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support or the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support difficult and how long does it take to complete each?
8. Should I enrol with FTTA or TAFE for either the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support or the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support?

Students study one day per week in class as well as complete activities at home. The best of online and class-based mode combined.

Summary and takeaways: Teacher aide courses in WA

• You can expect to earn $30 per hour as a teacher aide in WA on average, lower in mainstream and higher in special need’s schools.
• Don't discount special needs schools, high schools and schools that are further away from your home when looking for work – limiting your prospects limits your chances of success.
• Choose a provider who will teach you best practice teaching strategies based in international research.
• The CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support is the entry level course and is not recommended in most cases.
• The CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support or the Teacher Aide Combo makes you more employable, more skilled and improves your confidence.
• Those willing to give high school a go, quite often enjoy it. As many people want to work in primary schools, there are many more opportunities in high schools comparatively speaking.
• Trained teacher aides are much more effective according to international research. This is for many reasons such as the ability to implement best practice teaching strategies.
• Don't hinge your job-hunting success on applying for advertised positions – many people apply for these positions and schools already know who they intend on hiring – someone who has worked in the school as relief.
• To work relief in a school, take a copy of your resume and certificates to the front office of the school and ask to be placed on their relief list. Many TAs find work this way.
• Schools require their staff to hold a nationally recognised qualification such as the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support as it indicates that they have an ability to use a range of teaching strategies in order to maximise students’ learning.
• Almost all adult learners enrol with private providers such as FTTA. TAFEs are popular for high school students.
• Choose your teacher aide course provider in WA carefully as your career depends on it. A cheap course that doesn’t teach best practice teaching and learning strategies is not very cheap if no one will hire you.
• Enrol with a provider who develops their own materials, offers classes (even if you don’t go to them), and uses a clustered (preferably holistic) assessment approach – there are all signs of a high quality provider which will mean you learn vital skills – this in turn means you’ll be highly employable.
• Your workplace assessment includes a visit by your trainer who will observe you undertaking a range of common (day to day) tasks such as implementing best practice teaching strategies. The placement visit is essential to perfecting your professional practice.
• ‘Online’ teacher aide courses should come with plenty of support such as regular tutorials and live webinars.
• We recommend students enrol with a provider who offers face to face tutorials, phone support and has Australian based administration staff.
• In WA, the term education assistant or EA is also commonly used in place of teacher aide which is the most common term across Australia (and the OECD).
• Parental experience (in fact any form of experience with children) gives you a big advantage in terms of completing your teacher aide course. People with experience tend to finish in a much shorter period of time and have fewer issues throughout their teacher aide course in WA.
• If you are a younger student or would like to attend class similar to a high school environment, then TAFE may be right for you.
• If you're looking for a more flexible but supported program delivered using an adult-friendly approach, FTTA is likely to be more appropriate.

Summary

This article has covered all of the typical questions that we get in regard to teacher's aide courses in WA including:

• The difference between the CHC30213 Certificate III in Education Support and the CHC40213 Certificate IV in Education Support
• Which mode you should choose for your teacher aide course in WA
• Whether you should enrol in a teacher aide course with FTTA or a TAFE
• The course structure including the benefits of a holistic clustered approach
• Steps to become a teacher aide in Western Australia
• Types of teacher aides or education assistants in Western Australia

Working as a teacher's aide and supporting students and teachers is one of the most rewarding yet challenging careers anyone can envisage. Before jumping in however, it is important to consider whether this career path is right for you. It is also important to take the time to make the best decision in terms of choosing a teacher aide course provider, selecting a mode of study and which teacher aide course to enrol in. This article has hopefully helped you answer these very important questions.

With more than 6000 happy graduates, an 80% completion rate, payment plans and no additional or hidden fees, FTTA has long been the go-to provider for teacher aide courses in Perth, WA and surrounding areas. Speak to one of our friendly student advisers today about your career aspirations and begin your new journey as a teacher aide in WA with the leader in teacher aide training: Fast Track Training Australia.

Happy training!

About the author

Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to check his article for accuracy, information may be outdated, inaccurate or not relevant to you and your location/employer/contract. It is not intended as legal or professional advice. Users should seek expert advice such as by contacting the relevant education department, should make their own enquiries, and should not rely on any of the information provided.