The Role of an Education Assistant: Supporting Inclusion

A ground-breaking new textbook, The Role of an Education Assistant offers guidance and insight to students who are learning about the growing and complex role of education assistants. This includes how to support academic, social, inclusive, and independent learning environments in schools and collaborate with parents and teachers in the planning and evaluation of student progress. Divided into four sections, this text addresses education assistant professional standards, mental health and wellness, culture and diversity, and the challenge of supporting all students in the classroom. Professionals and scholars contribute to research, anecdotes, practical insights from the field, and discussion questions to encourage student reflection and professional preparation. Offering practical guidance for inter-professional collaboration and inclusive education, this seminal text will prepare students in education studies, education assistant programs, and early childhood education for rewarding careers in the industry.

FEATURES:

• Begins with an introduction from editors who have decades of combined professional experience in child and youth social work, as educators in inclusive environments, and as university and college instructors
• Provides a Canada-wide perspective from both accomplished scholars and experienced professionals
• Covers the large scope of student learning stages, from early years, through adolescence, to adulthood
• Highlights the changing and broadening expectations of education assistants and offers relevant guidance on how to meet diverse needs in modern classrooms

First of its kind, this comprehensive and practical collection provides an overview of the complex role of education assistants as both advocates for inclusion and key members of the education team.

Education professionals from across Canada draw on their expertise and experiences to highlight the diverse contexts in which education assistants participate at both the elementary and secondary school levels. In addition to providing students with disabilities with academic, social, and behavioural supports, education assistants collaborate with teachers and family members in the planning and evaluation of student progress. This extensive collection furthermore examines mental health and wellness, including trauma sensitivity and self-care, as well as cultural diversity and response-able pedagogy.

The Role of an Education Assistant invites post-secondary programs to elevate the scope and professional standard of practice for education assistants. Offering best-practice strategies, opportunities for critical reflection, and “Voices from the Field” that link practice ideologies with real-life experiences, this is the perfect resource for both professionals and students in education assistant and educational support programs as well as education and early childhood education programs.