After School Teacher Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an after-school teacher. Feel free to use our After School teacher job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an after school teacher.
Who is an After School Teacher?
An After School teacher can be called a private Instructor, an After School Tutor, or a Home Lesson Teacher. After-school teachers are accountable for the care and supervision of children after the school program or period. Their main responsibility is to ensure the safety of children in their care and they also provide instructional and educational support.
After-school programs are unique but some educators feel that school programs are separate entities. It is not rare for teachers to be unconscious of what students do after the bell rings. The duties of a private school teacher are; studying lesson plans, reviewing textbooks to prepare a lesson, assigning additional projects, and answering a student’s question about a topic. An after-school teacher also evaluates students to ascertain their strengths and weaknesses related to a subject and also their learning style. They also discover first-hand students’ goals and future aspirations. An after-school teacher often teaches a student through their homework, answering questions to guide the student and also guiding the student on how to answer the question correctly by showing the logic behind the approach to solving problems. They also update parents and guidance about the performance of students and also make recommendations for additional support. They also interact with parents and other staff to create a fun and safe learning environment for children. A good after-school teacher should be able to encourage social, physical, and intellectual growth within children and also possess an analytical mindset.
After school teachers mostly teach preschool children by primarily teaching them how to read but they can also instruct higher students in different subject areas.
Good after-school teachers are highly patient and understanding enough to accommodate students with diverse learning abilities. They also give prompt attention to each client’s work and also the thinking process to ascertain the best way to help them digest a new concept and frequently practice it for effective results. After school teachers sometimes work with frustrated students, so successful teachers should be able to redirect that caliber of students and also motivate them. Some after-school teachers are not given appointments on time; it is highly essential that they should be fast learners and should also be experts in their subject areas. An after-school teacher must also possess a passion for helping students to learn new concepts and also have the knowledge and skills they need to help students develop an approach to understanding difficult concepts. A good after-school teacher will also go in-depth on their content and may assign additional work with the purpose of providing an advanced understanding that they may not develop at school.
One of the core differences between an after-school teacher and a school teacher is: that teachers engage in behavior management and the academic performance of students while an after-school teacher helps students to do their homework or assignment. Some after-school teachers may still work with some students as they progress in grade levels and help them to master subject areas such as; maths, English or language, sciences, and art.
The work schedule of an after-school teacher varies by position and location. Volunteer teachers’ positions may often mandate just one hour per week while fully paid after-school teachers may work 20 hours per week. After-school teachers mostly work on weekdays but they can also work at weekends too depending on the need of the student and the type of programs they work for. They can work at weekends mostly on Saturdays at long intervals because the students will not be going to school and some after-school teachers work while students are on vacation. They usually work between 3 pm and 6 pm after school hours.
After School Teacher Job Description
Below are the After School teacher job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an after-school teacher job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of an After School teacher include the following:
- Planning, preparing, and implementing an accepted curriculum nationally that includes language studies, math, art or social studies
- Assisting children with their homework or assignment such as reading, writing, and mathematical calculations
- Preparing learning materials and equipment, such as books, arts, crafts, stationery, and other supplies needed
- Supervising daily lesson plans and activities that focus on enhancing children’s social and motor skills
- Interacting with children to provide guidance, emotional support, and also the motivation to complete tasks
- Updating parents about the performance of children by creating monthly or quarterly reports to monitor children’s academic performance and growth
- Interacting with parents to build a safe learning environment for children
- Maintaining an organized or clean learning environment and ensuring students conduct themselves appropriately
- Ensuring that students are highly disciplined and obey all the guidelines and instructions
- Establish a friendly, encouraging, and welcoming environment for students once they start the after school program
- Promote high standards for academic success and behavior and continually encourage students to meet them
- Conducting practice tests to track progress, identify areas of improvement, and also assist in setting goals for the examination
- Developing and distributing study materials such as a study guide to supplement classroom lessons
- Teaching skills to improve academic performance such as note-taking and approaches to answering strategic test questions
- Serving as a role model to students or children and bridging between school and home.
Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree in teaching, early childhood education, or a related field
- At least 2 years of proven experience working as an after school teacher or a teaching assistant
- Ability to enhance the fun and safe classroom environment conducive to learning
- Strong knowledge of child behavior and learning style
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Good analytical and problem-solving skills
- Ability to set standards and guidelines for students to follow
- Solid organizational skills and ability to maintain a clean classroom or learning environment
- Passion and excitement for the subject being taught
- Education in teaching methodology, theory, and process
- Theoretical and practical understanding of the subject taught
- Personal accountability and reliability when scheduling sessions with parents and students
- Ability to teach students of all ages according to their level of understanding and proficiency
- Optional certification from the National Tutoring Association, American Tutoring Association, Association for the Coaching and Tutoring Profession, or the College Reading and Learning Association.
Essential Skills
An afterschool teacher must have the following skills and competencies:
- Patience and Resilience: Teaching is a profession that requires patients to carry students along. The learning ability of children varies; some are slow learners while others are exceptionally brilliant. An after-school teacher must be highly patient to carry all the students along. Some students may also misbehave in the classroom and it is the responsibility of the private tutor to correct them and be patient with them because change is a gradual process.
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills: An after-school teacher must be able to communicate in such a way that children must understand. The after-school teachers need to use simple words when dealing with children so that the children will not be left behind.
A good after-school teacher should create interpersonal relationships with children and parents. Building an interpersonal relationship creates a safe learning environment for the children. An interpersonal relationship also provides emotional support for the children; the children should be able to share with the teacher their challenges.
- Creativity and Passion: an after-school teacher must be highly creative to draft a study guide for students and lesson notes they can use that will supplement the one at school. They must also be experts in the subject area they are teaching and also come up with the best learning strategies for students.
Passion is the key. An after-school teacher must be very passionate about what he/she is doing because this will serve as a motivator. He/she must love the children he is teaching and be very passionate about the children excelling at all costs.
- Organizational Skill: an Afterschool teacher must be very organized to arrange students or children’s study material and also help students to be very disciplined. Organization in a classroom is requisite for a healthy learning environment. An after-school teacher also helps students to be very composed and quiet when the lesson is ongoing. Organizational skills are highly needed for teachers to organize curricula.
- Time-management Skills: after school program usually takes place after school and a good teacher must know how to manage time judiciously for the students to take out some time and rest. During the after-school program; the teacher should make use of at most 2 hours for lessons in order not to strain the children’s brains. In this maximum of two hours, the teacher should be able to cover the vital aspects of the curriculum.
How to Become An After School Teacher
To become an after school teacher; you need to do the following;
- Acquire a High School Diploma
To qualify as an after-school teacher for children in preschool; you need at least a high school diploma. A high school diploma holder will be able to instruct children in the aspect of reading and numerical accuracy. To teach adults or students of higher age; you will need a bachelor’s degree.
- Enroll for a Bachelor’s Degree
To become an after-school teacher; you must obtain a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Curriculum Studies, Educational Degree in any course or a related field. This usually takes four years to complete and you will get to acquire the rudiments of education. This degree usually mandates students to enroll in student internships for six months to acquire the experience of a teacher. During the student internship, your college lecturer will serve as your supervisor and grade you. This internship will be added to your result to certify you as an educationalist.
- Enroll for a Postgraduate Degree in Education
If you study a course that is outside education and you have a passion to become an after-school teacher; you can enroll for a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (P.G.D.E) which usually takes one year to complete. This certification also requires a student internship just like a bachelor’s degree.
- Enroll for a Master’s Degree
If you enroll for a master’s degree; it will help you to be better qualified and set you above other job candidates. You can enroll for a master’s degree in education. You can enroll for a master’s degree in Childhood Education, Curriculum Studies, or Psychology of Education. A master’s degree usually takes four semesters to complete and it will broaden your knowledge about the scope of education.
- Certification
To be a qualified teacher; certification is highly mandated. This solely depends on the state you are in or your country. In Nigeria for instance, Teachers are encouraged to have Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) certification. This certification mostly requires sitting for exams and passing them.
- Voluntary Internship
To acquire the requisite skills of an after-school teacher; you need to enroll in a voluntary teachers’ internship in an educational center or school. Some schools offer after-school programs to children. If you also have a friend or family that has children; you can volunteer to teach their children to acquire the requisite skills
- Apply for open positions
Draft your resume and apply for open vacancies both online and offline. You can also make use of social media to ask if there is anyone in need of an after-school teacher; you may be surprised at the responses you will get.
Where Can an After School Teacher Work?
There are diverse places an after school teacher can work and they are:
- At students Homes
- Schools that offer after school programs
- Tutoring companies
- Tutoring centers
After School Teacher Salary Scale
The salary of an after-school teacher varies based on the location and the level of experience. Below are some examples:
- In Nigeria, an after-school teacher or private tutor earns an average salary of 80,000NGN to 150,000NGN per month. This depends on the qualification of the teacher. Teachers that are bachelor’s or master’s degree holders earn a minimum of 50,000NGN to 80,000NGN per month. After school teachers that are doctorate holders above 80,000NGN.
- In the United States, an after-school teacher earns an annual salary of $60,500 as the highest salary and as low as $16,500. While an entry0level afterschool teacher makes $17 per hour.
