Teachers have the immense responsibility of educating the children who will one day become accountants, doctors, and engineers. For a child, the long education journey has its foundations in Grade R. If you love working with children, then you’ll love working as an assistant Grade R teacher!

What duties will you be tasked with as an assistant Grade R teacher?

  • Assisting with the planning of interactive activities that expose learners to language.
  • Assisting with play-based learning that exposes learners to numbers, shapes, and measurements.
  • Assisting with early development of life skills in areas such as personal wellbeing, social interaction, creativity, and health.

Your overarching responsibility as an assistant Grade R teacher is incredibly important: to prepare children for the big transition to primary school.

 

Why should you study towards becoming an assistant Grade R teacher?

Here are some of the reasons why you may want to study towards this role:

 

1. The work is fun!

The Grade R curriculum doesn’t involve formal teaching of subjects such as English, Maths, or Science. It rather revolves around fun activities that are based on play, but that also introduce children to the basic building blocks of the subjects they will take at school. As an assistant Grade R teacher, you’ll be assisting the teacher with arranging and supervising activities such as painting, games, and puzzles. Looking after a group of energetic children can be hard work at times, but in general it’s plenty of fun!

 

2. The working hours are good

Typically, Grade R classes only run until around lunchtime. Although you may have to do some preparation after teaching hours, you should still have the freedom to work a second job in the afternoons, or to further your education by studying distance learning courses from home. You’ll also enjoy the benefits of those long school holidays!

 

3. The job is rewarding

You’re playing a crucial role in putting the first building blocks of a child’s education in place. Seeing the development of children under your care is a highly rewarding experience. Throughout the year, you’ll see the children start to make friends, learn life skills, and begin making noticeable improvements in their learning areas. At the end of the year, your learners will be prepared to take on Grade 1!

 

4. You’ll be prepared for further study

The National Certificate: N4 Educare is usually the first step in becoming an assistant Grade R teacher. Once you’ve successfully completed the course, you will be qualified to further your studies in the field of childhood development at N5 and N6 level. With the help of practical experience gained by being an assistant teacher, you’ll have the opportunity to strive for bigger goals, such as opening your own early childhood development centre, or becoming a fully fledged teacher (if you study a university degree after you complete your national qualifications in Educare).

 

So what are you waiting for? Take your first steps to a career in childcare with this range of courses from Oxbridge Academy.

 

Want to start gaining practical experience in the Educare field? Remember that, while you are busy with your course, or after you have completed your studies, you can sign up for the DHET’s free placement service – https://webapps.dhet.gov.za/iWIL – so that your profile can be matched with a suitable employer offering opportunities for Work Integrated Learning or Workplace Based Learning.

 

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