The Teaching Assistant Program (TAP) is for high school 11th and 12th graders.  There is no training session for TAP advisors; many TAP advisors serve as the coordinator of the program during their planning periods without providing direct instruction for the students in the program. The TAP course carries only the credit that is assigned to it by local district decision or, in some cases, no credit at all.

IF YOU ARE AN ADULT who is interested in becoming a Teacher Assistant in one of South Carolina's schools, we suggest that you contact your local school district for more information.

Mission

The Teaching Assistant Program (TAP) is mainly a program to allow students to work closely with one teacher in their own high school. TAP strives to offer an expanded academic program to secondary students in a variety of subject areas, especially those that have a critical shortage of teachers (foreign language, special education, science, library science, industrial technology, home economics, choral music, business, and mathematics; to introduce students to the many facets of the teaching profession; to provide practical experience in instruction at the secondary level.

Relationship to Teacher Cadet Program

The Teacher Cadet Program and the Teaching Assistant Program complement each other, but they are separate programs. In schools where the Cadet program is offered, the Teaching Assistant Program may also be scheduled. The Teaching Assistant Program allows additional teachers the privilege of working one-to-one with top-caliber students and allows students to apply many of the educational concepts learned in the Cadet Program to concrete examples in the subject area in which they excel. The Teaching Assistant Program can also serve as a feeder program for the Teacher Cadet Program.

Program Framework

The Teaching Assistant Program operates as an individualized course matching Teaching Assistants who excel in a particular content area with supervising teachers in the subject. The Assistant is scheduled to work with the teacher during a period in which an introductory level of the content is taught. Teaching Assistants sufficiently advanced in achievement in the subject matter may also serve with higher level classes if they have completed these levels. The Assistant helps the teacher through a variety of duties and activities; the teacher guides the student in a broader understanding of the chosen subject area and of teaching in that area.

A Teaching Assistant Program Guide available through the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement includes specific activities for the following content areas:

• Foreign Language
• Fine Arts
• Special Education (all areas)
• Science (especially laboratory science)
• Library Science
• Mathematics
• English

Implementation

• Eligible Students:
  • Outstanding 11th and 12th grade students (with a 2.7 grade point average on a 4.0 scale) who excel in a particular content area, exhibit appropriate personality characteristics, and love teaching.
    
    
• Minimum Enrollment:
  • One (1) student and one (1) supervising teacher

Curriculum Components

The Teaching Assistant program consists of two curriculum components:

1. Curriculum Guide, which outlines the program and contains the implementation requirements
2. Student Handbook, which contains abbreviated explanatory information for Teaching Assistants.