A teaching assistant in Ontario is officially called an educational assistant, or EA. The EA primarily supports the teacher by working with individual students or small groups, often students with exceptional needs, such as mental, emotional or social disabilities, or students who do not speak the instructional language of the school. Educational assistants are common in primary and secondary schools in Ontario. There are several qualifications individuals need to meet to qualify for positions as educational assistants in Ontario.

Obtain at least a high school diploma. The minimum requirement to qualify for the position of educational assistant is a grade 12 education. However, school districts prefer hiring EAs who have college degrees with concentrations in early childhood education, youth care, nursing or education.

Confirm and showcase your knowledge in French or English, the languages of instruction in Ontario schools. Through your resume, make sure to use proper grammar and a variety of actionable syntax to illustrate your comfort level and ability in the language of instruction. While most Ontario schools use English as the language of instruction, there are a few that use French.

Prepare information to be used in a criminal background check. Past residences, cohorts or acquaintances with a criminal record, your criminal record and fingerprints are usually used for a background check.

Complete specialized training if you are applying to work with special needs or special skills children, such as learning disabled or ESL/FSL (English or French as a second language) students. Special trainings such as crisis training, sign language or emergency health care are vital if you want to be a competitive applicant for a position working with special needs students.