Paraprofessionals are staff members who assist teachers with classroom responsibility and give extra help to students who need it. PE Paraprofessionals assist physical education teachers with their classes and students. PE Paraprofessionals should have a knowledge of child growth and development, and should have a high school diploma. Average annual salary for paraprofessionals can range from $26,111 to $29,430 as of 2010, depending on the state you work in and what kind of qualifications you possess. To be successful in this job, the ability to perform a variety of duties is crucial.

Supervising and Instructing Students

PE paraprofessionals help to supervise students during physical education activities. They help to explain to students the basic skills needed in various sports and activities, such as kickball, soccer, basketball, or other physical education games and activities that may be played in class. Sometimes, in the absence of the head teacher, the PE paraprofessional will take over the class for that time period and must be able to discipline all students properly if the need should arise. He should be able to demonstrate strategy in sports and games, and teach the fundamentals of body movement.

PE paraprofessionals may also be in charge of supervising the locker rooms before and after gym class, to make sure all students are behaving properly, following all rules, and getting changed before and after class in a timely manner. They encourage students to dress appropriately for the day's activities also. PE paraprofessionals should make sure the locker room is free of debris and equipment after each class, and that students did not forget any personal property.

For students who have extra difficulty understanding activities or directions, PE paraprofessionals help them better understand and participate in class.

Class Attendence, Recording Data, Equipment Care

PE paraprofessionals may have duties such as recording attendance reports for each class and recording various types of data and times for students for activities such as running the track.

Another responsibility of PE paraprofessionals may be to set up specific equipment that will be used for class activities. They may not only have to set up the equipment, but distribute it to students and then collect it and clean up after each class session.

Instructional Materials and Clerical Duties

PE paraprofessionals may be asked to develop instructional materials as part of their job duties. These instructional materials are used in physical education classes and would be related to a variety of topics or educational issues.

Some other duties they may be asked to perform include clerical duties, such as filing or typing, during times when there is not a class of students to supervise and instruct.

PE paraprofessionals may help physical education teachers to develop new activities for classes, related to diffrent sports or body movement fundamentals.