If you like working one-on-one with students with different needs, and you want to see them included in the classroom, becoming an educational assistant might be the career for you. Educational assistants provide the all-important one-on-one support that makes today’s inclusive classrooms possible.
The Educational Assistant program is respected by school boards province-wide. We’ll teach you the skills and give you the hands-on experience you need to make a lasting difference in a student's life.
Your job will be to assist classroom teachers by working with children or youth with diverse learning needs. This Saskatchewan Polytechnic program provides you with the knowledge and skills you’ll need, including:
Sarah Haidey, Registrar
Cumberland College
Box 2320
Melfort, SK S0E 1A0
Fax: 306-752-3484
Contact by Email
See link(s) below to get more information about PLAR.
Educational Assistant graduates work in elementary, junior high and high schools in communities around the province. School divisions offer full-time, part-time, and casual positions. You might be based in the classroom or resource room. You might assist with a lunch program or a before/after school program.
You can also explore career opportunities outside the traditional school setting—in youth centres, community centres, care facilities and alternative education programs.
You will examine the elements of cultural, gender and disability diversity in Canada and the processes that promote inclusion. You will explore elements of Indigenous culture with a view to understanding both historical elements and contemporary issues in Canada. Your studies will also provide opportunities to participate in various cultural practices.
Credit Units: 3
Course Hours: 45.0
You will develop employability skills through the study of interpersonal communications theory and applications in the workplace. Learning outcomes include the importance of self-awareness and self-esteem, perception problems, verbal and nonverbal messages, and listening skills, creating positive communication climates and resolving interpersonal conflict.
Credit Units: 2
Course Hours: 30.0
You will be introduced to individual learning styles and other factors that influence learning differences in students. You will learn strategies that facilitate student learning including instructional approaches, classroom management, effective observation and recording, and the role of Personal Program Plans (PPP).
Credit Units: 3
Course Hours: 45.0
You will be provided with an overview of the Saskatchewan curriculum with a focus on language arts, technology, basic mathematics and land-based education. You will expand your knowledge of strategies to provide educational support under a teacher’s supervision.
Credit Units: 4
Course Hours: 60.0
Prerequisites(s): EDUC 180
You will examine the dynamics of the Canadian family, the influence of family structure on the individual’s values and the mental, cultural and physical challenges faced by the families of today.
Credit Units: 3
Course Hours: 45.0
You will study the developmental milestones from conception to adolescence. The course provides an introduction to the theories of learning and personality, brain development and methods of studying human behavior, including indigenous worldviews. You will learn about the effects of heredity and the environment, including culture, on the emotional, social, cognitive and physical development of children and behavior.
Credit Units: 3
Course Hours: 45.0
You will discuss perspectives that educators have regarding the classroom and behaviour. You will examine how cognitive development plays a role in guiding behaviour. You will be able to describe the role that the environment plays in determining and guiding behaviour. You will be introduced to an overview of positive guidance and have the opportunity to select and implement strategies that teach self-control and self-regulation. You will also learn about traditional Indigenous practices as they apply to guiding behavior.
Credit Units: 4
Course Hours: 60.0
You will develop essential job skills by preparing job search documents and practicing effective interpersonal communication skills for the workplace.
Credit Units: 1
Course Hours: 15.0
You will explore and build employability skills needed to become a professional educator. You will learn about the expertise, skills, and disposition of a well-qualified educational assistant. Students will receive Certification in Workplace Hazardous Information System (WHNIS) and Safe Food Handling upon completion of this course.
Credit Units: 4
Course Hours: 60.0
You will learn and demonstrate the attitudes and skills of providing personal and physical daily care to persons with disabilities. You will learn the essential role of dignity and respect in person-centered planning and care. You will discuss your legal and ethical responsibilities while providing care. You will develop skills to safely assist individuals with activities of daily living and to support their optimal levels of independence. You will study the process of medication administration.
Credit Units: 3
Course Hours: 45.0
You will examine the various components of wellness from both a western and Indigenous perspective. You will also develop skills to practice self-care.
Credit Units: 3
Course Hours: 45.0
You will participate in a four-week practicum in a K – 6 or grade 7 -12 classroom setting. You will have the opportunity to apply theory to practice while supporting and assisting the classroom teacher. Under the supervision of the classroom teacher, you will work in basic subject areas with individuals or small groups.
Credit Units: 8
Course Hours: 120.0
Prerequisites(s): EDUC 180, PD 101, SPSY 281, HUMD 101
You will participate in a four-week practicum in a K– 6 or grade 7 -12 classroom setting. You will have the opportunity to apply theory to practice while supporting and assisting the classroom teacher. Under the supervision of classroom teachers, you will work with students who have challenging needs.
Credit Units: 8
Course Hours: 120.0
Prerequisites(s): EDUC 180, JOBS 125, CLTR 100, PERS 104, PD 101, SPSY 281, HUMD 101, PERS 103, HUMD 100, FMLY 181, COMM 291, SPSY 282, EDUC 181, PRAC 174
You will be provided with an introduction to the area of exceptionalities. You will discuss issues and trends in the field and problems associated with defining and identifying individuals with exceptionalities. You will study, in depth, specific areas of exceptionality: speech and language differences, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities and giftedness. Emphasis will be on the developmental consequences of having a disability and intervention strategies used with individuals with disabilities.
Credit Units: 3
Course Hours: 45.0
You will study in-depth specific areas of exceptionality: emotional and behavioural disorders, sensory impairments, traumatic brain injury and other low-incidence disabilities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Emphasis will be on the developmental consequences of having a disability and intervention strategies used with individuals with disabilities. You will review classroom organization and management with students with special learning needs, issues related to special education in secondary schools, and working with families of students with exceptionalities.
Credit Units: 3
Course Hours: 45.0
Prerequisites(s): SPSY 281