With more students requiring individualized support, the demand for trained EAs continues to grow across Canada. Herzing College’s Educational Assistant program was designed to prepare students for the realities of today’s classrooms, with a strong focus on inclusive education, assistive technology, and real-world skills.

To build a program that truly reflects what happens in schools, we partnered with Sandra and John Melo. Sandra is a former resource teacher and principal who served as the Director of Curriculum, Assessment, and Professional Learning for an urban school division. John has a background in adult education training in the business sector as well as experience working with people who are neurodivergent and have specific needs. He has been an EA for the past five years.

We spoke with Sandra and John about how the EA role is evolving, what students will learn in the program, and where this career path can take you.

Q. What inspired the development of the Educational Assistant program?

John: I think there’s a great need for it. Herzing approached us to help develop a course that would reflect the current nature of the educational assistant role.

Just to give you an idea, there are schools in my area that have more EAs than teachers. This is quite typical and the needs continue to grow. I know every school is different, but when I started this job, I was surprised to learn how many EAs worked to support students in a school.

Q. What makes Herzing’s program unique?

John: We felt it was really important to have this program match the everyday reality of what an EA could expect. The goal is to match the theoretical with the practical.

So that’s where we went really deep. We tried to make it so that it was almost walking in the footsteps of an EA’s role versus reading a book about what the job is like.

Sandra: Where Herzing really stands out is that they’re using the same language that the school divisions are currently using. Over the years, the language around neurodivergent thinking or what EAs need to know in the classroom has changed. So the beauty of Herzing’s program is that it’s really up to date with current educational perspectives. Everything that’s in it is something EAs are going to hear in the schools.

John: As one example, Herzing’s program introduces the students to educational technology and what EAs could find in the schools that’s being used. This is important because many EAs are caught off guard when required to use technology to support students.

Sandra: If an EA can come to the classroom knowing ahead of time what Proloquo2Go is, and they know that’s an assistive technology for kids who have difficulty speaking, that’s huge. Not every program addresses that.

Q. How has the role of an EA changed over the past few years?

Sandra: The needs have changed because schools are doing a better job of assessing students and understanding and recognizing students’ particular needs.

Every child has a right to learn to the best of their abilities. And if we don’t start training our frontline people to know more about what these kids are coming to school with or experiencing at school in their learning, then we’re not doing anybody a favour.

Schools thrive on teams that work together as a collective to meet student needs. EAs going through the Herzing program will get a holistic experience of what schools are like and what the role entails.

Educational assistants are playing a bigger role on the team, and yet they typically have the least depth of training. With this program, we wanted to make sure that we touch deeply on some really important factors that affect kids’ lives. So courses were developed around cultural responsiveness, technology, and Indigenous perspectives.

Q. Can you give some examples of assignments or projects that students do?

Sandra: We use things like journal writing, simulations, and role plays as well as traditional tests and quizzes. We will model adaptations for Herzing learners just as we would for our students. There’s lots of self-reflection about bias and what students are coming in with. It really asks them to dig in and think about the school experience.

The program is partly online, but it also has a lab component. We have a classroom space so that we can meet a couple times a week. That in-person piece is important because classrooms can be set up in different ways for different reasons.

For instance, there’s low arousal, which is like reducing stimulation for kids. A room that’s set up in a low arousal philosophy has minimal things on the wall. You might have a couple of lights turned off. So it’s important that students experience what the kids are experiencing. We plan to model the classroom like classrooms around the province.

Q. Who would you say this program is a good fit for?

Sandra: It’s a great fit for anyone who’s willing to learn. It could be a young person who wants to experience education before they become a teacher. Or it could be someone who’s switching careers and has other human services experience.

What we want is people who understand kids and enjoy working with kids. Let’s say we have a Nigerian immigrant who was a teacher in Nigeria but can’t get a teaching certificate here. That person is already committed to children or young adults, right? This program will give them an opportunity to work in the field while honing in on the skills they need for the Canadian education system.

John: The EA position might be a really good fit for people like myself who are coming from other careers and are looking for an opportunity in a high-demand job that is in the helping line of work. Why not consider helping out in the schools? It is a rewarding and fulfilling experience.

Q. If the demand is there, can grads expect lots of opportunities?

Sandra: At a minimum, I believe they’re going to get casual employment if not permanent employment. We’re short all the time. Certainly in the metro school divisions, that would be the case.

John: I don’t think there’s a day that goes by where we don’t call for more help because people are away for many reasons. If you want to work as an EA, if you want the hours, you could get the hours, even as a casual employee.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANT PROGRAM AT HERZING

The Educational Assistant program at Herzing College combines flexible online learning with in-person training and a practicum, so you graduate ready to support students in real classrooms.

Click below to explore the program details and connect with an admissions advisor to get your questions answered.