What is the main responsibility of an instructional assistant?

The main responsibility of an instructional assistant is to support the classroom teacher. This support can take many forms, such as helping with classroom management, providing additional assistance to students who need help, preparing instructional materials, and facilitating small group activities. By assisting the teacher, the instructional assistant plays a crucial role in enhancing the learning environment and ensuring that all students have the opportunity to succeed.

Leading the class independently is typically not a role assigned to instructional assistants, as they primarily work under the direction of the teacher. Evaluating teacher performance falls under administrative roles and is not part of the instructional assistant's duties. Preparing lesson plans exclusively is also not a responsibility of an instructional assistant, as lesson planning is primarily the role of the classroom teacher, while the assistant may assist in implementing those plans. Thus, supporting the teacher is the core function of an instructional assistant, making it the correct answer.