Nonprofessional personnel can play an important role in the classroom as teacher aides, especially in a bilingual situation where a particular language background can prove invaluable in developing language skills among the students. The presence of a teacher assistant increases the opportunities for individual instruction. Potential teacher aides can be found within the local community, and training programs and workshops organized within the school system can prepare them for the classroom situation; an organized, extended training schedule could help some advance to the point of becoming fully-qualified teachers. (VM)