Teacher Aide, Head Start

Overview

Start Early Lake County, located in Beach Park, IL, provides high-quality care, best-in-class education, and a stimulating learning environment to children from birth to five years old. As a program that serves low-income families, our research-based approach helps children develop literacy, language, early math, and social-emotional skills to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. We are recruiting individuals who share our core values of appreciation & respect, empowerment, diversity, excellence, learning, and communication.

The Teacher Aide works cooperatively with the Lead Teacher and Teacher Assistant to plan and implement the daily education program for the children. Under the reflective supervision of the Lead Teacher, the Teacher Aide will support the Lead Teacher and Teacher Assistant in ensuring that all classroom activities and the environment are developmentally appropriate and meet the individual needs of children as mandated by federal, state and local standards and reflect the agency’s philosophy and curriculum.

• Administrative Responsibilities:
  Accurately complete all required program documentation and submit in a timely manner to the Lead Teacher. Participate in recruitment efforts to help maintain full program enrollment. Monitor and ensure that daily attendance, health checks, parent sign/scan in, and meal participation reports are completed daily. Read and respond to Outlook emails daily.
• Child Development:
  Observe and document children’s health, skills, behavior, growth and development as needed. Adhere to all IEP, IFSP, IHP Implementation Plans and/or strategies provided by Education Managers and/or Consultants. Provide opportunities for children to develop positive self-images and experience success. Participate in Family/Child Reviews. Identify any developmental concerns and follow agency protocol.
• Curriculum and Assessment:
  In conjunction with the classroom teaching team, plan and implement developmentally appropriate experiences that promote social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Contribute to lesson plans with goals, objectives, experiences and outcomes. Utilize standardized and authentic assessment data to create learning opportunities and advance development. Maintain observation, technological and individualization skills for assessment and lesson planning, including completing all assigned trainings.
  
  Contribute to a classroom environment aligning with Educare’s philosophy, curriculum, policies, Head Start standards, Start Early standards of conduct and state regulations.
• Classroom Environment:
  Maintain a classroom environment with positive guidance techniques that meets state and local licensing regulations, Head Start Program Performance Standards, and program curriculum/approach. Implement New Beginnings and Erikson Early Math Lessons into individualized and group learning opportunities and reflect the use of ITERS or ECERS guidelines.
• Parent Involvement:
  Encourage parent participation in the program, including events, home visits, conferences, and volunteering. Develop positive partnerships with families using the Touchpoints Approach (when trained). Maintain professional boundaries in daily conversations with families. Participate in family engagement and recruitment events.
• Other:
  Follow all applicable federal, state and local regulations, and Start Early policies. Attend required meetings and trainings, and reflective supervision. Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of the job description. Administer medication as needed (e.g., nebulizer treatment, Epipen).
• Virtual Learning:
  Develop partnerships with families to plan activities and collect information about developmental progress. Maintain both center-based and virtual classrooms. Collaborate with Family Support Specialists to conduct interdisciplinary virtual programming and promote family engagement. Implement virtual learning experiences under the guidance of the Lead Teacher.

• A minimum of six months experience in an early childhood program.
• High School Diploma or G.E.D. with thirty (30) semester hours of college coursework including…