Early Childhood Teaching Assistant

• Type: Full-Time 10-month
• Supervisor: Judy Wahl, Head of Early Childhood
• Location: Chicago, IL, on-site
• Starting Date: ASAP

Cook is a vibrant and inclusive learning community where curiosity, connection, and compassion are at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to developing creative, collaborative problem solvers who tackle global challenges from multiple perspectives. Our dedicated faculty and staff help students from preschool through 8th grade become empowered learners and leaders.

All Cook employees are trained and supported in incorporating wellness and belonging into their work with students and adults. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and social-emotional learning (SEL) are the cornerstones upon which we build a curriculum and community. At Cook, we commit to all community members being active learners, from our preschool students to us as adults.

We invite you to consider how Cook will benefit from having you, along with your experiences in educating and learning, as a part of our community.

Catherine Cook School seeks a vibrant and innovative Early Childhood Teaching Assistant. Early Childhood is PS (3-year-olds), JK (4-year-olds), SK (5-year-olds). This position is vital to building warm, respectful, and supportive relationships with students and cultivating a safe and stimulating learning environment. Teacher Assistants help create the foundation for a smoothly functioning classroom team by communicating openly and honestly with the lead teacher about roles, duties, and classroom routines.

• Growing as a lifelong learner through active participation in meetings, book groups, and other professional development opportunities

• Applying skills as supported by training and protocols for proactive and responsive community building.

• Proactively and reflectively communicating through various platforms the vision, goals, and progress of your work with both internal and external collaborators

• Proactively and reflectively communicating student learning and classroom experiences through documentation platforms (e.g., Seesaw), making learning visible to families and colleagues.

• Growing our culture of belonging and wellness through active participation in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and social-emotional learning (SEL) efforts

• Serving as an Ambassador for our Enrollment Management and Development efforts

• Connecting with and caring for students and colleagues through weekly duties and administrative tasks

• Employing Google and Outlook Applications for individual and team collaboration and communication

The ideal candidate is a collaborative and proactive educator who deeply understands the nuances of early childhood development. They should embody:

• The ability to work seamlessly with a Lead Teacher while also possessing the confidence to lead the classroom independently when the Lead is away, including managing a substitute teacher's role and interactions.

• The skill to implement the Responsive Classroom approach, SEL development, and model ROARS (respect, ownership, appreciation, responsibility, and safety) values, using a respectful, kind tone that encourages students to take risks in a safe environment.

• A proactive 'see a need, fill a need' mindset, whether that means prepping a last-minute art material or stepping in to comfort a student during a transition

• A foundational understanding of Emergent Curriculum and Inquiry-Based Learning, with a genuine desire to learn more and share those insights with the team.

• A foundational understanding of child…