Excellent Beginnings PreK Instr. Asst. - 188 Days

Excellent Beginnings - PreK Instructional Assistant

The instructional assistant provides instructional assistance and works directly with children in the classroom.

• Plans for and implements pleasant arrivals and departures.
• Uses routines to build relationships and learning opportunities.
• Shows respect for children and encourages respectful interactions.
• Uses language to build relationships and strengthen the child's social and emotional competencies.
• Uses indirect and direct behavior guidance techniques.
• Supports children as they learn to resolve their own conflicts.
• Strives to meet each child's individual needs.
• Accompanies assigned children and knows counts at all times.
• Maintains a clean, organized, inviting classroom environment that is safe and developmentally appropriate.
• Uses the outdoors as part of the learning environment, takes the children outside daily and complies with playground supervision procedures.
• Teaches and guides the development of good eating and health habits.
• Continually rotates and sanitizes materials and disposes of broken or recalled items.
• Assists in maintaining children's portfolios and promotes positive outcomes and progress in all areas of child development and early learning.
• Completes developmental assessments within the given time frame as well as completes observations for ongoing assessments and utilizes technology to enter data.
• Utilizes technology to complete family/child data entry into computer systems and ensures all record keeping/reports that are required.

• Performs other related tasks as assigned by the Assistant Director of Early Childhood Education or Superintendent of Schools/Superintendent's Designee.

Note:

The above description is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities. It is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task or responsibility.

Equipment:

• Uses standard office equipment such as personal computers, printers, copy and fax machines, and telephone.

Travel Requirements:

• Travels to school district buildings and professional meetings as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Mental Ability:

• Ability to maintain emotional control and make decisions in stressful situations.
• Ability to efficiently gather information used to make sound decisions.
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of privileged and sensitive information.
• Knowledge of best practices in Early Childhood Education.
• Knowledge of data information systems.
• Ability to effectively communicate in both written and oral formats with staff and community.
• Ability to work with people of various personality types.
• Ability to write clearly and concisely.
• Possess sound emotional judgment.
• Ability to use computer network systems and software applications as needed.
• Ability to implement, and maintain the vision and mission of programs.
• Ability to organize multiple tasks and conflicting time constraints.
• Ability to engage in self-evaluation concerning performance, and professional growth.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others contacted in the course of work.
• Attends all staff meetings and meets program requirements of professional development.
• Ensures staff-childcare ratios are maintained at all times.
• Mandated reporter under the Arkansas Child Maltreatment Reporting Act.

Working Conditions:

• Maintain emotional control under stress.
• Maintains a professional appearance.
• Frequent interruptions.
• Some travel within and outside the district boundaries when required.
• Accepts responsibility for job-related tasks.
• Knows and follows emergency procedures and risk management protocol.
• Works in standard office and school building environments.
• Frequent contact with staff, community, and/or other district/campus employees.
• Daily attendance and punctuality are essential functions of the job.
• Lifts 10-30 pounds regularly; up to 50 pounds on occasion.

Job Qualifications:

• Meet training requirements of DHS
• Minimum Licensing Associate's Degree Preferred
• Five (5) years of Early Childhood Experience Preferred