Science Teaching Assistant

Position Summary

Strive Charter School is seeking energetic, dependable, and student-centered Science Teaching Assistants to support Lead Science Teachers in implementing our Living Science Curriculum during the school day. Additional after-school and weekend hours may also be available based on program needs.

Strive Charter School

Hourly

40-50 hours per week

Strive Charter School is open seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Employees will receive an assigned schedule based on program and staffing needs. Science Teaching Assistants should be prepared to support programming during the school day as well as assigned after-school, evening, or weekend activities when needed.

• Support the Lead Science Teacher in delivering engaging, hands-on science lessons, laboratories, demonstrations, engineering challenges, and investigations.
• Work with individual students and small groups to reinforce scientific observation, questioning, classification, measurement, data collection, modeling, and evidence-based thinking.
• Encourage students to observe and investigate before providing answers, using questions such as, "What do you notice?" and "What is your evidence?"
• Assist students with the safe and appropriate use of scientific tools, including magnifying glasses, binoculars, measuring tools, field journals, models, and other age-appropriate equipment.
• Prepare classrooms, science shelves, investigation stations, materials, specimens, equipment, student recording sheets, and activity spaces before lessons.
• Reset, clean, organize, and safely store science materials and equipment following investigations.
• Help maintain plants, approved classroom animals, natural materials, garden materials, specimens, and other living or hands-on components of the science program.
• Support students in completing scientific drawings, field journals, data tables, graphs, maps, models, investigation booklets, and engineering records.
• Assist students in distinguishing observations from inferences and in using evidence to explain their scientific thinking.
• Support field investigations at locations such as the Bronx Zoo, community garden, school grounds, and other approved outdoor learning spaces.
• Help students collect age-appropriate field evidence, including drawings, tallies, maps, habitat observations, biodiversity counts, behavior observations, and other investigation data.
• Supervise students during science classes, field experiences, outdoor investigations, transitions, meals, arrival, dismissal, and enrichment activities as assigned.
• Provide clear instructions and age-appropriate academic and behavioral support.
• Reinforce classroom expectations for curiosity, collaboration, independence, responsible use of materials, and respectful treatment of living things.
• Maintain a safe, organized, inclusive, and positive science learning environment.
• Model and reinforce all science-lab, outdoor-learning, classroom-animal, and school safety procedures.
• Support positive student behavior using the school's expectations and procedures.
• Monitor student participation, engagement, scientific habits, progress, and well-being.
• Share relevant observations about student learning, behavior, participation, or support needs with the Lead Science Teacher.
• Assist with collecting and organizing student work, field journals, investigation records, models, presentations, and assessment materials.
• Support students during science projects, performance tasks, presentations, exhibitions, and year-end capstone experiences.
• Adapt support and activities to meet students’ different ages, interests, abilities, and learning needs.
• Build supportive relationships with students, families, colleagues, and school leaders.
• Communicate attendance issues, behavioral concerns, injuries, incidents, equipment concerns, and supply needs to the appropriate supervisor.
• Assist with inventorying and maintaining science supplies and notify the Lead Science Teacher when materials need to be replenished.
• Support interdisciplinary connections between science and literacy, mathematics, art, geography, writing, research, and presentation skills.
• Assist with cleaning and organizing classrooms, laboratory areas, outdoor-learning spaces, and shared program spaces.
• Follow all school policies, emergency procedures, health requirements, and student-safety protocols.
• Attend required staff meetings, training sessions, planning meetings, and professional-development activities.
• Participate in training related to the Living Science Curriculum, inquiry-based science instruction, field science, classroom safety, and student support.
• Perform other duties related to the successful implementation of the Living Science and enrichment programs as assigned.

• Make a meaningful difference in students’ lives.
• Help children discover new interests, skills, and talents.
• Work in an active, creative, and collaborative school environment.
• Gain valuable…