Assistant Teacher Early Childhood

Assistant Teacher

The Assistant Teacher provides daily care to children in a Head Start/Early Head Start (HS/EHS) classroom using appropriate child guidance techniques and building responsive relationships with classroom teachers, staff, children and families. The Assistant Teacher assists co-teacher(s) in maintaining a safe, clean, and healthy work environment. The Assistant Teacher ensures that all regulations and mandates for federal, state, and local licensing are met and works with co-teachers and family members to achieve positive outcomes for children of all abilities.

Essential Functions:

• Promote and contribute to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures, beliefs, abilities, and experiences.
• Support and individualize the physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development of each child in the classroom.
• Demonstrate capacity for providing developmentally sensitive, evidence based, hope centered and trauma informed services and supports.
• Perform the functions of this position with a strong understanding of the Head Start Performance Standards.
• Ensure compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), federal and state regulation, and DHS Child Care Licensing requirements.
• Work with co-teacher(s) to maintain a safe, clean, and healthy learning environment, and assure the wellbeing and safety of children in their care.
• Observe children to detect signs of illness, injury, emotional disturbances, learning disorders, speech problems or other special needs, and report those signs immediately to the supervisor for required or necessary follow-up.
• Work with the supervisor to ensure the child-staff ratio is maintained at all times.
• Encourage and model language expansion, extended learning, and problem solving strategies throughout the day.
• Conduct home visits and parent-teacher conferences in accordance with HSPPS to share each child's progress with parents.
• Work cooperatively with other staff assigned to the classroom as a team to involve all parents with the children, and to encourage the active participation of all parents in the program.
• Participate in ongoing professional development through education, role modeling, mentoring, training, and resources.
• Ensure implementation of HS/EHS written curriculum plan.
• Maintain record keeping and reporting systems to ensure accurate information with timely completion and follow-up.
• Work in a team setting with all staff to determine individual needs of children including children with disabilities or special needs.
• Ensure that files are complete, accurate, and confidentially maintained.
• Participate in and attend all staff meetings, trainings, and certification courses as required.
• Perform other appropriate and related responsibilities as assigned by supervisor or member of the Executive Team.

Job

Qualification:

Education:

Associate degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE), Child Development, Elem Ed, or Early Childhood Special Education (transcripts required); OR Oklahoma Certification of Mastery in Early Childhood,
-OR
- Infant/Toddler Child Development Associate (CDA) certification AND early childhood development training or coursework.

Certification: CPR/First Aid Certification (or within 30 days of hire), maintained throughout employment.

Skills:

Caring and compassionate attitude when interacting with and caring for children and families. Knowledge and understanding of state and local child care licensing requirements. Excellent command of English language and grammar, both verbal and written. Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft applications and the ability to master other software as needed. Good organizational and time management skills. Must work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

Exercise independent judgment. Communicate in a professional manner, demonstrating dignity, respect for our internal, external, and community members. Process, protect and exercise discretion in handling confidential information and materials. Sustained concentration to detail and accuracy, along with the ability to prioritize workload. Willingness to work with high-risk, low-income communities.

Working Conditions:

Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to frequently communicate with staff and others, and must be able to exchange accurate information when doing so. Employees must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time and occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office equipment, attend meetings, etc. Must be able to operate and use a computer.

Must be able to detect, discern, distinguish, observe, inspect and compare. Occasionally must be able to move needed materials weighing up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment:
Employees will work in a school environment, may work in close quarters with other staff and small children. The noise level in the work environment varies from moderate to loud; frequent…