Teacher Assistant; WG - HS

Job Overview

This position is responsible for providing children with a safe and developmentally appropriate environment that promotes the child’s cognitive, social/emotional, health, and physical development through effective delivery of instruction/activities as directed by the Teacher, in accordance with Head Start performance standards and Federal, State, and Local regulations. The Teacher Assistant will be assigned to a specific Head Start classroom.

Full-time

• Promotes and models the organization’s Core Values.
• Always ensures the safety and well‑being of children while under AVANCE’s care.
• Follows program confidentiality policies concerning information about parents, children, and other staff members.
• Provides individually appropriate activities in the classroom and knows each child’s capabilities and modes of learning.
• Promotes feelings of security and trust in the children by being warm, supportive, and comforting, and by establishing strong and caring relationships with them.
• Maintains an open, friendly, and cooperative relationship with each child and parent, encourages their involvement in the program, and promotes parent‑child bonding and nurturing relationships.
• Plans and prepares healthy and safe activities and supplies needed according to lesson plans and as directed by the Teacher.
• Ensures that parents sign‑in their children on the daily sign‑in logs in each classroom and that parents sign‑in on the correct day and time; logs are documented.
• Ensures that parents label all children’s belongings and that all belongings are returned at the end of the program year.
• Maintains proper hygiene for children and all equipment and space used for care of children.
• Reports suspected neglect, abuse, medical conditions/illnesses immediately to the Teacher and Education Coordinator.
• Maintains assigned child’s Portfolio and other documentation as specified by the Teacher and Education Coordinator.
• Attends meetings and training sessions as specified by the Coordinator of Education Services.
• Works cooperatively and effectively as a team member.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Senior Coordinator of Education Services, the Coordinator of Education Services, or Senior Management.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education –

Required:

• Preschool CDA (Child Development Associate Credential) or Associate degree in Early Childhood Education or related field with the required 18 hours of Early Childhood Development.

Education – Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Business Administration, or related field and at least 18 hours of early childhood development coursework completed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Six (6) months in a licensed childcare facility or in a public/private school or early childhood facility, or has completed an early childhood degree program where practicum(s) were required.

Additional

Skills Required:

• Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office software applications, including advanced skills in Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Spanish fluency helpful, but not required.
• Demonstrated ability to achieve high performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks with excellent attention to detail.
• Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, board members, external partners, and donors.
• Emotional maturity.
• Highly resourceful team player, able to work independently and manage numerous simultaneous projects.
• Forward‑looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions.
• Strong analytical, presentation, verbal, and written communication skills, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Ability to generate, analyze, evaluate, and summarize reports.
• Ability to travel to various training sessions.
• CPR and First Aid Training.
• Must have dependable transportation daily, a valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, current auto liability insurance, and be bondable by AVANCE, San Antonio, Inc.