Preschool Program Associate

Hours:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:30am - 4:00pm
• Wednesday: 8:30am - 12:30pm

• High School Diploma
• Experience with early childhood education preferred

• Prep Daily Materials
  • Prepare “Question of the Day” for the week.
  • Change out “LETTER of the Day” and record letter sound.
  • Change out “Question of the Day” and record question.
  • Make copies for weekly journal, name writing or other materials as needed
• Small Group & Large Group Support
  • Prep small groups.
  • Assist in running small groups.
  • Take over large group instruction when needed, based on student behavior.
  • Support all children during large groups by encouraging and modeling appropriate positive behavior (body basics, hands to self, listening ears, etc.)
  • Support children in need with adaptive materials during large group instruction and read aloud.
• Morning/Afternoon Class Setup
  • Prep tables for morning fine motor activity.
  • Switch out attendance pictures for morning and afternoon.
  • Prepare snacks for class.
• Classroom Teacher Support
  • Assist with GOLD data collection.
  • Assist classroom teachers with all required home visits at the beginning of the year.
  • Help with math and literacy assessments.
  • Make copies, print, laminate materials for teachers.
  • Assist classroom teacher with supervision of all students throughout the day (IQPPS maintain classroom ratios)
  • Collaborate weekly with classroom teachers on center activities and crafts.
  • Prepare materials to support the teacher's lesson plans.
• Meetings
  • Program associate meeting (required monthly).
  • Leadership team meeting (monthly).
  • Participate in weekly 30-min classroom meetings (required)
  • Required monthly all-staff meetings
• Arrival & Dismissal Duties
  • Supervise classroom during arrival and/or dismissal: this is a daily split duty with the classroom teacher. One performs required duty while the other supervises the classroom.
  • Get kids out of cars at AM and PM arrival (all preschool classrooms).
  • Walk all classroom children to their parents' car at dismissal time.
  • Other dismissal duties: caller, traffic/stop sign
  • Assist classroom teachers with all transitions for all students.
  • Assist all children with arrival and dismissal routines including helping with coats, zippers, mittens, snow gear.
• Student Interaction & Care
  • Support peer interactions.
  • Engage with all children teaching positive social/emotional skills by helping them identify feelings, support and model calm-down strategies.
  • Support all children with problem solving skills and conflict resolution.
  • Help children understand language (non-English speaking children) with visuals and body language.
  • Assist students with toileting as needed
  • Take sick children to nurse
  • Work directly with all students. Reinforce the implementation of teacher’s classroom learning targets.
  • Assist all students with daily fine motor skills: name writing, cutting, gluing, painting, zippers, buttons, opening snack packages, etc.
  • Lead groups of children in weekly art projects.
• Documentation & Communication
  • Document (take photos) children's learning and play and upload to Seesaw for family viewing.
  • Organize and file all student’s learning artifacts to be shared at family conferences and end of year portfolio.
  • Assist with collection of GOLD data. This entails working with individual children and small groups; observing students during large group instruction, learning centers and outdoor learning.
• Classroom Environment
  • Help maintain classroom routines.
  • Assist teacher with beginning of year classroom set up (contract starts one week prior to students arriving).
  • Display and switch out all student work throughout the year.
  • Help adapt story maps.
  • Prepare and organize materials, manipulatives, and toys for each learning center (Sensory, Art, Library, Dramatic Play, Blocks, Toys and Games, Discovery) which reflect the weekly or monthly study and/or student interests. Change out as student interests fade or unit study changes.(All toys, manipulatives, and supplies require picture label per IQPPS)
  • Set up a dramatic play center to support the curriculum unit of study: create theme (i.e. vet clinic, building/construction site, apple orchard, etc.), prepare materials, change out toys, create backdrops and label…