Part-Time Teacher Assistant - Head Start

United Community Action Network (UCAN) is a poverty fighting non-profit located in Southern Oregon. Founded in 1969 by low-income community organizers, UCAN now operates programming across four departments, delivering programs to equip our neighbors experiencing the symptoms of poverty with resources and opportunities to help them reach their full social, civic, and economic potential. Our dedicated and energetic employees provide essential and supportive services to individuals and families. We take pride in caring for our communities each and every day.

In partnership with teaching staff, Teacher Assistants provide education services to children and their families enrolled in assigned classrooms.    

PART-TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE!  Head Start Teacher Assistant:  Part-Time 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:

The essential functions of this position require prioritizing and completing all assigned tasks in a timely and efficient manner, adjusting for changing priorities and availability of resources, and demonstrating initiative in identifying additional job-related tasks to be completed when time permits.  These duties are a representative example of position expectations.  Actual duties assigned may vary and change depending on the business needs of the department and the agency.

• Willingly work at any classroom site assigned. Assist bus driver in transporting children by maintaining safe and orderly conduct on the bus (if assisting in a bussed class). 
• Share responsibility of maintaining a safe and healthy classroom environment. Under guidance of the teacher take observations on children and enter into the web based data system. Maintain a receptive atmosphere in the classroom through open communication. 
• Nurture children and respond to their individual needs using developmentally appropriate practices while following a consistent schedule, which includes small and large group experiences, choice time, music and movement, large and small motor activities, skill development, meals, and transitions between activities. 
• Deliver Safety Sam training to children on the bus and in the classroom. 
• Encourage parent participation in the classroom, field trips, and other family activities. 
• Within a team of lead teacher, teacher and classroom assistant, assist in classroom; maintain awareness of classroom plans through daily review of lesson plans, and support team with implementation of all activities.  Maintain open communication with all team members.  Participate in providing a safe and healthy environment on a daily basis.  Attend family fun night. 
• Provide food service in compliance with sanitation and USDA regulations.  Assist with food transportation to classroom. 
• Observe children weekly as directed by teacher. 
• Report and document incidents of suspected child abuse and neglect to DHS and child development services supervisor within 24 hours of incident. 
• Respect the confidentiality of information about Head Start children and families, staff and personnel issues, and agency operations.
• Provide exceptional and measurable customer service to internal and external customers with timely and accurate responses to their inquiries and concerns.  Exercise tact, courtesy, and diplomacy when interacting with clients, contractors, vendors and others with whom we may work while enhancing the Company’s public image at all times. Respond to all inquiries for information respectfully without regard to the inquirer’s position, status, or demographic and in a manner that conveys understanding, acceptance and support for UCAN’s programs and objectives.
• Communicate in a professional, respectful and courteous manner with all employees, clients, the Board of Directors, and others with whom we may work. Contribute to a successful work group and foster a team-oriented culture through positive interactions, active listening, meaningful collaborations, and the constructive exchange of ideas.
• Complete designated job tasks, special projects and all other duties as assigned to meet team, department and agency goals while actively demonstrating accountability, high levels of employee engagement, and responsibility for achieving desired outcomes and measurable results.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Qualified candidates for this position will have relevant education and experience necessary to perform the essential functions and meet the minimum performance expectations for this position with or without an accommodation.

• Reasonable knowledge of child development and behaviors and abilities of preschool children.
• Skill in observing, identifying, and recording children’s levels of development; basic use of computers.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to develop, establish and maintain effective, professional, collaborative, and collegial working relationships with customers, other employees, contractors, vendors, and others with whom we may work.
• Demonstrated ability and competency to work with a diverse population of clients, contractors, vendors and co-workers of all ages, including people who may be aggressive, belligerent and/or hostile, confused and/or disoriented, or who may be suffering from a medical or physical impairment.
• Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written forms with internal and external customers, vendors, contractors, and other diverse audiences while providing outstanding customer service.  Demonstrated ability competency to communicate clearly and concisely in both individual and group presentation settings.
• Ability to make decisions independently in accordance with established policies.
• Well-reasoned decision making with a high attention to detail in actual work product, organization, planning, workflow, and project prioritization to ensure tasks are completed efficiently and accurately.
• Naturally self-motivated, confident individual with ability to work independently and/or with limited direction, as well as cooperatively in a team environment, while consistently demonstrating collaborative, respectful and productive work habits.  Actively pursue professional development opportunities to add value to the agency and to help the agency meet its strategic goals and objectives.
• Highly ethical individual who applies ethical standards of behavior to daily work activities.  Takes responsibility for actions and decisions and fosters a work environment where integrity is rewarded. Exercises discretion when involved in highly confidential and sensitive matters.
• Demonstrated experience and competency operating and working effectively and efficiently with computers and other forms of office technology, electronic data, computer programs and software applications, especially Microsoft 365, Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams.  Ability to use electronic timekeeping system is required.

Required Licenses & Certifications

• Prior to hire and continuously during employment - enrollment in the Oregon Department of Education, Early Learning Division, Criminal Background Registry.
• Continuously during employment – complete annual training and education requirements.
• Acquire first aid card and renew as necessary to keep current.
• Acquire an initial food handler’s card and renew as necessary to keep current.
• Within 45 days of appointment – participate in Head Start Staff Health Appraisal.

Education & Experience

 Teacher Assistant 1:

• Associates degree in Early Childhood education or a Child Development Associate (CDA) in early childhood education is preferred.
• One year early childhood certificate or less than Step 7 on the Oregon Registry Online (ORO) is preferred.
• Experience working with preschool children.
• An equivalent combination of experience and education that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position will be considered in lieu of the outlined requirements.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The physical effort typically applied in this job includes:

·         Bending

·         Lifting

·         Reaching

·         Walking

·         Carrying

·         Manipulating

·         Sitting

·         Pulling

·         Stooping

·         Keyboarding

·         Pushing

·         Standing

The amount of lifting effort typically applied and the percent of time the effort is applied:

·         Less than 1lb. – More than 70%

·         Between 1 & 5 lbs. - More than 70%

·         Between 5 & 25 lbs. - 40% to 70%

·         Between 25 & 60 lbs. - 15% to 40%

·         More than 60 lbs. - Less than 15%

MENTAL OR VISUAL DEMANDS

·         Continuous mental and/or visual attention; the work is either repetitive or diversified requiring constant alertness to monitor the production process and/or identify defects.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The kinds of disagreeable elements the employee would typically be exposed to in the work area include:

·         Noise

Description of the physical surroundings or conditions under which the job is typically performed and the extent of exposure to the disagreeable elements noted above:

·         Work is typically performed under reasonably good working conditions; while exposure to any or all of the above elements may occur, such exposure is generally not present to the extent of being disagreeable.

AVAILABILITY AND ATTENDANCE

Due to (a) the nature and scope of the essential functions, (b) the importance of personal interactions between this position, employees, clients and other members of the public, and (c) the availability of job-related tools, equipment and resources at work, performance of the essential functions requires regular, consistent and on-site attendance while working independently and with others during our normal business hours, a combination of regular and consistent availability, accessibility and presence on-site.

·         Regular and consistent attendance is required.

·         Hours of work are during normal business hours and may require occasional evenings and weekends.

·         Non-exempt employees may be expected to work varying amounts of overtime during periods of high-volume work or to accomplish special projects.

FLSA STATUS

Non-Exempt