Middle School Teacher Assistant

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Length of position: 189 days- Classified

Hours: Full time, 40 hours

SUMMARY

Assists the teacher to provide for the instructional needs of deaf, hard of hearing students in Instruction at TSD. Assists in the design and preparation of age and individually-appropriate materials and learning experiences for the Instruction department. Assists the teacher with monitoring the students inside and outside the center and works with children individually or in small groups. Works under the general supervision of the principal and immediate direction of the assigned Teacher(s). Performs entry-level to routine (journey-level) educational assistance work Works under moderate supervision with limited latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgement

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Setting up and assisting in designing bulletin board displays and exhibits.
• May conduct instructional exercises with students in groups or individually as assigned by the teacher to help master assignments and reinforce learning concepts
• Participates in student data collection, documentation, and interpretation
• Assists with classroom behavioral management to minimize disruptions and ensure a safe and orderly classroom.
• Monitor students in various settings (classroom, cafeteria, playground, and other areas)
• Assists students with physical needs and personal care, including feeding, bathroom needs, and personal hygiene.
• Assists students with physical disabilities according to their needs, including transferring to and from wheelchairs, lifting, or positioning and signing instructions to them
• Models’ social-emotional expectations for students.
• Assumes responsibility for learning and adapting to each student's special medical, physical, communicative, and emotional needs.
• Ensure instructional areas are maintained, orderly, and clean.
• Alert teacher of an individual child's special needs or problems.
• Provide an exceptional customer experience for all TSD stakeholders with intentional and professional practices that promote a culture of respect and focus on achieving equitable outcomes.

• May assume responsibility for supervision and instruction of students in the absence of the teacher for short periods.
• Completes written behavior reports when necessary.
• Acts as an advocate for students.
Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• 0-3 years’ experience in child care work or training in a student-related field.
• Graduation from a standard senior high school or equivalent
• Educational Aide Certificate issued by the Texas Education Agency or the ability to obtain a valid Educational Aide certificate within 60 days of hire as required by 19 TAC §230.51.
• Sign Language: At hire, the applicant must have sign language skills equivalent to a Signed Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI) level of ADVANCED.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES/ATTRIBUTES

• Instructional Knowledge— knowledge of content; instructional methodologies, classroom management
• Problem solving—the individual identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner and gathers and analyzes information skillfully.
• Effective Communication—the individual must be able to appropriately communicate with colleagues, students, parents, families, administrators, supervisors, and the public.
• Planning/organizing—the individual prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently, and develops realistic action plans.
• Quality control—the individual demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness and monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Dependability—the individual is consistently at work and on time, follows instructions, responds to management direction and solicits feedback to improve performance.
• Safety and security—the individual actively promotes and personally observes safety and security procedures, and uses equipment and materials properly.

SUPERVISOR

Principal

Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) Code:

None equivalent

It is the Texas School for the Deaf’s (TSD) policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, political affiliation or belief, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law. TSD expressly prohibits any form of workplace discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. Retaliation against individuals who oppose unlawful discrimination or participate in an employment discrimination proceeding is also prohibited. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, firing, promotions, training, wages, and benefits. In addition to federal law requirements, TSD complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.