teacher aide floater

Job Summary: The Head Start Teacher Aide Floater is a flexible and adaptable early childhood education professional who provides support across various classrooms with the Muscogee Nation Head Start Preschool Center. This role assists teachers with daily activities, maintaining classroom safety, and ensuring children's needs are met while filling in for absent staff or covering temporary needs as required, all while upholding the Head Start Preschool curriculum and policy and procedures.

Main Responsibilities:

1. Collaborate as part of a team;
2. Be patient, flexible, and adapt to changing situations with the teachers to ensure the successful operation of the classroom;
3. Foster the belief that parents are their child's first teachers and reinforce this concept with practical suggestions from the child's parent;
4. Exhibit a genuine nurturing and caring attitude to all children;
5. Provide constant supervision, ensuring the safety of every child;
6. Assist assigned Head Start Preschool classrooms by supporting teachers with daily activities, maintaining child safety, and providing coverage due to staff absences, all while adhering to the Head Start Preschool program guidelines and ensuring a positive learning environment for young children ages 3 to 5 years old;
7. Help day-to-day operations run smoothly by providing classroom teachers with breaks, coverage for meetings, assistance with the beginning and end of the day, and any other assigned duties;
8. Prepare materials and learning activities at the teacher's request;
9. Use space materials and routine as resources to encourage active exploration and physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development
10. Support the social and emotional development of the children;
11. Maintain teacher/child interactions during breaks with teaching staff in the event that they must leave the classroom;
12. Implement classroom activities either during the absence of a teacher or daily, as necessary, to ensure a consistent and engaging learning environment;
13. Work with children with special needs and provide individualized support as needed;
14. Have knowledge of behavior management techniques and strategies;
15. Ensure an effective purposeful classroom responsive to children's needs;
16. Maintain current and accurate records, forms, and duties as requested by the center supervisor and specialists/coordinators;
17. Assist teachers to create and implement culturally appropriate child-focused activities that meet child's individual development needs, including cognitive, fine and gross motor skills, social-emotional, and self-help skills;
18. Write anecdotes for each child daily/weekly and use the data collected to assess each child;
19. Ensure transitions are smooth and help children move from one group to another;
20. Assist teachers in administering pre- and post-development, behavioral, and speech/language screenings. Integrate special needs children positively and respectfully;
21. Assist teachers in conducting a minimum of two (2) parent/teacher conferences and two (2) home visits per school year to discuss the child's progression with the parents;
22. Model self-help skills through family-style dining and support the development of social skills and sound nutritional practices. Model a willingness to try new foods. Assist with cleanup of spills and areas before leaving the table;
23. Adapt the classroom environment and curriculum to meet the individual needs of all children, including children with disabilities;
24. Inspect classrooms, playgrounds, and buses daily. Document and immediately report to the Center Supervisor any repairs or maintenance needed;
25. Maintain cleanliness of the center and classroom by sweeping and mopping the floor and vacuuming and disinfecting restrooms. Assist in daily cleaning of buses;
26. Participate in Annual Community Assessment and program self-assessment, as well as conduct ongoing recruitment;
27. Sign in and out on the activity log before leaving the work site on Head Start Preschool business;
28. Interact with sensitivity and good judgment when interacting with children, parents, and staff;
29. Achieve consistent implementation of program policies, procedures, and practices;
30. Frequently twist, bend, and stoop multiple times per day, and lift up to fifty (50) pounds;
31. Adhere to guidelines set in Muscogee (Creek) Nation Policy and Procedures, the Head Start Performance Standards, Head Start Act of 2007, Head Start Preschool Policies and Procedures, Department of Human Services Child Care Licensing Requirements, and Federal and State Regulations related to Head Start Preschool.

Requirements:

• Educational Background — High School Diploma or equivalent;
• Experience — Working with children 0-5 years, ideally in a Head Start Preschool Program;
• Valid Oklahoma Driver's License;

Preferred Qualifications:

Child Development Associate (CDA), or enrolled to complete within 2 years; or have a degree in any field or be enrolled in a program leading to such degree; Experience — Working with children 0-5 years, ideally in a Head Start Preschool Program.