Bilingual Specialized Classroom Aide

Description

Status: Full-time

Hours: 40 hours per week

Company Sponsored Time: We are piloting a 4-day, 32-hour work week, and YWCA will provide this role 8 hours of Company Sponsored Time for you to use on Fridays to maintain work-life balance while maintaining pay at 40 hours a week.

Pay Range: $24.00 per hour $1.00 Bilingual Differential

Benefits: Visit our Benefits and Perks Tab by Clicking Here

Our Classroom:

At the heart of our therapeutic preschool is a team of dedicated educators who are passionate about guiding and supporting each child on their educational journey. Our team recognizes that trauma may manifest in challenging behaviors, and our approach helps students develop social-emotional competence and readiness for kindergarten. Based on the Reggio philosophy, which views teachers as co-learners alongside their students, we create a dynamic learning environment where every child can thrive and reach their full potential.

From sensory exploration to early literacy and numeracy skills, our classroom and learning opportunities are thoughtfully designed to encompass all areas with an emphasis on social emotional growth. Through play-based learning, we encourage children to ask questions, make discoveries, and express themselves creatively. Diversity is celebrated, every child is valued for who they are. Our team works together to create a warm and inclusive environment where children feel safe, supported, and empowered to explore the world around them.

This Role:

The Bilingual Specialized Classroom for the Y’s Care Pre-School Program is responsible for working with the teaching team to provide a high-quality preschool experience for children enrolled in Y’s Care, under the supervision of the Y’s Care Director. Y’s Care serves children ages 2 ½ to 5 years, some of whom may be experiencing poverty, homelessness or other forms of trauma. Specific functions include incorporating Spanish into our daily meeting routine, reading to children in Spanish and working with interested students to learn Spanish vocabulary words and phrases, ongoing observation-based assessments, goal setting to inform classroom teaching, and supporting classroom staff. Additionally, the bilingual classroom aide would support Spanish speaking families navigate paperwork and fully participate in school events and parent teacher conferences. 

Essential Duties:

• Assure that children, staff, volunteers and community partners are treated with respect and dignity regardless of race, ethnic background, gender or socioeconomic background.
• Gain approval for, track, and engage in activities that meet the organization’s 1% for Social Change requirement.
• Think through the lens of racial equity and its intersections with poverty. Use the core principles of anti-racism and grounding those principles in all daily tasks
• Incorporate the YWCA’s commitment to social justice by understanding how racism, sexism, classism and other oppressions intersect and are embedded in institutions. Seek opportunities for continued learning about racial, gender and class equity.
• Support Spanish speaking parents with translations of important policies and teacher communications as needed.
• Incorporate Spanish into daily meeting routine, read to children in Spanish and work with interested students to learn Spanish vocabulary words and phrases.
• Assess classroom for opportunities and make recommendations to increase language expansion for students.
• Work with team to plan developmentally appropriate educational goals to meet the needs of a diverse population, including children experiencing homelessness, poverty, and trauma.
• Provide classroom support to classroom staff and/or program director. This support could involve handling food, cleaning classroom space and/or covering for planning meetings.
• Ensure the safety, nutrition, and welfare of children is prioritized at all times, promoting positive behavior in guidance situations. Maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Work with teaching team to set up the environment with well-defined interest areas and with sufficient resources and supplies.
• Foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for Y’s Care staff, volunteers, parents, and children. Serve as a role model for promoting diversity and inclusion in the classroom and program.
• Participate with team to fulfill Early Achievers requirements.
• Support the Y’s Care Lead Teacher and Program Director and teaching team with implementing program strategic planning goals.

Requirements

Social Justice Component:

There is a strong social justice component to all positions within YWCA Clark County, requiring critical thinking through the lens of racism and intersections with poverty. Knowing the core principles of anti-racism and grounding those principles in everyday work are required job skills and core values.

Related requirements and education:

• Bilingual in Spanish with the ability to speak, read, and write
• Complete and pass a background check, pursuant to chapter 110-06 WAC;
• Complete a TB test, pursuant to WAC 110-300-0105;
• Complete a Washington state food handler’s online course
• Complete the training requirements, pursuant to WAC 110-300-0106;
• Complete program-based staff policies and training, pursuant to WAC 110-300-0110; and
• Have their professional development progress documented annually.
• Complete or be working towards completing STARs 30-hr Basic Childcare training
• Have a solid understanding that challenging behaviors are a form of communication and may manifest as a result of trauma.

Related experience:

• At least one year of experience working with children in a preschool or kindergarten setting. Experience working with children from racially and socio-economically diverse families strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of and desire to learn more about the social-emotional development, the philosophy and principals of Reggio Emilia schools and working with various behavioral expressions of children who may have experienced trauma
• Ability to complete yearly required training hours.

Ability to achieve greatness: good employees make sure the day-to-day work gets done; great employees do so while in a way that fosters communication within their program and their own professional growth.

Ability to empower: consistently convey an open, respectful, and solution-oriented approach to addressing challenges, completing work tasks, and provide positive and constructive feedback to internal and external persons.

Ability to work at a higher level: put the needs of the participants, program, and organization above personal needs and demonstrate unwavering integrity and accountability.

Ability to maintain strong boundaries: maintain strong personal/professional boundaries at all time to make sure that work is spent supporting the participants and furthering the mission of the program and organization.

Ability to adapt: the only constant is change – expecting and being open to change is a critical part of this position and is a necessary component of being in a service-oriented field.

Strong problem-solving skills: resourceful and able to resolve challenges while knowing when it’s time to stop and ask questions or seek additional guidance.

Strong technological skills: effectively use common software programs like MS Office.

Desire to learn about and work with kids in trauma.

Strong soft-skills: with little to no prompting, adapt work and communication style to promote self-regulation in order to support students’ regulating, mitigate and/or de-escalate crisis.

Commitment to cultural responsiveness: Further YWCA mission and values by providing culturally responsive services. Effectively communicate available resources that support cultural values, beliefs and customs.

Don't meet every single requirement after reading through this post? You may be just the right candidate for the role or future roles, and please know we value lived experience! Studies have shown that due to white supremacy culture, systemically oppressed communities are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. YWCA Clark County is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways.

Salary : $23 - $25