Assistant Teacher- Part-Time

JOB SUMMARY:

**** Pay Range $19.50 Hourly ****

Responsible for assisting Lead Teacher/Teacher in developing and implementing a high quality, nurturing, anti-bias, developmentally appropriate environment, utilizing the YWCA’s Anti-Bias Curriculum for a diverse classroom. Maintain a safe and high quality environment for children by assisting classroom staff. Responsible for assisting with the daily care education, and nurturing of children enrolled in the classroom along with a team of staff and for reporting the child’s progress in social, emotional, language, literacy, cognitive and physical development, to parents/guardians.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Day to day responsibilities

Assist Lead Teacher/Teacher in implementing age appropriate curriculum based on the YWCA’s anti-bias and We Care curriculum using themes and classroom observations.

Supervise children at all times ensuring attendance tracking is completed on consistent intervals throughout the day.

Foster and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment.

Provide nurturing, culturally sensitive care for each child.

Assist the Lead Teacher/Teacher in preparing the classroom and materials needed to support the planned curriculum & activities.

Assist children with educational projects and personal hygiene tasks.

Assisting Lead Teacher/Teacher with assessing, documenting and reporting children’s progress in social, emotional, language, literacy, cognitive and physical development.

Assist with the development and implementation of behavioral management strategies as needed.

Foster and model cultural sensitivity to the families we serve.

Assist in ensuring all DHS Rule standards are maintained in classroom at all times.

Assist in maintaining governing agencies compliance at all times (DHS Rule 3, NAEYC, Parent Aware, and CACFP.)

Assist in maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment by ensuring emergency procedures are understood and practiced.

Provide backup support for Lead Teacher/Teacher in their absence.

Provide support for other classrooms and the center as needed.

Attend all staff training days and complete required number of DHS in-service hours yearly.

RELATIONSHIPS:

This position reports to the Early Childhood Education Director. Assistant Teachers will interact with Lead Teachers, Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Teacher Aides, ECE Specialist, volunteers, students, and parents.

COMPETENCIES

Skills, knowledge and attributes necessary to perform the job

Organization:

The role of an Assistant Teacher calls for strong attention to detail, and a consistent and reliable positive attitude.

Communication:

Ability to build an effective relationship with teachers and other staff members.

Ability to collaborate with teaching team to create a safe and healthy environment for every child to thrive.

Clear and concise communicator. Proven ability to clearly explain expectations and rules to young children

Active listener who understands what children are saying and is able to effectively identify any problems they may be having.

Provides clear and frequent communication to families and builds strong partnerships.

Manages professional communication through center approved methods: ProCare, daily in person communication, YWCA email, YWCA phones, conferences, parent meetings, YWCA forms

Manages conflict and deals with issues respectfully and directly.

Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Classroom Management:

Uses effective classroom management strategies to create a positive learning environment for all children while still providing individualized attention.

Establish daily routines, and manage transitions between activities.

Notify leadership of any programming needs, curriculum supplies, equipment, and repair needs in the classroom.

Uses time efficiently, effectively, and wisely.

Behavioral Management:

Effective process/system to respond to challenging behavior effectively including using positive reinforcement and establishing rules and boundaries in their classroom.

Look for the need children are expressing through their behaviors and create and carry out solutions to meet those needs.

Recordkeeping:

Assist in electronic tracking of daily activities

Prepares activities and classroom to assist implementation of classroom curriculum

Accurate attendance tracking

Health and Safety:

First aid and CPR certified.

Additional health and safety training on emergency procedures

Maintain a high level of health and safety to ensure child well-being.

Assure emergency procedures are known and practiced.

Technology and Training:

Basic understanding of how to use ECE Software

Complete and maintain required DHS and YWCA required training and in-service.

Flexibility and Creativity:

Ability to be flexible and adapt to find resolutions that lead to a cohesive and cooperative classroom.

Creative; ability to develop educational and entertaining activities to keep students engaged at all times.

Emotional Intelligence:

Ability to be emotionally mature when handling the behavioral and personality differences of children, staff and families.

Exhibits compassion showing care, patience, kindness and support to each child and family, seeking to understand their situation.

Actively seeks and accepts feedback; looks at mistakes as learning opportunities.

Uses good judgement in solving problems, building solutions, and in recommending or making decisions.

Collaboration and Teamwork:

Ability to work cooperatively and effectively with other ECE staff.

Exhibits a clear understanding of their role in the team and provide ready support to others to achieve a common goal.

Demonstrates respectful and trusting working relationships

QUALIFICATIONS:

Fully meets Minnesota DHS Rule 3 Assistant qualifications, including yearly in service requirements.

Strong interpersonal relationship skills.

Strong oral and written communication skills.

Prior experience writing routine reports and correspondence.

Current First Aid and CPR certifications

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Employee is regularly required to talk or hear, stand, walk, sit, use hands and fingers, handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

Frequently is required to climb or balance and taste or smell.

Regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception.

Frequently exposed to outside weather conditions and exposure to illness.

Noise level in the work environment is frequently loud.

Individual must have the ability to get to and from various sites/events/meetings in the metro area on an occasional basis.

It is an expectation that this position fluctuate hours based on the ECE Center and association needs; work in various classrooms and at the other sites as the need arises.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear, stand, walk, sit, use hands to fingers, handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee frequently is required to climb or balance and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception. Individual must have the ability to get to and from various sites/events/meetings in the metro area on an occasional basis.

Assists in developing and implementing a high quality, nurturing, anti-bias, developmentally appropriate environment and curriculum for a classroom with a high percentage of at risk children utilizing YWCA Minneapolis' ELM curriculum for a classroom with a high percentage of at risk children.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Assist in the smooth operation of the classroom as described below:

• With the classroom staff team, develop and implement developmentally appropriate, anti-bias, multi-cultural curriculum for the classroom and primary care group by following the YWCA Minneapolis' Curriculum.
• Foster a classroom environment conducive to the long range curriculum objectives.
• Ensure nurturing, culturally sensitive care for each child.
• Under the direction of Lead Teacher or Teacher, may be responsible for care and nurturing of a primary care group of children.
• Orient and include families in primary care group, inform families about children’s activities and progress and respond to or refer families’ suggestions and concerns to Lead Teacher.

Handle overall site needs and all record keeping as described below:

• Maintain health and safety and carry out emergency procedures.
• Assist team in monitoring and obtaining supplies, equipment and repairs for classroom.
• Participate on ECE center, building and agency teams as assigned.
• Actively pursue professional development
• Understand and interpret the YWCA mission to children, staff and families.
• Complete 40 hours of in service training per year.

RELATIONSHIPS:

This position reports to the Lead Teacher who reports to the Early Childhood Education Director. The incumbent will interact with the Lead Teacher, Teacher, Assistant Teacher(s), Associate Teacher, Teacher Aide(s), volunteers, substitutes, children and parents.