Assistant Teacher

Job Title: Assistant Teacher

Department: Head Start

Program: Head Start

Reports To: Lead Teacher and/or Academy Administrator

Position Supervised: N/A

Pay Rate/Range: $16.39-17.53 (depending on education and experience)

Employment Class: Regular/Non-Exempt/Full-Time

Work Days: Monday through Friday

Customary Hours: 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM (*Hours are extended when work load is increased.)

Assistant Teachers for Head Start programs assist Lead Teachers in planning and implementing learning experiences that advance the intellectual, emotional, social, and physical development of children within a safe, healthy learning environment. They encourage the involvement of the families of the children of the program and support the development of relationships between children and their families.

Duties & Responsibilities

Interact with Children:

• Utilize appropriate language, interactions, and positive discipline.
• Model positive behavior.
• Assist in instructing and supervising children in classroom activities.
• Implement age appropriate activities that support the Head Start standards.
• Helps supervise at mealtime, eating with the children to encourage good nutrition and proper social skills.
• Continuously monitor children to ensure safety at all times, and report child abuse and neglect when necessary.

Assess Children:

• Assess children on a regular basis by maintaining anecdotal notes, written observations, and other approved forms of documentation for each child.
• Participates in the screening, observation and documentation of children.
• Uses initiative and imagination to assist the child and be perceptive and knowledgeable about the needs of each child.

Curriculum:

• Assists in developing materials and providing activities related to the cultural background of the children and families served.
• Assists the teacher in any aspect of the program as the need arises.
• Takes charge of the class in the teacher's absence.
• Understands, generates and documents in-kind and other allowable costs applied toward the non-federal share.

Parent/Family Involvement and Community Relations:

• Maintain open communication with parents to establish a relationship of trust and rapport.
• Assists the teacher in meeting the program's needs for parent/family involvement in each classroom.
• Communicates with families to facilitate positive interaction with the program awareness of the child's needs and development, how the activities promote positive development and their roles in the child's overall education and development.
• Participates in the training of families as requested.
• Assists with identifying and arranging volunteers in the classrooms.
• Assists with the supervision of all assigned volunteers in the classroom.
• Make home visits with the teacher as required and documents them as requested.
• Positively promotes Head Start in the community.

Training:

• Attends all workshops and meetings as deemed necessary by the supervisor.
• Attends all required staff and parent meetings and activities.
• Responsible for understanding Head Start Performance Standards and local child care licensing regulations
• Successfully completes and maintains Basic First Aid and CPR certification.
• Expected to be knowledgeable of the regulations associate with prevention of occupational disease and injury including the exercise of universal precautions and the prevention of contamination.

Classroom Maintenance:

• Help to maintain a clean and organized learning environment.
• Sanitize all surfaces, equipment, and classroom toys.
• Maintain a quality room arrangement in compliance with curriculum standards.
• Routinely check classroom equipment and materials to ensure they are in good repair.

Head Start Academy's is an Early Childhood Education service provider that is preparing young students for academic success as they transition to their next level of learning. The School Readiness Goals target the domains of language and literacy development, cognition and general knowledge, approaches to learning, physical well-being and motor development, and social and emotional development.

Job Requirements

Covid Vaccination Policy: In accordance with the Columbus Urban League's duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards, we are adopting this Mandatory Covid-19 Vaccination Policy for Employees. to safeguard the health of our employees and their families; our customers and visitors; and the community at large from COVID-19's infectious conditions, that may be reduced by vaccinations. This policy will comply with all applicable laws and is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health and licensing authorities, as applicable.

All newly hired employees are required to show valid confirmation of a completed Covid-19 vaccination(s) unless a reasonable accommodation is approved. Newly hired employees not in compliance with this policy will not start employment with the Columbus Urban League until their vaccinations are completed and proof is supplied to the human resources department.

Education and Experience:

• Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education from an accredited college with experience working with preschool children required.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be willing and able to obtain Basic First Aid, communicable disease, child abuse and neglect and CPR Certification and maintain certification.
• Must possess valid Ohio Driver's License and auto insurance.
• Excellent oral and written communication and presentational skills.
• Demonstrated capability to interface and maintain effective relationships with administration, staff, consultants, regulators and founders in a team-oriented environment.
• Detail oriented, logical, and methodological approach to problem solving.
• Proficiency using word-processing system.
• Ability to communicate effectively with others, including giving and receiving feedback on the quality of services.

Language Skills:

• Ability to read and speak English proficiently.
• Bilingual-Spanish preferred.

Physical Demands

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

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and see.
• The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit; use hands to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision requirements include the ability to see at close range.
• Fine hand manipulation (keyboarding).
• Transportation time spent commuting between sites for meetings, trainings, in-services and home visits.
• The employee may be required to work at multiple locations if necessary.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high.
• Employees working with children may be exposed to being bitten, hit, scratched, and/or spat upon.

Benefits

We offer a competitive benefits package, including: medical, dental, vision, employer paid life, employee savings plan, and paid time off.