· Job Description ~Love to learn & love to teach~

Position: Teacher Assistant float $250 sign on bonus *paid out after 90 days over 3 paychecks*

Supervised By-Reports To: Lead Teacher & Director-

Salary range: $ 17-18 Qualifications:

*High school diploma or equivalent, at least 18 years of age.

*Have a Colorado Shines account with 22 hours of free online training completed, or able to complete within 48 hours.

*Have a letter of confirmed hours working with children with 950 + hours accrued.

Experience: Some previous hands-on experience working with children

Summary of Position:

The Teacher Assistant means a staff member who works under the supervision of the Lead Teacher, Program Director & is responsible to assist with a group of children, with doing routine tasks so the Lead teacher has more time to ‘teach’ Assist in the implementation of social/emotional training/modeling for the children 1^st/foremost. We do teach our kids basic ASL as well. Teaching children how to be a good human, manners, teaching sign language & language skills is essential. This is also a float position, ability to work in any classroom, ages 6 weeks through 6 years

General work habits:

· Ability to either open 6:45am OR close 6pm on a regular basis.

· Arrives on time to work or 5 minutes early

· Is reliable in attendance

· Gives ample notice for time off/absences. *2 weeks preferred*

· Remains calm in a tense situation & able to pivot

· Perform all duties in a timely manner with the ability to multi task effectively

o This includes; cleaning needs, laundry, preparation & clean up before/after activities. Food prep

· Participate as an equal team member of all center staff

· All staff starts out as a float to learn dishes, laundry, covering breaks in the classrooms to get to know our center, staff & children

· Covering breaks for other staff member breaks. Short morning breaks & lunch breaks

· Ask lead teacher what you can help with or what needs to be done while they are gone on break

· As we know, teachers do not get to sit very often, when we do, we are directly talking to or teaching children

· Teacher assistants/Aides need to ensure teachers have the supplies they need & take care of laundry, dishes, stocking, prepping activities without disturbing them

· Maintains a gossip free and positive work environment.

· Follows the policies and procedures of the program & state licensing, health dep, etc…

Health & Safety routines:

· Take the lead to ensure all children have adult help to wash their hands when…

o The 1^st time we enter the classroom for the day (lead them & assist in washing-our children are all too young to effectively wash their own hands)

o Teach kids to sing bubble, bubble pop while lathering soap outside of the stream of water before rinsing.

o Wash when coming in from outside play

o before eating

o after diaper changes & potty

o trips to the bathroom

· Maintain a safe, clean environment, but allow children to have ‘messy play’ often

· Have pleasant conversations with children during routine times (diapering, eating, transitions to encourage learning and social development).

· Give ample time to children verbally & visually when transitions will/are occurring.

· Initiate frequent conversations with children or telling them what they’ll be doing next for transitions.

· Communicating with fellow staff in the classroom working with you is also essential.

· Refraining fromconversing at work about personal information, life issues

· Continually teach children self-helps skills & give the ‘jobs’ as appropriate

o use of utensils, clean up, teach them how to open shoes to put them on or take them off, same with socks how to put a coat on-zip, when age appropriate and/or take them off

· Provide a quiet, calm and pleasant environment for rest time and naps.

· Children who have a hard time napping, might need their routine adjusted- how can you ease them into it better? After 30 minutes laying down give them something quiet on their cot to do or set up a quiet table activity

· Use proper procedures & appropriate times/situations for teacher hand washing.

· Always think about what you last did/touched with your hands before moving on to something else

· Practices universal precautions to avoid/control blood borne pathogens & the passing of everyday germs

o Always think about the sanitation with anything you do before you do it

· Clean children- when children have a dirty face &/or dirty hands, we clean them, every time.

We should never send a child home with a dirty face, dirty hands or a dirty diaper

· Change diapers a few minutes before you expect a child to be picked up as a professional courtesy

· Teaches and explain reasons for safety to children in a short, simple manner

· Leave bathroom door ajar when inside helping a child with the potty, always wash hands even if no one went

Interactions with children:

· Shows friendly, warmth and affection through appropriate contact (touching lightly on the shoulder, patting on the back, returning child’s hug).

· Eye to eye interaction at child’s level. Get down on their level, when they’re upset so you can help them calm down & work through the problem

· Sit down on the floor often, near children, use your senses to hear/see what is going on & encourage cooperation, sharing & nice play, social skills.

· Uses the child’s name when speaking to them.

· Uses moderate and appropriate voice.

· Shows respect for children in all situations

· You are aware of developmental levels & eager to learn more.

· Recognizes developmental differences between solitary play (playing alone), parallel play (playing along-side) and cooperative play (playing together).*no kisses on skin*

· Encourages independence and self-help as often as possible. Example; sitting down next to them instead of picking them up- having them try to put on/take off shoes or socks before you help them

· Intentionally spends time with children each day to support positive interaction and relationships.

· Avoids stereotyping and labeling.

· Reinforces positive behavior.

· Uses positive guidance techniques (redirection, use of own words, calm down time/take a break).

· Gives extra positive attention to children when they are behaving well.

· Sitting down- teachers are expected to sit on the floor with the children in proximity. Sitting in one place across the room from the children, ‘watching’ them is what a babysitter can do, we are hands on, more aware & more educated about children & don’t do that, we engage them.

· You interact with them, show them how toys & other items work, encourage them to extend their learning, give them examples, ask lots of questions for them to think & expand their knowledge.

· Teachers should join at the table with kids when doing table activities & when eating & interact with them. “Table talk/conversations:

Classroom Management:

· Creates an inviting learning environment.

· Keeps environment clean enough to be safe during the day.

· Maintains a safe and organized environment, where children are supervised at all times, visually, auditorily & physically

· Follows the lead of the Lead teacher to include a balance of routines- alternate times of active activities & calming activities

· Provides age-appropriate activities, following the direction given from the Lead teacher or input your ideas

· Select books and other language materials that are appropriate for children in classroom & teaches children how to properly & gently care for our books, toys & other materials.

· Example; hands go on toys, feet go on floors. When something is in our way, walk around or move it out of our way. *Be mindful of the difference in playing with toys/books compared to damaging*

· Enriches children’s vocabulary by introducing and explaining the meaning of new words, teach them new words weekly.

· Helps children to learn about printed letters, words, colors, shapes and numbers in their everyday lives (crayons, markers, play-doh, scissors and puzzles). Giving names to things, verbally saying the words, visually showing the children

· Provides activities & experiences from all domains of development

· Assist Lead teacher in providing opportunities for children to explore and experiment with a variety of art materials without having to follow a set example or model (open ended).

· Assist in teaching how to build, put things together, take things apart, filling up buckets, emptying them

· Provides a variety of musical experiences such as singing, dancing, and finger play.

· Large motor/active moments are a necessity several times per day

· Participates & on occasion, leads a variety of musical experiences, stories, fingerplays. Sing along with songs/fingerplays, dance to the music with the kids, use expressive voices, creating excitement & participation from the kids

· Ability to be silly, change your tone of voice, ‘act like a kid’, read a book with different voices

· Creates opportunities for dramatic play by encouraging children to assume different roles (firefighter, doctor, chef) and creatively use their imaginations.

· Serves as an appropriate role model for not only the children but other staff members.

· Anticipate/prevent problems and redirect negative/hurtful behavior into positive/helpful behavior.

· Is flexible and responsive to children’s needs.

· Assists Lead Teacher in preparation of activities, crafts & projects as lead teacher requests the week before they’re needed

· Ask the Lead Teacher ,‘what else needs to be done’, ‘what else can I help you with’

· Completes items on checklists of daily duties as time allows

· Ability to multitask to keep classroom cleaned up, tables cleaned after use, floors swept after messy activities, the assistant cleans while the lead teaches

· You are there to help the Lead Teacher & learn from them at the same time being a team

· Help children learn about transitioning to the next thing by giving them time warnings, using timers is a great way to get them used to ‘counting time until the next activity’.

Outside play

· Walks around the playground continually watching, listening & encouraging nice verbal & physical interactions & play between children.

· Show children how to use playground items & toys.

· Challenge them to increase their skills.

· Plan outdoor activities & games, we have many different items & options for children to use & learn from.

· Ensure only safe items are available for children, any broken items or trash needs to be taken out of use & alert the Director or AD right away

Working with parents:

· Smile, make eye contact & greet parents

o share daily, positive information about their child.

o Any difficulties or negative information should be used with the ‘sandwich’ method & worded tactfully, consult with Director or AD on how to properly word things to parents as needed

· Available and approachable with parents.

· Encourages parents to become involved in our program.

· Communicates well with parents through listening and speaking.

· Listens to parents respectfully and responds appropriately.

· Consult with Director or AD about negative information/situations

· Direct parents to Director with questions/concerns that need additional decision making or consultations.

· Shows respect for those from diverse backgrounds.

· Protects and maintains confidentiality for children and parents. Their identities, names, contact info is use for business only, not for personal & staff cannot copy/contact parents outside of work hours/location

· Regularly shares information about the child’s progress in a positive manner.

· Alert Lead teacher and/or Director if suspecting a child needs referrals to other resources or professionals for help and information which will then go to Director &/or Owner. Never approach a parent about this

· Involve parents in center activities and events by keeping them informed of any upcoming changes

· Greet and share information about children to parents each day during arrival and departure in a positive manner. Also assist in classroom by entering info into Tadpoles for Lead teacher & helping update the wipe off board. Take photos & videos of each child daily. Minimum of *Delete the bad ones right away*

· Give an specific example of something the child did today that was cute, using manners, sharing, being a good friend before sandwiching any negative/needs improvement issues

Working with Co-workers

· Is friendly and respectful

· Communicate well with other staff through listening and speaking.

· Before leaving for a break, communicate with the person covering as to what you’re doing, what needs to be done before leaving the room

· Strives to assume fair share of work. There’s always something to do & help other staff with

· Asks other staff members for help when needed.

· Shares ideas and materials. Label any materials you purchase if you will take them home when done

· Shares daily information about children in the Center with other staff when making shift changes to ensure consistent care & communications open.

· Communicates directly to avoid gossip.

· Approaches criticism with a learning attitude. We have hundreds of rules/regulations to abide by, it is necessary for all staff to know/follow those rules. It is not meant to be ‘personal’.

· Looks for ways to be helpful. Ask how you can help the Lead Teacher

· Help w/tasks needing to be done

· Solves problems independently or seek assistance from Director or Assistant Director.

o *example, when something isn’t working right or broken, alert Director right away. *Is it something you’re capable of fixing?

· Asks supervisor for feedback about work performance, if/when appropriats

· Recognize personal signs of stress & works to prevent or limit its’ affects.

· Use several appropriate ways to deal with stress at work effectively.

· Be willing to seek external help as needed, mental health, etc…many resources available

· Following the lead of your lead classroom teacher

o Help them with preparing activities

o Assisting in keeping Tadpoles & wipe off boards up to date

o You are an assistant, are learning everyday & will improve your skills as well as gain hands on experience with children everyday

o Initiate cleaning, diapering so lead teacher can teach- you change more diapers than the lead teacher. Be sure you follow EVERY step in proper diapering. Prepare ahead of time by putting on gloves & getting supplies for that particular child, alert the child that it’s almost diaper time

· Keeping conversations with co-workers respectful & work related, leaving personal conversations/topics for your personal time away from work

Working with the Owner/Director

· Communicate directly to Owner/Director about issues being faced or challenged with (whether it is with another teacher, an organization issue or a child or a parent).

· Honest in communication (If the Owner/Director doesn’t know, it can’t be addressed)

· If you break something, confess, I need to address possible dangers & repair items quickly

· Comfortable going to Owner/Director no matter what the circumstances are.

· Approach constructive criticism/redirection with a learning attitude. This business has a LOT of nonnegotiable requirements that all staff have to abide by

· Communicates with Owner/Director about additional learning experiences.

· Completes required trainings in a timely manner, making them a priority

Professionalism and growth:

· Dresses and groomed appropriately. *NO cleavage up or downstairs*

· Practices ethical conduct (confidentiality, honesty, trustworthiness, and truthfulness).

· Takes job seriously and seeks skills improvement.

· Performs every job/task to the absolute best of their ability in a timely manner

· Strives to go above & beyond by ‘seeing’ what needs to be done & taking the initiative to do it

· Ensuring that any ‘down time’ is used to benefit the center as a whole & help other staff complete daily duties, not time for personal items

· Ability to suggest how something is done if there’s a more efficient/effective way that you’d like to share

· Ability to seek out answers/troubleshoot before asking questions

· Ability to look for things in logical places before asking for help (troubleshooting)

· Locates and registers for trainings and educational opportunities on your own time to complete the required 15 hrs/year.

· Participates in workshops, classes and trainings required by the state in a timely manner.

· Recognizes common signs of child abuse/neglect and takes appropriate actions. *Mandatory reporter*

· Takes appropriate action in the event of an accident or injury. Safety is always top priority

· Record photos & explanations of injuries/incidents according to Center rules/guidelines

· Participates in a self-evaluation quarterly

· Always seeking to improve your skills & knowledge about children, teaching, etc…

· Sets goals for personal and professional growth.

· Behaves in an ethical manner.

Learning

As an adult learner we need to be aware of how we learn best. Just as we teach children in different ways to be able to reach all students, evaluate & be aware of your best way of learning.

Examples- Kinesthetic/tactile- learning by touching, doing something

Visual- learn by seeing something done by someone else or reading directions, watching instructional video

Auditory- learn by listening, hearing information

Smell/aroma- knowing how to determine what's going on around you w/sense of smell

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