Head Start Assistant Teacher

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The Assistant Teacher assists the Teacher in facilitating quality, individualized, early childhood education by implementing developmentally appropriate practices in an inclusive environment.

SUMMARY:

Works as a team member with the Early Childhood Specialists to assist in the planning and implementing of a variety of developmentally appropriate activities for children, that will enhance their growth and development, promote social competence, and ensure parental involvement in all aspects of the program.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (include but are not limited to):

• Maintains a positive work atmosphere by acting and communicating in a manner so that you get along with customers, clients, coworkers, and management.

• Maintains excellent punctuality and attendance.

• Assists in planning and implementing developmentally and linguistically appropriate activities, that recognize and supports each child’s rate of development
• Assists in assessing the safety of classroom and outdoor play areas before engaging children in activities
• Assists in organizing classroom environment into areas to be used for learning, eating, resting, and playing in accordance with the Creative Curriculum,
• Accompanies children to and from the bus, classroom, playground, and out-of-center activities maintaining attendance checks and headcount
• Serves as Bus Monitor as needed
• Assists in the development of a daily schedule of child-initiated and teacher-initiated activities that are well defined to help children in the order of events accruing each day
• Maintains staff and classroom ratios at all times
• Leads the classroom in the absence of the Teacher

• Maintains a communication system plan that ensures appropriate communication among the children, their families, teaching staff, the Center Manager and other community organizations
• Supports and participates in the values and missions of ESNG.

• Assist in the completion of the Health and Safety Checklist for classrooms weekly
• Assists in the monitoring and reports accurate numbers for the program's weekly report

• Assist in the maintenance of updated and accurate records for children (educational and nutritional)
• Maintains confidentiality

• Adheres to policies, procedures, and practices that ensure the achievements and maintenance of GA licensure, NAEYC accreditation, and Head Start performance standards
• Conducts and documents a minimum of 2 home visits for Head Start children and 2 parent conferences for all children during the program area
• Assist with the child transition plan as it relates to assisting parents to be advocates for their children, cross-training and sharing needs related to transition, assisting with field trips for children and their parents to feeder schools, and assisting parents to become familiar with community resources.

• Participates in all mandatory Easter Seals trainings to include pre-service, in-service, and other educational programs and trainings
• Completes the minimum number of training hours required by DHR, OSR, Georgia Pre-K and Head Start

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Must have the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to perform the assigned functions responsibly.
• Must be familiar with the ethnic background and culture of families in the program and be able to serve and effectively communicate, to the extent feasible, with children and families with no or limited English proficiency.
• Must possess training, experiences, and knowledge that includes theories, and principles of child growth and development, early childhood education, and family support.
• Must possess excellent communication skills and fluency to communicate with children and families
• Must possess the ability to move/lift children up to age (5).

OTHER DUTIES:

Performs other duties as assigned by management.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - Head Start Assistant Teacher:

Must possess a minimum of a Childhood Development Associate Credential (CDA) with the preschool endorsement or equivalent. If an employee is hired without this minimum credential, the employee must pursue and complete the credential within the timeframe prescribed by the agency.

• Must be eighteen years of age or older.
• Must pass the Drug Test.
• Must pass pre-employment tests if applicable.

EDUCATION REQUIRED

Minimum of a Childhood Development Associate Credential (CDA) with the preschool endorsement or equivalent OR
An Associate's degree, Bachelor's degree program or equivalent degree in a field of study related to the job.

PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS

• The ability to stand for sustained periods of time.
• The ability to sit for sustained periods of time.
• The ability to walk for sustained periods of time including responding quickly to safety concerns
• The ability to use hands and fingers to feel, operate a computer, and perform picking, pinching and whole hand or arm handling tasks.
• The ability to climb stairs.
• The ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, sit on the floor, or crawl as needed when working with small children on their level.
• The ability to reach, extending arms in any direction.
• The ability to push or pull objects weighing up to 25 pounds.
• The ability to lift and carry a child up to age 5
• The ability to talk in order to accurately exchange information.
• The ability to hear in order to accurately exchange information.
• The ability to see clearly in order to maintain child safety and supervision, use a computer, and for extensive reading and writing.
• The ability to work in both indoor conditions and outdoor conditions.
• The ability to assist children as needed while on a moving bus.