Assistant Teacher

Little Newtons-Elmwood Park

Assistant Teacher

Elmwood Park, IL
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    The Assistant Teacher / Teacher Aide role assists Teachers with execution of curriculum and ensuring classroom procedures are in compliance with state licensing standards.

    | Job Responsibilities

    | Main Duties | Tours & Enrollment o Ensure the classroom is always tour ready by cleaning, organizing, and leading the classroom. o Greet parents and prospective students and answer any questions. Parent Engagement o Support as needed information that may be relevant for newsletters. o Use Kindertales app to share evidence of learning and updates throughout the day. o Support teachers with bi-yearly conferences with parents for each student. o Complete necessary paperwork, logs, reports, etc. (i.e. Incident report for biting or injury) in a timely fashion via Kindertales. Inspections and Drills o Be aware of all emergency procedures and drills. o Complete a daily crib observation check every 5 minutes. Compliance o Ensure all training regarding allergies and medications is up to date. o Report any licensing issues immediately to ED. o Support ED with any corrective actions from licensing visits. Curriculum and Activities o Assist in implementing the daily program under the direction of the lead teachers o Assist in preparing the learning environment, setting up interest centers, and preparing needed materials and supplies o Supervise the classroom when the lead teacher is out of the room o Assist in supervising children at all times. o Help with general housekeeping tasks o Assist the lead teacher in other ways as requested o Lead classroom lessons and activities as assigned o Prepare lessons and activities as assigned o Treat all children with dignity and respect o Assist lead teacher with implementation of appropriate early childhood education experiences o Help lead teacher supervise and promote activities designed to enhance the healthy emotional, social, intellectual and physical development of children enrolled at the center o Help children establish good habits of personal hygiene; change diapers and assist with toilet training o Supervise all activities to ensure safety at all times o Report to lead teacher or assistant/center director any problem which may occur with the children o Observe, record and report on the behaviors of individual children as assigned Time Entry o Punch in and out accurately based on schedule including breaks. o Ensure Overtime hours are approved by ED prior to working them. o Submit Paid Time Off requests timely. Training and Professional Development o Attend center functions. Kitchen o Serve children following food handling guidelines. o Return all items to kitchen after each meal. o Discard all unused food items after each meal. Laundry o Complete all laundry on a daily basis and distribute to classrooms. o Ensure all classrooms soft toys are washed once per week o Wipe down the outside and inside of all washer and dryers at least once per week o Front load washer and dryers shall remain open when not in use Playground/School Grounds o Report any equipment repairs to ED immediately. o Ensure grounds are clean and safe. | Supervisory / Span of Control | This position does not have any direct reports. | Financial Impact and Budgetary Responsibility | This position does not have any budgetary responsibilities.

    | Qualifications | Education | Must possess a minimum of: o High School Diploma / GED o 8 semester credits of education or meet alternative education and experience requirements for state. | Certifications | CERTIFICATIONS o First Aid o CPR o Child Development Associate preferred | Work Experience | WORK EXPERIENCE Must possess a minimum of: o 2,080 hours as an aide or student intern or meet alternative education and experience requirements for state. | Knowledge | KNOWLEDGE o Must have a working knowledge of child safety requirements and first aid protocol. o Working knowledge of how to handle a group of children. o Working knowledge of childhood development. o Know-how to establish classroom structure. | Competencies | CORE COMPETENCIES Ensures Accountability - Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments. o Integrity - Firm adherence to strong moral principles. Leading Teams o Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives. Leading the Business o Cultivates Innovation - Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful. o Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions. TEACHER COMPETENCIES o Teaching Style - Creating a good learning environment and effectively managing the classroom, child behavior, and discipline. Applies a broad set of evidence-based teaching skills and strategies that are developmentally appropriate. o Child Development – Builds capability and skills of children physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Understands unique developmental experiences and applies multiple contexts to support the learning process. o Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections – Builds effective relationships with parents and families and leverages community resources to support student’s learning and development. o Patience - Controlling your emotions or impulses and proceeding calmly when faced with difficult or frustrating situations. o Interpersonal Savvy - Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people. o Adaptability - Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations (i.e. Willing to work in other classrooms). o Self-Development - Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels. (i.e. Open to coaching and feedback) o Manages Conflict - Handing conflict situations effectively, with a minimum of noise. (i.e. Mediating conflicts between children and reduce separation anxiety, and quickly resolves parent complaints.) o Creativity - Create using imagination and original ideas.

    | Working Environment | Working Hours / OT | o Monday – Friday according to scheduled shifts and school’s needs. o Occasional weekend paid training. o Occasional overtime if approved by ED. | Travel | No travel required unless covering for a nearby school. | Working Conditions | o Exposure to heat and cold based on location up to 1 hour / day (i.e. taking children outside) o Occasional exposure to Noisy/loud environments (i.e. children crying)

    | Physical and Mental Requirements | Physical Demands | Must be able to:

    • Ascend and descend stairs.
    • Alternate between standing, sitting, Crawling, kneeling, Crouching/stooping.
    • Respond quickly to sounds.
    • Work around small children including lifting and carrying small children up to 40 pounds.
    • Move quickly to respond to emergency situations.
    • Occasionally reach overhead or below.
    • Alternate between sitting, walking, standing, and speaking. | Cognitive Demands | Must be able to: · Learn, remember, focus, categorize, and integrate information for decision making, problem-solving, and comprehending. · Learn, memorize, and execute tasks independently. · Maintain concentration/focus on tasks