Benefits:

401(k)

Competitive salary

Dental insurance

Employee discounts

Health insurance

Opportunity for advancement

Paid time off

Training & development

Tuition assistance

WHO WE ARE:

Job Title: Early Education Assistant Teacher

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, Full-time, 40 hrs/week

Shifts: 6:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Work Week: Monday – Friday (Saturdays & Sundays on occasion for professional development/events)

Supervisor: Classroom Lead Teacher and Coach

Age Groups: Infant/Toddler Assistant Teacher

Location: Pottstown, PA

WHO WE ARE:

YWCA Tri-County Area is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. YWCA Tri-County Area serves more than 1,500 women, children, and families. We are an educational organization that is empowering and inclusive, providing programs which encourage individuals to learn, grow, become, and take a stand.

Direct service programming includes early childhood education, before- and after-school enrichment, youth empowerment, adult education, and workforce development. Mission-based advocacy efforts raise awareness, offer issue education, and build social capital around women's empowerment, racial and social justice, and safe and healthy communities.

YWCA Tri-County Area is an Equal Opportunity Employer offering competitive salaries and benefit packages.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

YWCA Tri-County Area is looking for dedicated individuals to serve as assistant teachers in our STARS 4 Early Education Center in Pottstown. Our EEC vision is to create a community of learning where children experience a sense of wonder and exploration – where everyone feels a sense of connection and participates with others in ways that create new possibilities for making the world a better place.

Position opportunities are based on candidates’ individual educational qualifications. We currently have assistant infant/toddler, preschool, and school age opportunities available.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:

Early Education Teacher Assistants support the Lead Teachers and the Director by helping to create a caring and safe environment for the children and assisting in activities to improve the overall care and quality of education. They must be able to communicate, listen and work well with others in a team environment. Assisting the staff in implementing a quality educational program and in developing positive relationships with the children and their parents, Teacher Assistants observe and document children’s interest and progress, and relays that information back to parents and staff. Teacher Assistants are responsible for implementing developmentally appropriate activities based on children’s interests and needs under the direction of the Lead Teacher and the Director.

Each Early Education Assistant Teacher understands and promotes education and early childhood development as defined in YWCA Tri-County Area’s (YW3CA) Policies and Procedures, and mission statement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

· Assist in the implementation of curricula activities and encourage participation by children.

· Actively engage in activities; manage cleanliness, maintenance, and availability of classroom materials.

· Encourage self-help and good hygiene through behavior modeling.

· Help ensure smooth, daily transition from home to childcare center.

· Follow all center policies and state regulations.

· Maintain personal professional development plan to ensure continuous quality improvement.

· Maintain daily communications including written communication using daily reports with parents through informal discussions.

· Ensure a healthy classroom environment – including maintaining appropriate hygiene and cleanliness standards and safety and security of children.

· Record daily observations.

· Maintain personal professional development plan to ensure continuous quality improvement

· Attends and participates in all in-service training and monthly staff meetings as identified by the Early Education Director to increase competency in job performance.

· Maintains confidentiality in all children and family records.

· Completes special projects specific to the function of the service area or as needed for the area as directed by the supervisor.

· Support families/staff using the P.E.A.C.E. model for problem-solving.

· Use inclusive language and Conscious Discipline skills and powers in all communication.

· Other duties as assigned within the scope of position expectations.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO THE POSITION:

· Minimum of 1-2 years of professional education experience.

· An understanding of child development.

· Excellent leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills.

· High energy and the ability to work well with others (team members, children, families).

· Ability to work with others including families and community members

· Understanding of diverse family dynamics and cultural differences with the ability to work with and empower families

· Understanding of YW3CA mission, goals, and objectives and ability to work independently with a high level of energy and contribute as part of a larger team.

· Knowledge of the concepts and practices associated with early childhood education and child development issues

· Knowledge of and sensitive to the issues facing the community served.

· Strong interpersonal skills as demonstrated by compassionate, courteous, cordial, cooperative, and professional interaction with diverse groups of co-workers, families, and members of the community.

· Oral and written communication skills and basic computer skills including Microsoft Office, spreadsheets, and customized databases.

· Ability to follow and implement lesson plans using daily observations

Other Position Factors

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

· Requirements include:

o The ability to take frequent walks, use hands and fingers, handle objects, tools or controls, talk to and hear voices at many levels.

o The ability to kneel, bend, squat or crawl and stand for periods of time in both indoor and outdoor environments

o A specific vision ability including the ability to see up close and up to a certain distance, to see colors, have peripheral vision and depth perception.

o The ability to lift 50 pounds.

o The ability to sit on the floor and/or ground outside to be actively involved with the children.

· Position may require occasional trips to attend conferences, seminars, and meetings.

· May require working non-traditional hours based on operational needs.

Education & Experience:

· High School Diploma or GED, and college credit in early childhood education or related field of study, or CDA, or 9 hours of ECE credit.

· Infant/child CPR and First Aid certification.

· Must be willing to submit to background checks, in accordance with local laws and regulations.

· Current Health Assessment and TB test

· Familiar with Keystone STARS a plus

· Familiar with Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Regulations a plus

· Familiar with ITERS and ECERS Rating Scale

· Ability to work independently; goal oriented.

· Commitment to the mission and values of the YW3CA

Benefits**:

Affordable Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance.

Annual Paid Business Closures according to the organization’s annual Business Closure Calendar

Voluntary MetLaw benefit provides employees with professional legal counsel for a broad range of legal services.

Voluntary Term Life Insurance provides employees’ beneficiary with a financial protection plan.

Voluntary Hospital Indemnity Insurance provides a range of fixed, lump-sum daily benefits to help cover costs associated with a hospital admission, including room and board costs.

Voluntary Accident Insurance provides a range of fixed, lump‐sum benefits for injuries resulting from a covered accident.

Voluntary Critical Illness Insurance provides a fixed, lump- sum benefit upon diagnosis of a critical illness, which can include heart attack, stroke, paralysis and more.

· Voluntary Flexible Spending Account provides support for employees’ out-of-pocket health care costs.

· Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance at no cost to the employee.

Voluntary 401K Retirement plan includes an employer match in relation to employee’s contributions.

YWCA Retirement Plan: After two years and two thousand hours, you are automatically vested into the plan. YW3CA contributes a percent of an employee’s gross each pay, currently at 7.5% and the fund also matches 3%.

Generous Paid Time Off plan (including Vacation, Sick, and Personal PTO) which includes partial PTO rollover each calendar year.

Tuition discounts for a variety of undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs at the selected higher education institutions: Alvernia University, Chestnut Hill College, Delaware Valley University, and Widener University. Discounts vary depending on institution and program.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers employees family care services, legal services, and financial services

Employee Discount on private pay childcare tuition.

Through American Funds, employees have access to the College America 529 Saving Plan that has significant tax advantages and allows employees to build a college fund for their family’s educational needs.

YW3CA Early Education Staff are eligible to apply for the T.E.A.C.H Early Childhood Pennsylvania Scholarship Program which works with providers, colleges, and childcare staff to offer scholarship programs and support systems that improve the education and compensation of child care workers.

**Restrictions may apply based on position hours

HOW YOU’LL APPLY

Send Cover Letter and Resume to:

Hr.mission@ywcatricountyarea.org

Equal Opportunity Employer

YWCA Tri-County Area is an equal opportunity employer, and it is our policy that employees and applicants will not be subjected to unlawful discrimination or harassment based on race, col-or, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran’s status, marital status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or any other basis prohibited by applicable state, federal or local laws.

Accordingly, YWCA Tri-County Area will hire, train, and promote individuals in accordance with this Equal Employment Opportunity Policy; make decisions according to the principle of equal opportunity by imposing only bona fide occupational qualification requirements for employment opportunities; and administer all personnel practices and programs (including, but not limited to, compensation, benefits, transfers, and training) in accordance with this Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.