The Assistant Teacher assists the Lead Teacher in ensuring that the classroom environment promotes the children’s growth and development. This includes assisting with the following: Practicing and implementing Developmentally Appropriate Practices by providing educational and routine activities with the children, lesson planning, communicating with parents, meeting health and safety standards, and keeping necessary records and data up to date. The Assistant Teacher works under the supervision of the Lead Teacher and may perform the Lead Teacher’s duties in his/her absence. This position is full-time, 40 hours a week, work schedule is 8:30 am - 5:30 pm. The Lead Teacher and Assistant Teacher along with the Afternoon Assistant Teacher keep open communication regarding any pertinent information involving classroom issues, situations, incidents, etc… communication is key in any and all incidents and situations

Requirements

Please complete the application.

QUALIFICATIONS AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

Must be 18 years old or older
Minimum of a Child Development Associate Credential (CDA). A person may be considered if they have 12 college credit hours in Child Development and currently working toward a CDA Credential or higher
Minimum at least one-year teaching experience

EMOTIONAL & REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions
Demonstrates emotional and intellectual competence necessary for self-control and good judgment when taking care of individual children and groups of children
Demonstrates emotional and intellectual competence necessary for self-control and good judgment when working with other adults, such as coworkers or the children’s parents

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Bend, stoop, squat, crawl, and kneel in order to speak with children at child’s eye level, to play with children, and to pick up toys and equipment on the floor;
Lift, carry, and hold children to assist with other daily routine activities such as diaper changing, potty training, and napping. Able to lift up to 45 pounds;
Reasonable accommodations (if needed) may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Child Care Guidelines:

-Understands and abides by the Minimum Standards by the TDFPS Child Care Licensing Division

-Understands and abides by the First Presbyterian Church Employee Handbook

-Understands and abides by the FPC Children’s Center Parent Handbook and Staff Handbook

-Understands and abides by the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Code of Ethical Conduct

2. Curriculum and Instruction:

-Assists in planning and implementing developmentally appropriate activities each day to promote children’s social-emotional, physical, language, and cognitive development

- Assistant and Afternoon Teachers are responsible in assisting and being a support system for the Lead Teacher.

-Assists in arranging classroom environment to promote and implement the goals and philosophy of the school and the church

-Maintains a safe, healthy, attractive learning environment both inside and outside

-Assists the lead teacher in giving feedback and sharing ideas when preparing lesson plans.

-Assists with documentation and assessing children for children’s portfolios

-Assists with the NAEYC classroom portfolio

3. Supervision and Teacher/Child Interaction:

-Maintains visual and auditory supervision of the children at all times to ensure their safety in the classroom, on the playgrounds, and on field trips

-Interacts in a positive manner with children during daily activities and routines; fully participates in all classroom and outdoor activities

-Uses positive techniques of guidance and does not use humiliating or frightening discipline techniques

-Provides opportunities, guides, assists and supports children to develop self-discipline and learn problem-solving skills.

-Promotes positive self-esteem; interacts frequently with the children, showing affection, interest, and respect

-Fosters developmentally appropriate independence and self-help skills in children

-Handles transitions well and anticipates and eliminates potential problems

4. Assessment of Children:

-Assists the lead teacher in observing, assessing, and recording each child’s developmental progress to help in documenting that information in the children’s portfolios

-Assists the lead teacher with formal and informal assessments, anecdotal records, work samples, family input, and other approved documentation that will help with child growth and development

-Using the information collected from observations and assessments, the Assistant Teacher assists the Lead Teacher with IPP’S (Individual Planning Profile)

5. Safety and Maintenance:

-Ensures the classroom is maintained in an orderly fashion and assists with general housekeeping tasks, such as cleaning tables, cribs, mats, and toys

-Checks classroom, hallways, grounds, and playgrounds for maintenance or security hazards and notifies the Director

-Handles all FPCC equipment responsibly and with care, including computer, copy machine, toys, furniture, and other school items

-Maintains all areas of the classroom clutter free, organized and safe of any safety hazards.

6. Professional Relationships

-Employs a team-teaching approach to plan and implement the curriculum side by side with the lead teacher

-Establishes friendly, respectful, professional working relationships with coworkers and promotes the conditions necessary for productive teamwork

-Participates as a member of the school team and contributes to group efforts

-Shares ideas and materials and serves as a resource to coworkers

-Strives to assume a fair share of work. Initiates help where help is needed

-Communicates directly and avoids gossip

-Coaches & mentors on the job training experiences, as needed

-Follows the chain of command pertaining to any problems that might arise. Assistant Teacher address concerns to lead teacher followed by director….

7. Community Relationships

-Presents to parents and public a professional appearance and demeanor

-Positively and in a professional manner represents the school and church in program events

-Develops partnerships and professional relationships with agencies, consultants, and organizations in the community that further the program’s capacity to meet the needs of the children and families it serves

8. Professional Development & Training

-Participates in and documents at least 24 clock hours of training in child development and related child care topics each training year

-Participates in planning and program development sessions to discuss center goals and improvement of the program

-Receives and maintains certification in Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR

-Attends and participates in all staff meetings required by the Director. Monthly staff meeting are mandatory. Mandatory staff meeting are conducted every 3rd Friday of each month.

9. General Work Habits:

-Manages time well, such as submitting required paperwork

-Comes to work with a positive attitude

-Approaches constructive criticism with an open attitude

-Demonstrates flexibility, dependability and is reliable

-Arrives to work on time has consistent attendance

-Performs any other reasonable task assigned by the Lead Teacher and Director

Full Time Assistant Teacher