Associate Teacher (AT)

About the Role

The Associate Teacher helps prepare scholars for college and community leadership by supporting the classroom teacher in delivering instruction and managing the classroom to maximize scholars’ academic engagement and outcomes. This is primarily a scholar-facing role.

Responsibilities

• Support the classroom teacher in delivering high-quality instruction, documenting student progress, and addressing instructional needs.
• Assist in establishing and maintaining a positive, safe, and engaging classroom environment that reinforces schoolwide expectations for behavior and academic excellence.
• Support the administration of classroom, schoolwide, and state assessments while maintaining testing integrity and following established procedures.
• Assume responsibility for classroom supervision and instruction in the absence of the classroom teacher by implementing lesson plans, maintaining routines, and ensuring student safety.
• Build positive, respectful relationships with students to foster engagement, accountability, and a strong sense of belonging.
• Reinforce school expectations for student behavior and contribute to a culture of high expectations through proactive classroom management and positive behavior supports.
• Provide small-group and individualized instructional support to reinforce learning and address students' academic needs.
• Prepare instructional materials, organize classroom resources, and assist with maintaining an effective learning environment.
• Participate in professional learning, coaching, staff meetings, and collaborative planning opportunities to strengthen instructional practice.
• Supervise students during instructional and non-instructional settings, including arrival, dismissal, lunch, recess, transitions, and other assigned activities.
• Oversee scholars during early morning arrival (7:10 AM) on a rotating schedule, roughly once every 8 weeks.
• Maintain the confidentiality of student records, school business, and sensitive information in accordance with school policies and applicable laws.
• Model the school's mission, core values, and professional expectations while performing other duties as assigned by the Grade Band Director or School Administration.

Qualifications

• Associate’s or other college degree preferred.
• Enrollment in a teacher education program preferred.
• 1-2 years’ experience in urban education, especially in a high-performing urban charter school, preferred.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Passion for the work and a commitment to Emerald Academy’s mission and values of high expectations, excellence, respect, teamwork, and commitment.
• Ability to thrive in an innovative, high-pressure environment and work collaboratively to form creative solutions.
• Strong interpersonal skills with scholars and parents.
• Willingness to address concerns head-on and advance them through the chain of command if unresolved.
• Ability to engage in critical conversations with respect, vision, and humility.
• Ability to organize workload independently, set and adapt priorities, and follow through with a strong work ethic.
• Stamina and ability to set and achieve ambitious goals while handling the intensity of an extended school day in a high-performing environment.
• Belief that all kids can learn and achieve at high academic levels.

Skills

• Physical ability to attend to scholars, including sitting, standing, moving, lifting, and monitoring for care, safety, and engagement.
• Strong communication skills, including verbal, auditory, and visual awareness for scholar monitoring.
• Maturity, humility, sense of humor, and a "roll-up-my-sleeves" attitude.
• Regular reflection and receptiveness to feedback.