Early Head Start Teacher Assistant

Summary

The mission of the Omaha Tribe Head Start and Early Head Start is to provide quality comprehensive child development services that are family focused. These services include education, health, nutrition, and mental health.

Essential Duties And/or Responsibilities

• Demonstrate the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska Head Start and Early Head Start's core mission, vision, and values.
• Maintain boundaries and perform all duties in an ethical and professional manner.
• Comply with all confidentiality regulations as required.
• Child Development:
• Assist with observing, assessing, and documenting each child's skills, behavior, growth, and development.
• Absorb opportunities for children to experience success and increase their self-confidence.
• Develop an individualized educational plan for each child.
• Provide information to the Lead Teacher/Education Coordinator/and the Educational Service Unit (ESU) Team that will assist in the referral process for children with special needs.
• Build positive relationships with all children and families in the classroom.
• Conduct mealtimes in a family style dining setting, with teachers sitting at the table, engaging in conversation with infants/toddlers.
• Encourage toddlers in self-help and independence skills by involving them in set up and cleanup activities.
• Classroom Management:
• Maintain an attractive, stimulating, and healthy learning environment.
• Encourage children to be independent in their selection of activities.
• Ensure all children are always under appropriate supervision and guidance, in accordance to required adult to child ratio 1:4.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and healthy classroom environment.
• Utilize positive behavior support strategies and interventions.
• Encourage children to develop self-regulation skills.
• Curriculum:
• Aid in planning and implementation of age-appropriate classroom activities that enhance social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development of each child.
• Aid in the development of lesson plans with goals, objectives, activities, and outcomes for children.
• Aid in, or take responsibility for as assigned, the creation of documentation panels on a regular basis to make the learning that the children are experiencing visible to parents and visitors.
• Parent Involvement:
• Aid in meeting with parents regularly about child's progress, including at least two Parent/Teacher Conferences and two home visits per year.
• Encourage Parent participation in program activities and in implementing education activities for their children at home and in the community.
• As assigned by the Lead Teacher, communicate with parents (Informal conversations, newsletters, bright wheel) regarding his/her child's involvement in classroom activities and progress towards learning goals.
• Classroom Leadership:
• Model Positive behavior.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding each child and family.
• Absorb daily attendance, USDA food counts, medical log, and infant/toddler eating. Sleeping, and toileting information for distribution in child files, and to parents, as well as other required forms.
• Aid in completing necessary paperwork, including developmental assessments, lesson plans, newsletters, incident reports, etc., on a timely basis.

Qualification Requirements

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily.
• The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the duties.
• Education And/or Experience:
• High school diploma or GED
• PREFERRED: CDA credential and/or associate's degree
• Two years of early childhood experience in a center-based setting is preferred.
• Physical Requirements:
• Ability to physically interact with children including the ability to walk or run quickly, kneel or sit on floor, bend and lift.
• Ability to lift, carry, and move center/classroom equipment and supplies and/or bulky objects or children weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Certificates, Licenses, And/or Registrations:
• Ability to obtain First Aid and CPR certification.
• Willing to complete CDA credential within 1 year of hire.
• Knowledge, Skills, And/or Abilities:
• Knowledge of curriculum, principles, and best practices of early childhood education.
• Must attend all meetings and training courses as required or directed by the Education Coordinator.
• Ability to establish supportive relationships and form an alliance with staff and families from diverse backgrounds on behalf of children.
• Ability to effectively communicate; verbally and in writing, in a manner that demonstrates and fosters cooperation, respect, concern, and openness to change.
• Organization skills with the ability to manage time and multiple priorities.
• Ability to collaboratively problem-solve.
• Knowledge of state childcare licensing requirements.
• Ability to operate a computer and office equipment, including, but not limited to, a telephone, fax machine, and copier.
• Basic Knowledge of caring for infants and toddlers.