Middle School Special Education Teacher Assistant

About the role

The Special Education Teacher Assistant supports students with disabilities by assisting the special education teacher in implementing individualized education plans (IEPs) and providing academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support. This role ensures students can access and participate meaningfully in the school environment. The assistant works closely with teachers, service providers, and families to promote student independence, safety, and learning.

Responsibilities

• Works collaboratively with Special Education Teacher to assist students towards goals in IEP
• Teach students to think through problems in Mathematics, Reading and other areas identified in IEP
• Administers tests and records results while collaborating with Special Education and classroom teachers
• Assigns lessons, corrects paper, and hears oral presentations
• Taught rules of conduct
• Counsel’s pupils when adjustment and academic problems arise
• Discusses pupil’s academic and behavioral attitudes and achievements with parents
• Maintains attendance and records as required by school and IEPs
• Attends class field trips with identified students as needed
• Attends meetings, conferences, and in-service, and participates in special events of the school and the agency

Child Growth & Development

• Uses knowledge of the principles of child growth and development to work with children and communicate with internal and external stakeholders
• Implements a child-centered curriculum and learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation to promote development in all domains for children of all abilities
• Addresses challenging behaviors by observing to determine possible causes of the behavior, implementing preventive measures, teaching the child new social and communication skills and partnering with families to support the child at home
• Uses observations of children and anecdotal notes to document children’s progress and individualize curriculum
• Creates partnerships with families to establish positive interaction patterns in program, school, and home

Program Implementation

• Follow program curriculum providing developmentally and linguistically appropriate experiences appropriate to age, language and culture of children served
• Provide positive guidance and discipline supporting children as they acquire readiness skills for kindergarten and beyond
• Implement daily lesson plans in response to children’s needs and interests incorporating observations, anecdotal record keeping, knowledge of early childhood development and the key experiences
• Implement Individual Family Services Plans (IFSPs) for children with disabilities
• Provide children with a consistent classroom routine
• Supervise and ensure the safety and security of children at all times in accordance with Head Start and day care licensing requirements
• Supervise and eat nutritionally prepared meals and/or snacks with the children as a curriculum activity, to model good nutrition and proper social
• Understand regulations associated with prevention of disease and injury, including the exercise of universal precautions and the prevention of contamination

Family Partnerships

• Invite parent involvement in the development of the program’s curriculum and approach to child development and education
• Provide opportunities for parents to increase their child observation skills and to share assessments with staff that help plan the learning experiences
• Encourage parent participation in staff-parent conferences and home visits discussing their child’s development and education
• Establish positive and productive relationships with families focusing on building trust and rapport
• Schedule and complete two home visits per year and at least two parent-teacher conferences per year
• Participate in parent orientation and ongoing parent trainings as required
• Identify and refer parents wanting to volunteer in the classroom, work as substitutes or in other volunteer activities to Family Advocate
• Support parent volunteers in the classroom as needed
• Share pertinent information with Pupil Services Staff and/or Family Advocate ensuring coordinated services to meet the needs of individual children and families
• Participate in conferences as appropriate
• Maintain regular contact with parents and complete appropriate documentation
• Forward classroom updates to the teacher to be included in the monthly newsletter

Ongoing Monitoring and Self-Assessment

• Conduct daily health checks
• Assess children on an on-going basis

Supervision and Human Resources

• Model appropriate classroom practices
• Develop and support the individual development plan for assigned volunteers
• Aid the Teacher in devising work methods and procedures that support improvements in existing work practices; supporting the volunteers you supervise in developing and setting goals, priorities and timelines
• Maintain the plan to meet changing or emergent program requirements within available resources and with minimum sacrifice to quantity or quality of work
• Participates actively in Team Meetings to reflect on performance, generate solutions and ensure high-quality classroom operations
• Participates actively in Special Education Assistant Meetings
• Participates in assigned meetings, events and training as required

Classroom Management

• Creates a safe, inclusive, and respectful classroom climate in which students are encouraged to be actively engaged in the learning process
• Uses proactive, positive reinforcement strategies to encourage appropriate behavior
• Recognizes and celebrates student successes to build confidence and motivation
• Foster a safe and supportive atmosphere where students feel valued and encouraged to participate
• Effectively monitor and supervise students at all times
• Maintains order of students and class in classroom, cafeteria, hallways, playground, and across the school environment
• Manage student behavior proactively and respectfully using positive behavior supports across the school environment

Social-Emotional Learning & Student Relationships

• Models and teaches empathy, active listening, respect, conflict resolution, peer mediation, and restorative practices when appropriate
• Foster a safe, supportive classroom environment where students feel valued, understood, and emotionally secure
• Model and reinforce emotional regulation, empathy, problem-solving, and responsible decision-making

Communication & Family Engagement

• Builds trust and rapport with students, families, and colleagues to effectively support student achievement and growth
• Models professional and ethical standards when dealing with students, parents, peers and community
• Share academic and behavioral updates in a clear, empathetic, and strengths-based manner
• Collaborate with students, families, counselors, support staff, and school administrators when addressing student needs or concerns
• Participate in family-teacher conferences and contribute to school events or family engagement opportunities

Professional Development

• Participate in staff meetings, workshops, and training sessions to enhance teaching skills and contribute to the school community
• Participates in all required training and meetings, as well as school and UCC training, and meetings
• Reflect on teaching practices and seek opportunities for continuous improvement
• Engage in professional learning communities and schoolwide initiatives
• Uphold ethical practices and professional conduct
• Collaborate with colleagues, support staff, and administration to support student success
• Contribute to a positive school culture and shared leadership

Collaboration & Teamwork

• Collaborate with colleagues, administrators, and support staff to create and enhance a cohesive and supportive educational environment and to promote a positive school culture, cross-grade alignment, and shared best practices
• Work closely with special education teachers, counselors, and other professionals to provide individualized support for students with special needs
• Mets professional obligations through efficient work habits such as meeting deadlines, honoring schedules, collaborating with other staff, etc.
• Collaborate with student support teams (e.g., MTSS, 504, IEP) to develop and implement academic or behavioral support plans
• Support classroom behavior through proactive management strategies and, when appropriate, restorative practices