Preschool Assistant Teacher - Full Year

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the Center Education Coordinator or Assistant Center Education Coordinator, this position is responsible for providing comprehensive educational services in compliance with DHS regulations, Head Start Performance Standards, program guidelines, policies, and procedures.

About the Role

This position involves providing comprehensive services for children in early care and education classrooms, maintaining compliance in the program's guidelines and procedures, adhering to Head Start performance standards, and MN DHS licensing regulations.

Responsibilities

• Maintain compliance in the program’s guidelines and procedures.
• Adhere to Head Start performance standards as well as MN DHS licensing regulations and Child & Adult Care Food Program.
• Strictly follow the highest standards of confidentiality and ethics when working with children, parents, and peers.
• Engage each child in the classroom with hands-on learning and assist the lead teacher as they execute their role.
• Absorb and implement detailed and comprehensive lesson plans using Creative Curriculum (per Curricula and Intentional Planning Procedure).
• Document, level and finalize each child's development within the assigned primary care group using the designated online assessment tool TS GOLD (per Assessment & Child Goals: Individualizing for Children Policy).
• Observe each child on a regular basis in all developmental domains to establish individual child goals that are meaningful and measurable.
• Partner with parents to establish child goals and present results of the child's progress towards meeting the goals using the program's assessment tool to parents in a manner that is easy to understand.
• Communicate with parents regarding the child's overall development including the child's successes and areas of potential concern or needed improvement (per Family Teacher Conferences policy).
• Absorb and implement a safe and developmentally appropriate learning environment ensuring active supervision is maintained at all times (per Teaching and Learning Environment Policy).
• Participate in classroom assessment in determining the implementation of Pyramid practices through the use of the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT).
• Teach skills using evidence-based strategies to enhance children's social emotional development.
• Create opportunities for children to build trusting relationships within healthy boundaries.
• Model appropriate behavior and allow children to practice and implement new skills and language related to conflict resolution, sharing, and taking turns.
• Participate in Practice-Based Coaching (per Training and Professional Development: Coaching policy) to improve teaching skills, including setting goals, implementing suggested practices and strategies within the classroom, reflecting on effectiveness with a Quality Support Coach and attending Community of Practice training sessions on a regular basis.
• Assist in ensuring that children's classroom files and necessary program database (daily attendance and meal count, home visits, conferences, child goals, etc.), children's tracking log, monthly reports, health and safety logs, separation log, accident reports, and any additional documentation are current and up to date.
• Model appropriate and respectful behavior to the children, parents, fellow staff and program leadership following the NAEYC Code of Ethics and signed Code of Ethical Conduct Statement of Commitment.
• Communicate opportunities, such as volunteer opportunities in the classroom, center meetings and events, Parent Education activities, community events and resources, and Policy Council and Advisory committees.
• In response to the staffing needs of the center, this position will be expected to support all age groups (0 to 5) at the site, if needed.
• If assigned to the location of multi-site, staff will be required to work at multiple locations and will be expected to support all classrooms, children ages 0-5 years.

  Qualifications

  Essential Functions: Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Provide comprehensive services for children in early care and education classrooms maintaining compliance in the program's guidelines and procedures.
  • Adhere to Head Start performance standards as well as MN DHS licensing regulations and Child & Adult Care Food Program.
  • Strictly follow the highest standards of confidentiality and ethics when working with children, parents, and peers.
  • Engage each child in the classroom with hands-on learning and assist the lead teacher as they execute their role.
  • Absorb and implement detailed and comprehensive lesson plans using Creative Curriculum (per Curricula and Intentional Planning Procedure).
  • Document, level and finalize each child's development within the assigned primary care group using the designated online assessment tool TS GOLD (per Assessment & Child Goals: Individualizing for Children Policy).
  • Observe each child on a regular basis in all developmental domains to establish individual child goals that are meaningful and measurable.
  • Partner with parents to establish child goals and present results of the child's progress towards meeting the goals using the program's assessment tool to parents in a manner that is easy to understand.
  • Communicate with parents regarding the child's overall development including the child's successes and areas of potential concern or needed improvement (per Family Teacher Conferences policy).
  • Absorb and implement a safe and developmentally appropriate learning environment ensuring active supervision is maintained at all times (per Teaching and Learning Environment Policy).
  • Participate in classroom assessment in determining the implementation of Pyramid practices through the use of the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT).
  • Teach skills using evidence-based strategies to enhance children's social emotional development.
  • Create opportunities for children to build trusting relationships within healthy boundaries.
  • Model appropriate behavior and allow children to practice and implement new skills and language related to conflict resolution, sharing, and taking turns.
  • Participate in Practice-Based Coaching (per Training and Professional Development: Coaching policy) to improve teaching skills, including setting goals, implementing suggested practices and strategies within the classroom, reflecting on effectiveness with a Quality Support Coach and attending Community of Practice training sessions on a regular basis.
  • Assist in ensuring that children's classroom files and necessary program database (daily attendance and meal count, home visits, conferences, child goals, etc.), children's tracking log, monthly reports, health and safety logs, separation log, accident reports, and any additional documentation are current and up to date.
  • Model appropriate and respectful behavior to the children, parents, fellow staff and program leadership following the NAEYC Code of Ethics and signed Code of Ethical Conduct Statement of Commitment.
  • Communicate opportunities, such as volunteer opportunities in the classroom, center meetings and events, Parent Education activities, community events and resources, and Policy Council and Advisory committees.
  • In response to the staffing needs of the center, this position will be expected to support all age groups (0 to 5) at the site, if needed.
  • If assigned to the location of multi-site, staff will be required to work at multiple locations and will be expected to support all classrooms, children ages 0-5 years.