Program Instructor II - Preschool Teacher's Assistant-Part Year

Part-time, quality-rated licensed early education program for children ages 3-5. Program dates generally follow the Thompson School District calendar, with possible workdays on school breaks and holidays.

Schedule

• 4-8 hour daily shifts, Monday through Friday
• Occasional evening and/or weekend shifts for annual training or program events
• Part-year position lasting up to 10 months, working more than 30 hours per week

Pay

$15.76 - $21.27 per hour, depending on qualifications and experience

Benefits

• Medical coverage option for employees working more than 30 hours per week
• Retirement – 457 Plan (employee funded)
• Medical Leave – Accrue 1 hour of leave per 30 hours worked (up to 48 hours)

Responsibilities

Classroom Environment

• Prepares the preschool classroom on a daily basis
• Performs environmental safety checks
• Implements and adheres to all state licensing and health department regulations
• Reports damaged, missing, or negligent items to supervisors
• Evaluates the classroom environment, creates and modifies learning centers based on assessment tools including the Quality Rating & Improvement System (QRIS) resource and Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales

Materials, Equipment, Curriculum and Program Development

• Assists with the development and implementation of age-appropriate lesson plans
• Leads instruction for various activities within the daily curriculum following the Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines
• Implements current state standards for licensed Early Childhood Educational Programs
• Assists with collaborative development of long-term, quality enrichment programming

Administrative Duties and Professional Development

• Demonstrates solid knowledge of program policies including enrollment and registration procedures
• Maintains working knowledge of current Colorado state licensing childcare regulations, developmentally appropriate curriculum standards, play-based teaching philosophies, and the QRIS resource tool
• Maintains online Professional Development Information System (PDIS) account and upholds credential level required for position
• Completes required training and attends continuing education workshops to stay current on teaching methods
• Seeks out networking opportunities to stay current on changes to licensing requirements or trends in Early Childhood Education
• Assists with miscellaneous classroom and program administrative tasks as assigned

Parent and Family Engagement

• Initiates frequent and ongoing communication with families regarding their child’s experience and solicits feedback
• Encourages and implements inclusion of family diversity and participation in the classroom
• Assists with planning and implementation of family engagement and program promotional events

Other Job Functions

• Works in a lead teacher capacity in the Early Childhood Preschool Prep Series program as scheduled
• May assist with special events
• Performs other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Must meet Colorado state licensing requirements for an Early Childhood Teacher Assistant in one of the following ways:
  • Option 1: Completion of one of the following early childhood education courses with a course grade of “C” or better:
    • Introduction to early childhood professions
    • Introduction to early childhood lab techniques
    • Early childhood guidance strategies for children
    • Early childhood health, nutrition, and safety
    • Administration of early childhood care and education programs
    • Administration: human relations for early childhood professions or introduction to business
    • Early childhood curriculum development
    • Early childhood growth and development
    • The exceptional child
    • Infant/toddler theory and practice
    AND Nine (9) months (1,365 hours) verified experience in the care and supervision of four (4) or more children less than six (6) years of age, who are not related to the individual. Satisfactory experience includes being a licensee of a family child care home; a teacher’s aide in a center, preschool or elementary school.
  • Option 2: Completion of two (2) of the early childhood education classes referenced above with the course grade of “C” or better and no experience
  • Option 3: A current early childhood professional Credential Level I or higher in Version 3.0 as determined by the Colorado Department of Education’s PDIS system
• Must be a minimum of 18 years of age at time of hire
• Must possess current or successfully complete prior to working with children:
  • CPR certification
  • First Aid certification
  • Standard Precautions training
  • Medication Administration training
• Per state licensing requirements, candidate must submit a medical statement signed and dated by a licensed physician or other health care professional, verifying good mental, physical, and emotional health appropriate for the position, dated no more than six (6) months prior to employment or within thirty (30) calendar days after the date of employment

Skills

• Strong verbal and written communication, planning, and organizational skills
• Working knowledge of current Colorado state licensing childcare regulations, developmentally appropriate curriculum standards, and play-based teaching philosophies
• Ability to work independently, alongside a co-teacher, and as part of a team
• Ability to work effectively and diplomatically with students, parents, co-workers, facility staff, and the general public
• Sound judgment, decision-making, conflict resolution, patience, and creativity when dealing with stressful and challenging situations

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Frequent light to moderate physical effort including standing, walking, or maintaining arms and hands in the same position for repetitive tasks
• Frequent use of light objects and light hand tools
• Occasional moderate to considerable physical effort including working from ladders in awkward positions
• Frequent use of light or medium weight objects (e.g., 25-50 lbs) and use of medium weight tools
• Occasional exposure to predictable hazards