Special Education Teacher Aide (SY 26-27)

Uplift's mission is to create and sustain public schools of excellence that empower each student to reach their highest potential in college and the global marketplace and that inspire in students a life-long love of learning, achievement, and service in order to positively change their world.

About the Role

Assist the teacher in providing for the physical and instructional needs of students with disabilities in the special education program. Help implement educational programs, including self-help, behavior management, and instructional programs for students. Work under direct supervision of a certified teacher and indirect supervision of the school Director.

Responsibilities

• Prepare educational materials and displays for the classroom with the assistance of the classroom teacher.
• Assist in keeping class neat and orderly.
• Assist teacher in handling administrative records and reports.
• Help substitute teachers with classroom layout or other pertinent classroom management.
• Assist with inventory, care, and maintenance of equipment.
• Assist in small group or individual learning activities as designed and assigned by the teacher.
• Help physically disabled students, students with physical needs, and personal care according to their needs, including transferring to and from wheelchairs, lifting or positioning, feedings, bathroom needs, and personal hygiene.
• Assist in student behavior management, including handling crisis situations and restraining disruptive or dangerous students as needed.
• Take interest in and responsibility for learning and conforming to each student's special medical, physical, communicative, and emotional needs.
• Assist in overseeing students throughout the school day, inside and outside the classroom, including lunchroom, bus, and playground duty.
• Advise teacher on special needs or problems of individual students.
• Ensure confidentiality.
• Enhance job skills by participating in staff development programs, as assigned.
• Be active in faculty meetings and special events as assigned.
• Maintain accurate Time & Effort documentation of program activities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Valid Texas Educational Aide Certificate or ability to obtain one.
• Experience working with children, preferably with disabilities.
• Ability to read, analyze, and apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions in written or oral form.
• Ability to set priorities and communicate with all levels of personnel, students, and parents.
• Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and apply concepts like fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
• Competency in Microsoft Office applications and ability to learn and use computer software as necessary.
• Ability to use basic office equipment.
• Satisfactory criminal records check, pre-hire and annually thereafter, if applicable.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States and provide work authorization.

Skills

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Physical and Mental Demands

• Regularly required to sit and use wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, climb, or balance.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Work at a desk and computer screen for extended periods of time.

Work Environment

• Noise level is low to high and may have frequent interruptions.
• Activity from other employees and students may be distracting.

Pay

$19.80/hr