SPED Self-Contained Teacher Assistant (Grades: EC- 5)

About the role

Assist teachers in preparing instructional materials and classroom displays. Maintain a neat and orderly classroom, preparing it according to student needs. Support inventory, care, and maintenance of equipment. Help teachers keep administrative records and prepare required reports. Provide orientation and assistance to substitute teachers.

Responsibilities

• Assist students with physical disabilities according to their needs, including transferring to and from wheelchairs, lifting, or positioning
• Assist students with physical needs and personal care, including feeding, bathroom needs, and personal hygiene
• Assist with classroom curriculum
• Help manage behavior of students, including intervening in crisis situations and restraining disruptive or dangerous student behavior as needed
• Assume responsibility for learning and adapting to each student's special medical, physical, communicative, and emotional needs
• Work with individual students or small groups to develop motor skills and conduct instructional exercises assigned by teacher
• Help supervise students throughout the school day, inside and outside the classroom, including lunchroom, bus, and playground duty
• Keep teacher informed of special needs or problems of individual students
• Maintain confidentiality
• Participate in staff development training programs, faculty meetings, and special events as assigned
• Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned

Work environment

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate
• Travel throughout the district is integral to this job
• Remote work is not available; regular and punctual attendance at the worksite is required

Requirements

• Accredited Senior High School Diploma or equivalent (U.S.A. equivalency)
• One of the following: Associate degree, 48 college credit hours, or pass an academic assessment
• Paraprofessional certificate required from State Board of Certification

Qualifications

• Successful completion of a specific training program for teacher assistants or six months of knowledge and skills acquired through work experience preferred
• Demonstrated general knowledge of child growth/development and behavior characteristics
• Demonstrated ability to work with people from diverse ethnic groups
• Demonstrated organizational and interpersonal skills required to meet the goals of the position
• Demonstrated initiative and a willingness to follow verbal and written instructions
• Demonstrated effective communication skills both in oral and written form
• Demonstrated ability to work with children with disabilities
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred
• Demonstrated flexibility to cope with the challenges of a rapidly changing world
• Demonstrated willingness to remain current with the latest developments in the profession

Pay

Minimum salary: $31,282.00; Median salary: $39,113.00