Teacher Assistant

About the role

Under the direction of the Teacher and/or the Education Manager, the Teacher Assistant helps to create and maintain an atmosphere in the classroom in which children feel welcome, valued, comfortable, and secure. In addition, assists Teacher in involving parents in educational activities and participates in classroom activities.

Responsibilities

• Education: Cooperate with the Teacher to plan a schedule of daily activities, plan field trips, and special projects; prepare educational materials and classroom environment for daily activities; act as the Teacher in Teacher’s absence.
• Classroom activities: Supervise play activities, participate in activities, and direct small and large group activities as directed by the Teacher; observe, record, and report children's behavior and play; help children with self-care routines; provide aid to children who experience difficulty or loss of control and intervene in situations where injury may result; provide active supervision in the classroom, at off-site experiences, field trips, and on the Head Start bus (Bus Monitor).
• Classroom maintenance: Maintain educational supplies and art materials; monitor equipment and supplies; cooperate with the teacher to maintain an orderly classroom environment, including clean-up at mealtime and after playtime.
• Family engagement: Provide childcare during after-hour parent events at a minimum of two shifts per year; during events, complete intake forms with parents; help parents feel comfortable in their role as classroom helpers and involve parents in activities and projects; refer parents’ questions to the Teacher, as appropriate; schedule meetings and family events after regular hours as needed to meet the changing needs of families.
• Recordkeeping: Maintain a complete record of each child enrolled as required by federal and state regulations; maintain accurate attendance records, written records of conversations with parents, and ongoing daily observations; enter observations into assessment program to allow for accurate assessments to be completed on each child; ensure BFIS credential account is up to date.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Per OHS requirement, must hold a valid Child Development Associate (CDA) or associate degree in early childhood education (AA), or be enrolled in a program leading to a CDA or AA within 2 years of employment start date.