Teaching Assistant - ACCEPT at Medway Middle School

ACCEPT Education Collaborative is a regional non-profit educational organization with locations in Medway and Natick, MA. We provide a wide range of programs and services including special education for students with moderate to severe needs, specialized transportation, home-based services, behavioral and educational consultation, and professional development. Our programs address autism spectrum disorders, emotional/behavioral needs, global impairments, cognitive/intellectual disabilities, language disorders, ADHD/ADD, and nonverbal learning disability.

About the role

We are seeking dynamic and compassionate teaching assistants to work in our Middle and High School Programs in Medway. This role offers a collaborative work environment, professional training, and support. Whether you want a career in education or simply are looking for a chance to work with some amazing people and make a difference in the lives of some amazing kids, this job is for you!

Pay

Starting at $23.34 per hour, with a range of $22 to $31 per hour.

Responsibilities

• Work under the direction of Special Education teacher and Behavior Specialist
• Assist with classroom instruction and provide support and guidance to students
• Maintain a safe, clean, and supportive classroom environment
• Work closely with the lead teacher to design and implement a classroom system to track student progress, and take necessary steps to ensure academic progress
• Provide assistance to students during non-classroom time and arrange recreational activities
• Attend required meetings and training sessions
• Arrive and be prepared before students arrive and stay until all students are picked up, as directed by the classroom teacher
• Check in with the teacher and behavior specialist in your classroom daily
• Help ensure that student clipboards/data sheets are all set for the day
• Keep the classroom space clean, organized, and professional
• Carry a walkie talkie at all times (tuned to channel 7)
• Collect daily data (behavior and academic)
• Implement individual student behavior support plans
• Implement all student-specific reinforcement schedules
• Support the teacher during whole group lessons
• Run small group lessons as needed
• Implement individual student academic programming if applicable
• Follow the schedule created by the classroom teacher
• Help create a professional, positive, and supportive classroom environment
• Communicate any issues that arise during the day to the teacher and behavior specialist
• Inform teacher and behavior specialist of any issues to be followed up on
• Complete incident reports and restraint reports, communicating relevant data to the teacher and/or behavior specialist
• Read and reply to email within 24 hours
• Follow up with phone messages within 24 hours
• Ensure the classroom is cleaned and ready for the next day
• Occasional travel and transfer between ACCEPT programs to fulfill TA responsibilities at any of ACCEPT’s locations or programs

Requirements

• 1 – 3 years of experience working with children and/or young adults
• Associate Degree or equivalent experience
• Safety Care certified or able and willing to get certified
• Team player and dependable
• Ability to follow direction well but work well without supervision when necessary
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written
• Ability to work well and remain calm under pressure
• Ability to multitask
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Experience, ability, and desire to work with students with special needs
• Compassion and patience

Qualifications (Desired)

• Bachelor’s Degree in Education or a related field
• Experience working in special education

Skills & Competencies

• Ability and great desire to work with children with special needs
• Ability to take direction well
• Great attention to detail and accuracy
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Positive and proactive attitude
• Commitment to company values and mission
• Strong team player

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Regularly required to move about and may traverse occasionally throughout the school building
• Must often remain in a stationary position for considerable periods of time
• Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl
• Perform physical restraint of a student at times of behavioral escalation
• Expected to lift at least 20 lbs (e.g., books, school supplies)
• Must frequently use hand strength to grasp tools
• Operates a computer and other office productivity machinery (e.g., calculator, copy machine, computer printer)
• Must be able to input information into a computer and read material from a computer monitor as well as handwritten or printed matter with or without visual aids
• Must be able to communicate effectively with students, parents, and other staff members in person and on the telephone
• In the classroom, must be able to see and hear on a continuous basis to ensure the safety of students and speak frequently to provide instruction
• On rare occasions, it may be necessary to move quickly/run across even or uneven surfaces

The employee will be working in a normal school environment with an acceptable level of noise. This is not a remote position.

Benefits

We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages.