Assistant Teacher

Little Newtons-Elmwood Park; Elmwood Park (IL); On-site; USD 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Join an innovative educational environment where you can make a difference in children's lives as an Assistant Teacher. In this fulfilling role, you will support lead teachers in executing engaging curriculums, ensuring compliance with state standards, and fostering a nurturing atmosphere for young learners. You'll engage with parents, assist in classroom management, and contribute to the overall development of children. This position offers a dynamic work environment with opportunities for professional growth and development. If you're passionate about early childhood education and ready to inspire the next generation, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Paid Training

Flexible Schedule

Professional Development Opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum of a High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• Must have First Aid and CPR certifications.

Responsibilities

• Assist teachers in implementing curriculum and maintaining classroom standards.
• Supervise children and ensure safety during activities.

Skills

Child Development Knowledge

First Aid Certification

CPR Certification

Classroom Management

Communication Skills

Adaptability

Interpersonal Skills

Education

High School Diploma / GED

8 semester credits of education

Tools

Kindertales app

Job description

The Assistant Teacher / Teacher Aide role assists Teachers with execution of curriculum and ensuring classroom procedures are in compliance with state licensing standards.

Job Responsibilities

1. Main Duties

• Tours & Enrollment
• Ensure the classroom is always tour ready by cleaning, organizing, and leading the classroom.
• Greet parents and prospective students and answer any questions.
• Parent Engagement
• Support as needed information that may be relevant for newsletters.
• Use Kindertales app to share evidence of learning and updates throughout the day.
• Support teachers with bi-yearly conferences with parents for each student.
• Complete necessary paperwork, logs, reports, etc. (i.e. Incident report for biting or injury) in a timely fashion via Kindertales.
• Inspections and Drills
• Be aware of all emergency procedures and drills.
• Complete a daily crib observation check every 5 minutes.
• Compliance
• Ensure all training regarding allergies and medications is up to date.
• Report any licensing issues immediately to ED.
• Support ED with any corrective actions from licensing visits.
• Curriculum and Activities
• Assist in implementing the daily program under the direction of the lead teachers.
• Assist in preparing the learning environment, setting up interest centers, and preparing needed materials and supplies.
• Supervise the classroom when the lead teacher is out of the room.
• Assist in supervising children at all times.
• Help with general housekeeping tasks.
• Assist the lead teacher in other ways as requested.
• Lead classroom lessons and activities as assigned.
• Prepare lessons and activities as assigned.
• Treat all children with dignity and respect.
• Assist lead teacher with implementation of appropriate early childhood education experiences.
• Help lead teacher supervise and promote activities designed to enhance the healthy emotional, social, intellectual and physical development of children enrolled at the center.
• Help children establish good habits of personal hygiene; change diapers and assist with toilet training.
• Supervise all activities to ensure safety at all times.
• Report to lead teacher or assistant/center director any problem which may occur with the children.
• Observe, record and report on the behaviors of individual children as assigned.
• Time Entry
• Punch in and out accurately based on schedule including breaks.
• Ensure Overtime hours are approved by ED prior to working them.
• Submit Paid Time Off requests timely.
• Training and Professional Development
• Attend center functions.
• Kitchen
• Serve children following food handling guidelines.
• Return all items to kitchen after each meal.
• Discard all unused food items after each meal.
• Laundry
• Complete all laundry on a daily basis and distribute to classrooms.
• Ensure all classrooms soft toys are washed once per week.
• Wipe down the outside and inside of all washer and dryers at least once per week.
• Front load washer and dryers shall remain open when not in use.
• Playground/School Grounds
• Report any equipment repairs to ED immediately.
• Ensure grounds are clean and safe.

Qualifications

1. Education

• Must possess a minimum of:
• High School Diploma / GED.
• 8 semester credits of education or meet alternative education and experience requirements for state.

Certifications

• First Aid
• CPR
• Child Development Associate preferred

Work Experience

• Must possess a minimum of:
• 2,080 hours as an aide or student intern or meet alternative education and experience requirements for state.

Knowledge

• Must have a working knowledge of child safety requirements and first aid protocol.
• Working knowledge of how to handle a group of children.
• Working knowledge of childhood development.
• Know-how to establish classroom structure.

Competencies

• CORE COMPETENCIES
• Ensures Accountability - Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Integrity - Firm adherence to strong moral principles.
• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Cultivates Innovation - Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
• Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.

• TEACHER COMPETENCIES
• Teaching Style - Creating a good learning environment and effectively managing the classroom, child behavior, and discipline.
• Child Development – Builds capability and skills of children physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally.
• Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections – Builds effective relationships with parents and families.
• Patience - Controlling your emotions or impulses and proceeding calmly when faced with difficult or frustrating situations.
• Interpersonal Savvy - Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.
• Adaptability - Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.
• Self-Development - Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels.
• Manages Conflict - Handing conflict situations effectively.
• Creativity - Create using imagination and original ideas.

Working Environment

1. Working Hours / OT

• Monday – Friday according to scheduled shifts and school’s needs.
• Occasional weekend paid training.
• Occasional overtime if approved by ED.

Travel

• No travel required unless covering for a nearby school.

Working Conditions

• Exposure to heat and cold based on location up to 1 hour / day.
• Occasional exposure to noisy/loud environments.

Physical and Mental Requirements

1. Physical Demands

• Must be able to:
• Ascend and descend stairs.
• Alternate between standing, sitting, crawling, kneeling, crouching/stooping.
• Respond quickly to sounds.
• Work around small children including lifting and carrying small children up to 40 pounds.
• Move quickly to respond to emergency situations.
• Occasionally reach overhead or below.
• Alternate between sitting, walking, standing, and speaking.

Cognitive Demands

• Must be able to:
• Learn, remember, focus, categorize, and integrate information for decision making, problem-solving, and comprehending.
• Learn, memorize, and execute tasks independently.
• Maintain concentration/focus on tasks.