Assistant Teacher

Walker Therapeutic & Educational Programs; Needham (MA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

A therapeutic and educational organization is seeking an Assistant Teacher in Needham, MA, to support students with social, emotional, and learning disabilities. Responsibilities include assisting academic tasks, maintaining a nurturing environment, and collaborating with the classroom team. The ideal candidate holds a Bachelor's degree and is committed to child-centered care. The role requires flexibility and the ability to respond to emergencies quickly while promoting a safe and supportive learning atmosphere.

Qualifications

• Ability to respond to emergencies quickly and safely.
• Must understand emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities.
• Ability to perform therapeutic physical intervention as needed.

Responsibilities

• Work as a part of a multidisciplinary team for children's development.
• Maintain a conducive learning environment.
• Plan and implement developmentally appropriate activities.
• Provide a safe, structured, and therapeutic environment for children.
• Communicate effectively with families and team members.
• Provide a safe, structured and therapeutic environment for children.
• Participate in administrative tasks, meetings, and communication with families and the students’ team.
• Engage in supervision and professional development opportunities.
• Provide daily updates to families and residential staff and assist with data collection.
• Cover groups during Teacher absences under supervision.
• Follow and implement Walker policies and procedures.
• All other duties as assigned.

Skills

Flexibility

Collaborative work

Understanding of child development

Crisis intervention

Behavioral management

Confidentiality

Supervision & development openness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Summary of position

Work as part of a classroom team of three staff under the supervision of an Education Coordinator in a classroom of up to nine children with social, emotional, learning and behavioral disabilities. Primary responsibilities include assisting students with academic tasks and supporting the overall learning environment. The classroom team is responsible to create and maintain a structured, consistent, nurturing classroom and during all recreational activities. The Assistant Teacher must be committed to child centered, family focused, culturally competent care and strengths-based treatment.

Education and Licensure

Required: Bachelor's degree

Preferred: N/A

Experience

Required: N/A

Preferred: Experience working with social, emotional, behavioral and learning disabilities

Abilities

Required mental abilities: Ability to be flexible and work collaboratively. Ability to respond to emergency situations quickly and safely. Ability to work in a stressful and fast paced environment. Must understand child development and the impact of emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities. Must understand issues of confidentiality. Must be receptive to supervision and professional development.

Required physical abilities: Ability to work and stand for extended period of time. Job may require bending, stooping, stretching, and lifting. Job requires the ability to perform therapeutic physical intervention as needed.

Essential Functions

• Work as a part of a multidisciplinary team to further the emotional, behavioral, and educational development of children.
• Maintain a classroom atmosphere that is conducive to learning and effectively manage the behavior of students in small and large groups.
• Support residential students on their units during school vacation weeks, holidays, snow days, and during morning wake-ups as needed. Plan and implement developmentally appropriate activities and programming for the group.
• Apply Walker’s model of childcare, including Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), which requires physical restraint when necessary, trauma-informed care, cooperative group games, and behavioral support.
• Implement treatment protocol and appropriate therapeutic strategies established in children’s treatment plans, IEPs, and individual support plans.
• Provide a safe, structured and therapeutic environment for children.
• Participate fully in the administrative functions of teaching and childcare, including attending and participating in required meetings, completing assigned report writing tasks in a timely manner, and actively communicating with families and members of the students’ multidisciplinary team.
• Actively participate in supervision and professional development opportunities offered at Walker.
• Provide daily written updates to families and residential staff and complete weekly school logs, as well as support the Special Education Support Staff in completing any data collection (e.g., classroom points, provide treatment update notes and attend multi-disciplinary team meetings as needed.
• Provide coverage of groups during Teacher’s absence, under the direction of a special ed certified staff member.
• Follow and implement all Walker policies and procedures.
• All other duties, as assigned.

Supervision to be received

Directly responsible to and supervised by Education Coordinators

Supervision to be exercised

None

Qualifications

Walker is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon an individual’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, national guard or reserve unit obligations, participation in discrimination complaint-related activities, or membership in any category protected by federal or state law.