Assistant Teacher

Walker; Needham (MA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

Walker in Needham, MA is seeking an Assistant Teacher to join a dedicated classroom team of three under an Education Coordinator, in a setting with up to nine children facing social, emotional, learning and behavioral disabilities.

Required: Bachelor’s degree; Day shift; Full-Time. Responsibilities include collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, maintaining a therapeutic and structured classroom, and communicating with families. This role emphasizes child-centered, family-focused care.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to support student development.
• Maintain a structured classroom conducive to learning and manage behavior.
• Provide daily written updates to families and staff.
• Implement Walker’s Therapeutic Crisis Intervention program when needed.
• Support residential students during school breaks and holidays.

Skills

Flexibility

Collaborative work

Emergency response

Child development

Confidentiality

Supervision

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Job Details: Position Location: Needham - Needham, MA 02492. Position Type: Full-Time. Education Level: Bachelor Degree. Salary Range: $20.00 - $21.00 Hourly. Job Shift: Day (1st Shift).

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.