Assistant Teacher

Squaxin-Island-Tribe; Shelton (WA); On-site; USD 39,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Squaxin Island Child Development Center is seeking an Assistant Teacher to assist the lead teacher and administration in delivering a nurturing, developmentally appropriate program. You will support social, emotional, and intellectual development for children birth to five, under supervision.

Responsibilities include planning, supervising activities, and maintaining records while adhering to safety and health guidelines.

Qualifications

• Basic computer skills are required.
• Experience with observations, curriculum development, and assessment is preferred.
• Must be comfortable working with children birth to five.

Responsibilities

• Assist with planning, supervising, and implementing a developmentally appropriate program for a specific age group of young children.
• Assist in providing an integrated, developmentally appropriate curriculum that meets the needs of the group and individual child.
• Assist children with self-help, social, and emotional skills.
• Promote positive guidance techniques and maintain confidentiality.

Skills

Basic computer skills

Education

AA or ECE initial certificate

High School Diploma or equivalency with 2 years experience

Job description

Description

Job Title: Assistant Teacher

Department: Squaxin Island Child Development Center

Reports To: CDC Director

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Time Status: Full-Time

TS Range: 4/5 ($19.47)

Opening Date: 9/11/2026

Closing Date: 9/25/2026

SUMMARY:

The Squaxin Island Child Development Center Assistant Teacher, with guidance from the lead teacher and the center administration team, assists classroom instruction and supports a nurturing environment for all children that allows for optimal social, emotional, and intellectual development.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist with planning, supervising, and implementing a developmentally appropriate program for a specific age group of young children.
• Assist in providing an integrated, developmentally appropriate curriculum that meets the specific developmental needs of the group and individual child.
• Assist children with self-help, social, and emotional skills.
• Assist, utilize, and promote positive guidance techniques.
• Assist with assessing children’s needs and developmental progress on an ongoing basis and apply to the curriculum.
• Promote a climate of respect for each child’s personality, culture, language, family structure, and developmental needs and behaviors.
• Model and provide direction and guidance for the classroom team (i.e., aides and volunteers)
• Facilitate positive and productive relationships with families.
• Assist with maintaining daily, weekly, and monthly records with regard to attendance, communication with families, curriculum, assessments, health, and nutrition, learning the use of electronic databases.
• Adhere to all safety and health guidelines.
• Participates in ongoing professional development, including coursework, staff meetings, parent meetings, center events, and maintains TSG reliability for the position.
• Always maintains confidentiality regarding children, families, and staff.
• Positively project the center, mission, goals, philosophies, and policies to parents, staff, and the community.
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills. Can effectively speak with parents about their child’s development and write correspondence to families.
• Basic computer skills
• Must be willing to attend college if you do not have the needed ECE initial certificates. SICDC provides scholarships.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To successfully perform this job, an individual must be able to carry out each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities needed. Reasonable accommodations may be made to assist individuals with disabilities in fulfilling the essential functions of the position. The successful candidate must be able to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner, gather and analyze information skillfully, develop alternative solutions, work effectively in group problem-solving situations, and use reason even when dealing with emotionally charged topics.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

AA OR Have an ECE initial certificate in Early Childhood, or a High School Diploma or equivalency with 2 years of experience working with young children, and be working toward ECE initial certificate and/or degree. Experience with observations, curriculum development, and assessment of young children. Must be comfortable working with children birth to five. Must be 18 years old.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percentage and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to solve practical problems and handle a variety of concrete variables in situations with minimal standardization. Ability to interpret a range of instructions provided in written, oral, diagram, or schedule formats.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

Complete all pre-employment requirements:

• TB Test
• Physical
• First Aid/CPR including Child/Infant
• Food Handler Permit within 30 days of hire
• DCYF Orientation Training within 30 days of hire

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Employees will be regularly exposed to chemicals that may be present in cleaning solutions and/or arts and crafts activities. The employee will be exposed to outdoor weather conditions. The noise level range in the work environment is quiet to noisy.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands of an Assistant Teacher are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this position successfully. This may include lifting, carrying, holding, bending, stooping, stretching, pushing, pulling, squatting, kneeling, reaching, or moving children with a weight range of 10-50 pounds and responding immediately and appropriately to multiple or unexpected situations or emergencies. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

DRUG-FREE WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment is a drug-free workplace. Candidates will be required to have a urinalysis for drug and alcohol screening.

OTHER:

The successful applicant will be required to pass a Tribal and State background check and obtain fingerprint clearance in accordance with state standards.

INDIAN PREFERENCE:

Indian Preference will be exercised in the hiring of this position in accordance with the Tribe’s Personnel Policies.

CONTACT:

Human Resources Department [phone].