Assistant Teacher I

Save The Children; Portland (IN); On-site; USD 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a mission-driven organization dedicated to ensuring every child has a bright future. As an Assistant Teacher, you will play a vital role in fostering a safe and nurturing environment for preschool-aged children, helping them grow socially, emotionally, and cognitively. This position involves collaborating closely with the Head Start Teacher to create engaging learning experiences, ensuring compliance with Head Start standards, and building strong relationships with families. If you are passionate about making a difference in children's lives and have a commitment to child safety and development, this opportunity is perfect for you. Be part of a team that values accountability, collaboration, and creativity.

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Short-term Disability Coverage

Long-term Disability Coverage

Employee Assistance Program

Retirement Savings Plan

Paid Time Off

Qualifications

• CDA or equivalent credential required; proficiency in English essential.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills necessary for teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Engage and supervise preschool children during activities.
• Assist in planning and conducting educational activities.

Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Communication Skills

Organizational Skills

Child Safety Awareness

Team Collaboration

Cultural Sensitivity

Education

Child Development Associate (CDA)

State-awarded Certificate

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Online Client Management Systems

Job description

The Assistant Teacher assists in the instruction of preschool-aged children in activities designed to promote social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth. You will be responsible for assisting the Teacher in the general day-to-day operations of the Head Start classroom.

You will report directly to the Center Director or Head Start Teacher. You will assist in creating and nurturing strong partnerships with families, ensuring that instruction is consistent with best practices and at the highest level of quality, in compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards.

As a frontline representative of Save the Children, you are required to ensure the safety and security of children and families that you come into contact with, adhering to the agency’s values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity, and Integrity.

As a Save the Children employee who will come into contact with children on a routine basis, you are expected to prevent child abuse in every situation by striving, through mental awareness, good practice, and training, to minimize risk to children. You must take positive steps to protect children who may be a subject of concern and report and respond to any instance of child abuse and promote training and awareness around all child-safeguarding obligations.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

1. Engage with children during all activities throughout the day; provide constant supervision of children during all learning activities indoors and outdoors and ensure a safe environment.
2. Assist in planning and conducting activities with Head Start Teacher to meet individual needs of children in accordance with the daily schedule.
3. Guide and facilitate activities with Head Start Teacher including classroom projects and field trips.
4. Maintain classroom management using developmentally appropriate techniques.
5. Provide a safe and developmentally-appropriate learning environment; interact with children one-on-one and in small groups.
6. Build effective relationships within the organization, the children, and their families.
7. Protect the safety of children by implementing active supervision techniques to ensure no child is left alone or unsupervised at any time.
8. Work closely with management to ensure the program complements Head Start Program Performance Standards.
9. Keep manager informed of important issues.
10. Serve as a liaison between staff and parents; partner with parents in the education of their children including encouraging classroom involvement and home activities.
11. Participate in parent-teacher conferences to discuss children’s individual development and progress.
12. Eat with and assist children with eating at mealtime to teach social and self-help skills and sound nutritional practices.
13. Assist children in health and personal habits, such as resting, brushing teeth, and toilet habits.
14. Assist the Head Start Teacher in record keeping; conduct and document observations, assessments, and screenings.
15. Maintain confidentiality regarding children.
16. Participate in staff meetings, committees, and training sessions.
17. Assist in the mobilization and documentation of matching in-kind activities, goods, and services.
18. Work may require the flexibility to stay until all children have left the program.
19. In cooperation with supervisor, develop and document progress on a professional development plan.
20. Will be required to take lead in the absence of the teacher.
21. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

1. Child Development Associate (CDA) or credential of a state-awarded certificate that meets or exceeds the requirements for a CDA credential, or be enrolled in a CDA credential program to be completed within two years of the time of hire.
2. Professional proficiency in spoken and written English.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of the purpose of the Head Start/Early Head Start program.
4. Demonstrated successful interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills; ability to follow directions and take initiative.
5. Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with individuals and teams at all levels, including students, families, coworkers, and community members.
6. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with Head Start Teacher, other staff, parents, and community partners in the provision of high-quality services to children and families.
7. Proven ability to keep all information on families strictly confidential.
8. Professional proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and online client management systems.
9. Must participate in professional development training including basic first aid and pediatric CPR certification as required by state licensing and HSPPS.
10. Demonstrated commitment to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

Physical Requirements related to essential functions: Ability to perform medium to heavy physical work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds frequently, and up to 5-10 pounds constantly, performing such activities as sitting, crawling, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, and grasping. This also includes some duties that require repetitive action and motion skills, keyboarding, and computer use.

Clear pre-employment background check requirements, including local, state, and national criminal records check, sex offender registries, employment, and education verifications (including child abuse registry check if required by state regulations) and pass all state and local health requirements required post job offer and prior to employment.

This position may require the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle to fulfill certain essential functions of the job. The incumbent should maintain a valid driver’s license and remain in compliance with any Save the Children policies pertaining to the safe operation of motor vehicles.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Bilingual preferred (English/Spanish or English and other languages used by children and families).
2. If in North Carolina, holding a Birth-Kindergarten (B-K) Licensure preferred.

Why you should join the Save the Children Head Start Team…

Actual base salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, base salary of internal peers, business sector, and geographic location. Employee may be eligible for an incentive program. Save the Children US also offers outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision, and life insurances, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program, a retirement savings plan with employer contribution, paid time off, and much more.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.