Early Childhood Assistant Teacher (PT) - Chicago, Northside / Bernard Horwich JCC

JCC Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking dynamic and dedicated Assistant Teachers to join their team in a vibrant community setting. This role focuses on nurturing young children's development through a play-based curriculum, emphasizing safety, emotional growth, and collaboration with families. The ideal candidate will thrive in a supportive environment that values professional development and creativity. If you are passionate about early childhood education and want to make a meaningful impact in children's lives, this opportunity is perfect for you. Join a team that is committed to excellence and innovation in education!

Benefits

Free Fitness Membership

Free Apachi Day Camp Sessions

Free Community Engagement Programs

Ongoing Professional Development

Qualifications

• Must be at least 18 years old with a high school degree or GED.
• Experience in child development preferred.

Responsibilities

• Supervise children and ensure their safety and welfare.
• Implement a program that integrates secular and Jewish curriculum.
• Maintain good communication with families and staff.

Skills

Child Development

Classroom Management

Communication Skills

Team Collaboration

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Early Childhood Assistant Teacher (PT) - Chicago, Northside / Bernard Horwich JCC

Job Category: JCC Early Childhood

Requisition Number: EARLY004800

Posted: March 13, 2025

Part-Time

On-site

Locations

Chicago, IL 60645, USA

Description

JCC Chicago seeks dynamic, dedicated Assistant Teachers to join our amazing team in West Rogers Park!

JCC Chicago is the largest JCC system in North America, with more than 800 staff in over 15 diverse locations across the metropolitan area. Our core program offerings include Early Childhood Education, Children and Family Engagement Programs, Aquatics, Arts & Ideas, Day Camps and Overnight Camp.

Classrooms are the first community. When we speak about community, we speak about places of sharing, learning, growing and connection. For some 800 young children in the Chicago area, the first community begins in JCC Chicago’s Early Childhood program.

We are committed to excellence, providing strong professional development opportunities and nature-inspired classrooms that allow our staff to be their most creative selves! With our ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest DCFS standards, we are looking for those who are enthusiastic about guiding each child to reach their full potential.

Job Summary:

The Assistant Teacher is a critical member of a team of educators, social workers and specialists who support the whole child through a developmentally appropriate curriculum that embraces Jewish life and complements what happens at home.

As a Reggio Emilia inspired Early Childhood program, we support the individual needs and abilities of each of our students through an emergent, play-based curriculum. We are looking for professional educators who are interested in growing with us!

Key areas of responsibility:

• Be responsible for the safety and welfare of the children, supervising all children by sight and sound.
• Work with your teaching team to implement a program that includes elements of the JCC’s integrated secular and Jewish curriculum.
• Provide and maintain an atmosphere which is conducive to emotional and cognitive growth.
• Establish and maintain good communication and strong sense of community with director, staff, and parents.
• Make families feel welcome by greeting them personally by name and be able to share specific information regarding their child.
• Foster a collaborative, team-focused atmosphere, both in the classroom, teaching site, and the agency as a whole.
• Actively participate a minimum of 15 hours in staff meetings, trainings, and ongoing development opportunities.
• Work with your teaching team to maintain DCFS and Illinois state standards.

Additional responsibilities:

• Responsible for contributing to written and photo content of all newsletters, portfolios, and mass communications to classroom families.
• Participates in regular, and meaningful, communication with families, including, but not limited to, in-person conversations/meetings, virtual meetings, emails, Kaymbu communication, bi-yearly parent-teacher conversations, and portfolios.
• Assists in and has a global awareness of all aspects of the teaching position including classroom management, daily tasks, social-emotional needs of children, moving effectively through daily schedule, adjusting to the needs in the classroom.
• Demonstrates awareness of classroom environment, and physically moving through the spaces.
• Assists in classroom set up and preparation of lesson plans created by lead teacher.
• Always maintains respect for children and team.
• Follows and assists in successfully implementing guidelines set forth by the Social Services department when raising any concerns about a child’s development or behavior in a classroom setting.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Essential Job Duties/Physical Duties:

• Lift/move children up to 40 lbs.
• Demonstrate physical stamina and agility required to be mobile for long periods throughout the day.
• Move from sitting (chair and floor) to standing position easily and quickly.
• Stand for long periods of time and be able to run and actively engage physically with children.
• React with physical and mental alertness in emergency situations.
• Use hands for grasping classroom equipment and play material.
• Supervise children by sight and sound.
• Diaper children in accordance with DCFS and NAEYC requirements.
• Be in a swimming pool up to one hour, 2 to 3 days per week observing children and participating in swim lessons as needed (at certain JCC sites).

Days/Hours: Monday - Thursday 1-3:30PM (floater)

Job Category: Union Professional

Salary Range: $17 to $26.50

Education Qualifications:

• At least 18 years of age with a high school degree or GED.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated passion for working with young children.
• Child development experience in a preschool, kindergarten or licensed day care program, from birth to age six preferred.

Employee Benefits and Discounts:

(Benefits will differ for FT and PT employees, based on hours worked)

FT benefits may include medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, sick, vacation & holiday pay. PT benefits may include sick, vacation & holiday pay.

Other Perks:

• Free Fitness Membership (individual and family)
• Free Apachi Day Camp Sessions
• Free Community Engagement Programs
• Ongoing JCC professional development and access to JUF Scholarship funding available!

JCC Chicago provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual preference, gender identity or expression, marital status, apparent or non-apparent disability, veteran’s status, or unfavorable discharge from military service in accordance with state and federal laws.