Para Professional

The Salvation Army North & Central Illinois Division; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Job summary

The Salvation Army North and Central Illinois Division is hiring a Para Professional to support preschool children with disabilities in Head Start/Child Care settings. You will assist the Teacher/Site Director and work with staff to maintain a safe, engaging learning environment.

Responsibilities include supervising activities, promoting communication, and supporting children’s physical development. This position requires a High School Diploma or GED and at least one year of preschool experience.

Qualifications

• Education: High School Diploma or GED equivalent required.
• Experience: One year experience in a pre-school setting. Some experience with young children.

Responsibilities

• Ensure safety of children and maintain a safe learning environment.
• Assist teaching staff and support children with disabilities in activities.
• Promote and support communication among children and staff.

Skills

Safety practices

Communication

Adaptability

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Who We Are

At The Salvation Army, we are dedicated to “Doing the Most Good”. We are made up of thousands of officers, soldiers, staff, volunteers, donors, and partners working together to holistically meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. We do this through programs designed to combat homelessness and hunger, provide safe spaces for kids after school and on the weekends, achieve and maintain sobriety, and give hope to the hopeless. The Salvation Army North and Central Illinois Division provides these services to people in need.

THE SALVATION ARMY

NORTH AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS DIVISION

Position Description

POSITION TITLE: Para Professional

LOCATION/DEPT: Child Care

REPORTS TO: Teacher/Site Director

PEOPLE MANAGER: No

FLSA CATEGORY: Non-Exempt

STATUS TYPE: RFT

SALARY GRADE: 201

SALARY RANGE: $17.05 - $20.70

Job Summary

To serve pre-diagnosed preschool children with severe to moderate disabilities in Head Start/Child Care collaboration programs.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Safety
  • Demonstrates safety practices.
  • Perform a safety check on each child every morning.
  • Clean up water spills.
  • Empty and bleach the water table daily.
  • Call for assistance with coverage if need to leave the classroom (i.e. take child to restroom).
  • Work with Teacher or Assistant Teacher in supervising the classroom (i.e. one person stands if another sits with a child).
  • Minimizes potential hazards.
• Report any safety hazards inside or outside the facility (i.e. broken glass on the playground) to the Director.
  • Clean up any potential hazards.
  • Access children for any potential hazards (i.e. untied shoelaces).
• Provides safety instruction.
  • Instruct children to walk not run.
  • Instruct children on proper behavior while on the bus.
• Learning Environment
  • Support children place in Head Start Maintains learning environment.
  • Assist teaching staff in the classrooms in the role of disabilities.
  • Physical
    • Assists the teacher in planning and implementing activities that promote the physical development of the child/children with disabilities.
    • Maintains an environment conducive to development of physical skills.
  • Communication
    • Promotes children’s listening skills.
    • Promotes clear articulation and language production.
    • Promotes adult-child communication.
    • Promotes child-child communication.
• Professionalism
  • Maintains a professional attitude.
  • Keeps abreast of early childhood education practices.
• Other Duties
  • All other duties as assigned.

Other Duties

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Education: High School Diploma or GED equivalent required.
• Experience: One year experience in a pre-school setting. Some experience with young children.

JOB LIMITATIONS

• This individual will only commit Army resources that have been allocated or approved.
• This individual will keep the Teacher and Site Director informed on all critical issues relating to their area of responsibility.
• This individual will adhere to all policies and procedures in carrying out the responsibilities of this position.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This position is required to do light to moderate physical work and be able to lift up to 40lbs on a daily basis.
• In order to successfully perform the essential functions of this position, the employee is occasionally required to position self to stoop, kneel or crouch; frequently required to use standard classroom and office equipment and a PC.
• The work environment for this position includes an office or classroom environment with a low to moderate noise level.
• This position will only work at assigned locations where there are children with disabilities and are subject to change work locations at any given time based on the program need to serve these children.

COMPETENCIES

• Some knowledge of social service programs helpful.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to use initiative and be a self-starter.
• A positive attitude and the ability to be flexible in light of changing job situations/priorities.
• An attention to detail.
• Supportive of the mission of The Salvation Army.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

• This position reports to the Teacher/Site Director.
• In contacts related to this position’s duties, this individual acts as a representative of The Salvation Army and its mission.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• This individual will be evaluated on how effectively the outcomes of this position are achieved, as well as the timeliness, accuracy and completeness of accomplishing assigned goals.

THE SALVATION ARMY MISSION STATEMENT

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.