Special Education 1:1 Resource Room Teaching Assistant – Elementary

Sylvania; Saint Clair Shores (MI); On-site; USD 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Lake Shore Public Schools seeks a dedicated Special Education Teaching Assistant to provide 1:1 support to an elementary student, under the supervision of a certified teacher. You will assist with academic tasks, behavior, social-emotional needs, and use assistive technology to support progress toward IEP goals.

This 7.5-hour daily role involves collaboration with the school and special education team, with responsibilities across classroom routines, transitions, and student independence

Qualifications

• Ability to establish a supportive, respectful, patient, and professional relationship with an elementary student receiving special education services.
• Ability to provide consistent 1:1 support while promoting student independence and avoiding unnecessary reliance on adult assistance.
• Ability to reinforce elementary academic concepts and provide developmentally appropriate instructional support.
• Ability to support students with classroom routines, transitions, attention, task completion, communication, social interaction, and self-regulation.
• Ability to implement accommodations, modifications, behavioral strategies, communication supports, and other interventions as directed by certified staff.
• Ability to recognize and appropriately respond to student behavioral, social-emotional, communication, functional, and safety needs.
• Ability to provide appropriate prompting, modeling, reinforcement, and redirection while maintaining student dignity and encouraging independence.
• Ability to remain calm, consistent, and supportive when responding to challenging student behaviors or periods of dysregulation.
• Ability to collect and accurately record student performance, behavioral, and progress-monitoring data.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with special education teachers, general education teachers, administrators, related-service providers, and other support staff.
• Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written or oral form.
• Ability to perform basic arithmetic operations and understand academic content necessary to assist students with elementary-level coursework.
• Ability to understand and use personal computers, educational software, assistive technology, communication systems, and common productivity applications.
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse group of individuals.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding students, employees, and others.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with students, staff, families, and others contacted in the course of work.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provides individualized 1:1 support to an assigned student throughout the school day, including general education and special education settings, transitions, lunch, recess, specials, and other school activities as appropriate.
• Supports the student's participation and progress in the general education curriculum and assists with implementation of accommodations, modifications, and supports identified in the student's IEP.
• Works individually with the assigned student to reinforce academic skills, classroom instruction, assignments, routines, and concepts introduced by certified teachers.
• Provides developmentally appropriate support with classroom routines, task initiation, attention, work completion, organization, and transitions between activities.
• Reinforces strategies designed to improve the student's independence, communication, self-regulation, problem-solving, and successful participation in the elementary school environment.
• Implements instructional, behavioral, social-emotional, communication, and functional strategies as directed by certified teachers and other appropriate professional staff.
• Supports the student's progress toward IEP goals and objectives under the direction of certified special education staff.
• Promotes student independence by providing the least amount of adult assistance necessary for the student to successfully access instruction, interact with peers, and participate in school activities.

Job description

Special Education 1:1 Teaching Assistant – Elementary

Lake Shore Public Schools is seeking a dedicated Special Education Teaching Assistant to provide individualized 1:1 support to an elementary student receiving special education services. Under the direct supervision of a certified special education teacher and other appropriate staff, the Teaching Assistant will support the student's academic, behavioral, social-emotional, communication, and functional needs throughout the school day.

The position is approximately 7.5 hours per day. While the primary assignment is to provide 1:1 support to an identified student, the Teaching Assistant works as part of the school and special education team and may assist with other student and classroom responsibilities as appropriate and as directed by certified staff.

Essential Job Functions

• Provides individualized 1:1 support to an assigned student throughout the school day, including general education and special education settings, transitions, lunch, recess, specials, and other school activities as appropriate.
• Supports the student's participation and progress in the general education curriculum and assists with implementation of accommodations, modifications, and supports identified in the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP).
• Works individually with the assigned student to reinforce academic skills, classroom instruction, assignments, routines, and concepts introduced by certified teachers.
• Provides developmentally appropriate support with classroom routines, task initiation, attention, work completion, organization, and transitions between activities.
• Reinforces strategies designed to improve the student's independence, communication, self-regulation, problem-solving, and successful participation in the elementary school environment.
• Provides prompting, modeling, redirection, reinforcement, and other appropriate supports to help the student remain engaged, regulated, and available for learning.
• Implements instructional, behavioral, social-emotional, communication, and functional strategies as directed by certified teachers and other appropriate professional staff.
• Supports the student's progress toward IEP goals and objectives under the direction of certified special education staff.
• Assists the student with transitions between classrooms, activities, arrival, dismissal, lunch, recess, and other portions of the school day while promoting increasing independence.
• Supports the development of age-appropriate social skills, peer interactions, communication, and participation in classroom and school activities.
• Utilizes assistive technology, visual supports, schedules, communication systems, educational technology, sensory supports, and other resources appropriate to the student's individual needs.
• Collects and records data regarding student academic performance, behavior, participation, communication, independence, and progress as directed by certified staff.
• Implements behavioral interventions, Positive Behavior Support Plans (PBSP), safety plans, or other individualized supports, when applicable, consistent with training and direction from professional staff.
• Recognizes signs of student frustration, dysregulation, or distress and implements appropriate supports and de-escalation strategies consistent with the student's individual plan and staff direction.
• Promotes student independence by providing the least amount of adult assistance necessary for the student to successfully access instruction, interact with peers, and participate in school activities.
• Provides assistance with functional, mobility, positioning, personal care, or other student needs when required by the student's individual program and consistent with training provided by the District.
• Communicates observations and relevant information regarding the student's performance, behavior, progress, and needs to the supervising teacher and appropriate professional staff.
• Collaborates with special education teachers, general education teachers, related-service providers, administrators, and other support staff to provide consistent student support.
• Assists in maintaining a safe, respectful, supportive, and productive learning environment.
• Maintains confidentiality regarding student information and records.
• Participates in meetings, professional development, and student-specific training as appropriate.
• Assists with other classroom and student-support responsibilities as directed when consistent with the needs of the assigned student.
• Follows all applicable safety rules, procedures, District policies, and regulations governing assistance to students with disabilities or other special needs.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Note: The primary responsibility of this position is individualized support for an assigned student. Student assignments and responsibilities may be modified based upon student needs, enrollment, IEP requirements, staffing needs, or other District considerations.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to establish a supportive, respectful, patient, and professional relationship with an elementary student receiving special education services.
• Ability to provide consistent 1:1 support while promoting student independence and avoiding unnecessary reliance on adult assistance.
• Ability to reinforce elementary academic concepts and provide developmentally appropriate instructional support.
• Ability to support students with classroom routines, transitions, attention, task completion, communication, social interaction, and self-regulation.
• Ability to implement accommodations, modifications, behavioral strategies, communication supports, and other interventions as directed by certified staff.
• Ability to recognize and appropriately respond to student behavioral, social-emotional, communication, functional, and safety needs.
• Ability to provide appropriate prompting, modeling, reinforcement, and redirection while maintaining student dignity and encouraging independence.
• Ability to remain calm, consistent, and supportive when responding to challenging student behaviors or periods of dysregulation.
• Ability to collect and accurately record student performance, behavioral, and progress-monitoring data.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with special education teachers, general education teachers, administrators, related-service providers, and other support staff.
• Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written or oral form.
• Ability to perform basic arithmetic operations and understand academic content necessary to assist students with elementary-level coursework.
• Ability to understand and use personal computers, educational software, assistive technology, communication systems, and common productivity applications.
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse group of individuals.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding students, employees, and others.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with students, staff, families, and others contacted in the course of work.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Physical Requirements

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA).

• Works in standard elementary school classroom environment.
• Standing, walking, moving, climbing, lifting, carrying, bending, kneeling, crawling, reaching, handling, pushing, and pulling.
• Ability to lift and/or assist with transferring students up to 50 lbs, including support with positioning, mobility, and transitions between activities.
• Ability to respond quickly to student behavioral or safety needs, including bending, kneeling, or moving at floor level to support young students.
• Communicate successfully through speaking with a variety of persons.
• Sit and stand for extended periods of time; exhibit manual dexterity to dial a telephone, to enter data into a computer; to see and read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids; hear and understand speech in classroom levels, and throughout the school building.
• Employees requiring accommodation to perform essential functions should contact Human Resources to initiate the interactive ADA accommodation process.

Compensation

Individuals holding an advanced degree receive the following increase above the regular hourly rate:

• Associate Degree: +$1.00 per hour
• Bachelor's Degree: +$2.00 per hour
• Master's Degree or higher: +$3.00 per hour

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.