Teacher Assistant

AVANCE San Antonio; Gillette (WY); On-site; USD 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

AVANCE San Antonio is seeking a Teacher Assistant to support Head Start classrooms, promoting a safe, developmentally appropriate environment and assisting with instruction and activities under the Teacher’s guidance.

The role requires a CDA or an associate degree in Early Childhood Education with 18 hours of related coursework; a bachelor’s degree is preferred. Strong organizational and written communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Preschool CDA or Associate degree in Early Childhood Education with 18 hours ECD.
• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Business Administration, or related field with 18 hours ECD coursework completed.

Responsibilities

• Promotes and models the organization’s Core Values.
• Ensures safety and well-being of children while under AVANCE’s care.
• Maintains confidentiality of families and staff per policy.
• Provides developmentally appropriate activities aligned with lesson plans.
• Builds warm, supportive relationships with children and parents.
• Encourages parent involvement and fosters parent-child bonding.
• Plans and prepares healthy activities and supplies as directed by the Teacher.
• Ensures daily sign-in/out is accurate for each child.

Skills

Writing & editing

MS Office proficiency

Spanish helpful

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Team player

Problem solving

Report analysis

Travel to trainings

CPR/First Aid training

Education

Preschool CDA or Associate degree in Early Childhood Education

Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or related field

Tools

MS Office (Outlook/Word/PowerPoint/Excel)

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Description

Job Overview

This position is responsible for providing children a safe and developmentally appropriate environment that promotes the child’s cognitive, social/emotional, health and physical development through effective delivery of instruction/activities as directed by the Teacher, and in accordance with Head Start performance Standards and Federal, State, and Local regulations. The Teacher Assistant will be assigned to a specific Head Start classroom.

Job Responsibilities

• Promotes and models the organization’s Core Values.
• Always ensures the safety and well-being of children while under AVANCE’s care.
• Follows program confidentiality policies concerning information about parents, children, and other staff members.
• Provides individually appropriate activities in the classroom and knows each child’s capabilities and modes of learning.
• Promotes feelings of security and trust in the children by being warm, supportive, and comforting, and by establishing strong and caring relationships with them.
• Maintains an open, friendly, and cooperative relationship with each child and parent, encourages their involvement in the program and promotes parent-child bonding and nurturing parent-child relationships.
• Plan and prepare healthy and safe activities and supplies needed according to lesson plans and as directed by the Teacher.
• Assures that parents sign-in their children on the daily sign-in logs in each classroom and make sure that parents sign-in on the right day and time in and out are documented by parent.
• Assures that parents label all children’s belongings and make sure that all belongings are returned at the end of the program year.
• Maintains proper hygiene in children and all equipment and space used for care of children.
• Report suspected neglect, abuse, medical conditions/illnesses immediately to the Teacher and Education Coordinator.
• Maintains assigned child’s Portfolio and other documentation as specified by the Teacher and Education Coordinator.
• Attends meetings and training sessions as specified by the Coordinator of Education Services.
• Works cooperatively and effectively as a team member.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Senior Coordinator of Education Services, the Coordinator of Education Services or Senior Management.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Education

Required:

• Preschool CDA (Child Development Associate Credential) or Associate degree in Early Childhood Education or related field with the required 18 hours of Early Childhood Development.

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Business Administration, or related field and with at least 18 hours of early childhood development coursework completed.

Work Experience

• Preferred: Six (6) months in a licensed childcare facility or in a public/private school or early childhood facility or has completed an early childhood degree program where practicum(s) were required.

Additional Skills Required

• Excellent writing, editing and proofreading skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office software applications with advanced skills using Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Spanish fluency helpful, but not required.
• Demonstrated ability to achieve high performance goals and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail.
• Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, board members, external partners, and donors.
• Emotional maturity.
• Highly resourceful team player, with the ability to be extremely effective independently with the capability of managing numerous simultaneous projects.
• Forward‑looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions.
• Strong analytical, presentation, verbal and written communication, problem solving and decision‑making skills.
• Ability to generate, analyze, evaluate, and summarize reports.
• Ability to travel to various training sessions.
• CPR and First Aid Training.
• Must have dependable transportation daily, valid driver’s license, a clean driving record, current auto liability insurance and be bondable by AVANCE, San Antonio, Inc.

Disclaimer(s)

This is not necessarily an all-inclusive list of job‑related responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements or working conditions. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. Nothing in this job description forms or is intended to form a contract of employment. Neither shall the content in this job description be interpreted to conflict with, or to eliminate or modify in any way, the “at will” employment status of AVANCE San Antonio employees. Employment remains on an “at-will” basis.

Travel

0-10% annually on average, mostly local with occasional long distance.

Equipment

Computer, computer software programs and peripherals, resource materials and equipment, copier, fax, and other equipment applicable to the position.

Working Conditions

Mental and Physical Demands

General office and sedentary. Regularly required to sit; use hands to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Use of personal computing equipment.

Maintain emotional control under stress; work with interruptions and deadlines; walking, standing, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing; occasional: lifting/carrying, pulling/pushing 10-30 pounds. Work evenings and weekends as needed.

Environmental Factors

Occasional exposure to biological hazards (communicable diseases, bacteria, insects, mold, fungi, etc.). Occasional exposure to weather related conditions when working in outside environment/neighborhoods and events.

ADA/ADAAA Statement

AVANCE is committed to equal opportunity in employment for persons with disabilities and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended, and any other applicable state and federal laws. Accordingly, AVANCE does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities regarding application, hiring, advancement, discharge, compensation, training or other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. Moreover, it is AVANCE’s policy to provide reasonable accommodations in employment to qualified individuals with disabilities so that they can perform the essential functions of the job, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of AVANCE’s business or would change the essential functions of the position. Retaliation against an individual with a disability for utilizing this policy or seeking a reasonable accommodation is prohibited. Individuals with any questions or requests for accommodation should contact the Human Resources Department.

EEO/AAP Statement

AVANCE values diversity and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law. It is also our goal to employ and advance in employment women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, and to treat qualified individuals without discrimination on the basis of their physical or mental disability or veteran status.