Transition Room Teaching Assistant

Decatur Public School District; Decatur (IL); On-site; USD 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Decatur Public School District is seeking a Student Transition Room Assistant at South Shores Elementary to support students in regulating emotions, returning to class, and transitioning to and from alternative placements. This role focuses on safety, supportive intervention, and collaboration with teachers.

The position emphasizes trauma-informed practices, restorative justice, and documenting student progress.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 60 college credits.
• Positive interpersonal skills and the ability to relate well with staff, parents, community members, and students.
• Ability to function effectively as a member of the school team.
• Able to demonstrate effective behavior management techniques and interventions.
• Experience with restorative justice practices preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assists students with assignments, and/or other tasks assigned.
• Continually supervises students to ensure a safe, nurturing environment.
• Escorts students to and from locations.
• Establishes constructive relationships with students and interacts with them as needed.
• Provides feedback to teachers/administrators on students’ progress.
• Promotes inclusion and acceptance of all students.
• Promotes positive student behavior and handles conflicts per policy.
• Supports restorative justice practices and trauma-informed approaches.
• Documents student behavior and interventions for data purposes.
• Attends trainings related to trauma-informed and restorative justice practices.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Team collaboration

Behavior management

Restorative justice

Education

60 hours of college credits

Job description

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Frontline Applicant Tracking - Decatur Public Schools District #61

• Position Type: Teaching Assistant
• Date Posted: 9/1/2026
• Location: South Shores Elementary
• Date Available: ASAP
• Closing Date: 09/18/2026

TITLE: Student Transition Room Assistant

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of 60 hours of college credit.
• Positive interpersonal skills and the ability to relate well with staff, parents, community members, and students.
• Ability to function effectively as a member of the school team.
• Able to demonstrate effective behavior management techniques and interventions.
• Experience with restorative justice practices preferred.

REPORTS TO: Building Administration

JOB GOAL: To help students regulate their emotions/behavior, return to the learning environment and transition to and from alternative placement.

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assists students with assignments, and/or other tasks assigned.
• Continually supervises students to ensure a safe, non-threatening, nurturing environment where students can thrive.
• Escorts students to and from locations.
• Establishes constructive relationships with students and interacts with them according to individual needs.
• Provides feedback to teachers and/or administrators on students’ progress while in the transition room.
• Promotes the inclusion and acceptance of all students.
• Promotes good student behavior, dealing promptly with conflict and incidents in line with established policies and encourages students to take responsibility for their own behavior.
• Supports restorative justice practices, Ripples Effect, and/or other building practices/interventions.
• Assists students in actively working on strategies to de-escalate, self-regulate emotions.
• Assists with the development and implementation of peace circles/peer mediation.
• Documents student behavior and interventions, which may include restitutions made by students, on/off task behaviors, work completion, etc.
• Attends meetings or trainings as required, with emphasis on trauma-informed and restorative justice practices, as well as social emotional learning.
• Maintains an ongoing log of students entering and exiting the transition room for data collection purposes.
• Fosters relationships with parents and family, volunteers, and other caring-adult mentors and program supporters in the community.
• Professionally interacts with students, staff and the public.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: Wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment pursuant to negotiated agreement.

EVALUATION: Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions set forth in the collective bargaining agreement

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Handle work which deals mostly with people, objects, equipment in a general setting; depth perception and field of vision are important. Employee regularly is required to bend, stoop, twist, turn, reach, lift (up to 50 pounds), carry, pull, push, climb, and kneel; walking and standing approximately 50-75% of each shift. Employee must recognize differences in sound, such as voices/noises that are loud and playful instead of angry and combative; ability to differentiate tones and volumes in conversation.

MENTAL DEMANDS:

The assistant must ensure that children are supervised at all times, and that children are involved in safe and appropriate activities. There may be a number of situations happening at once, and the assistant must be prepared to handle accidents and emergencies at any time.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills that may be required.

This position falls under the Decatur Federation of Teaching Assistants - July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2028.

The Salary Schedule is attached above. Benefit information can be foundHERE .

Decatur Public Schools is an equal employment opportunity employer with an affirmative action plan.

Attachment(s):

• DFTA Salary 25-28.pdf
• Student Transition Room Assistant 5.28.2024.doc