Assistant Teacher, Early Head Start (0-3 Year Olds) Full Time NEW

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Assistant Teacher provides daily care to children in a Head Start / Early Head Start (HS/EHS) classroom using appropriate child guidance techniques and building responsive relationships with classroom teachers, staff, children and families. The Assistant Teacher assists co-teacher(s) in maintaining a safe, clean, and healthy work environment. The Assistant Teacher ensures that all regulations and mandates for federal, state, and local licensing are met and works with co- teachers and family members to achieve positive outcomes for children of all abilities.

All employees and volunteers are expected to be sensitive to our clients’ cultural and socioeconomic characteristics, reflect Sunbeam Family Services core values and to perform at Sunbeam’s standards of excellence at all times.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS                                                           

• Promote and contribute to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures, beliefs, abilities, and experiences.
• Support and individualize the physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development of each child in the classroom.
• Demonstrate capacity for providing developmentally sensitive, evidence based, hope centered and trauma informed services and supports.
• Perform the functions of this position with a strong understanding of the Head Start Performance Standards.
• Ensure compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), federal and state regulation, and DHS Child Care Licensing requirements.
• Work with co-teacher(s) to maintain a safe, clean, and healthy learning environment, and assure the wellbeing and safety of children in their care.
• Observe children to detect signs of illness, injury, emotional disturbances, learning disorders, speech problems, or other special needs and reports those signs immediately to supervisor for required or necessary follow-up.
• Work with supervisor to ensure child-staff ratio is maintained at all times.
• Encourage and model language expansion, extended learning, and problem solving strategies throughout the day.
• Conduct home visits and parent-teacher conferences in accordance with HSPPS to share each child’s progress with parents.        
• Work cooperatively with other staff assigned to classroom as a team to involve all parents with the children and to encourage the active participation of all parents in the program.
• Participate in ongoing professional development through education, role modeling, mentoring, training and resources.
• Ensure implementation of HS/EHS written curriculum plan.
• Maintain record keeping and reporting systems to ensure accurate information, with timely completion and follow-up.
• Work in a team setting with all staff to determine individual needs of children including children with disabilities or special needs.
• Ensure that files are complete, accurate, and confidentially maintained.
• Regular, reliable attendance is required.
• Participate in and attend all staff meetings, trainings, and certification courses as required.
• Travel locally as required in the performance of responsibilities.
• Perform other appropriate and related responsibilities as assigned by supervisor or member of Executive Team.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS            

WORKING CONDITIONS                                                            

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to frequently communicate with staff and others, and must be able to exchange accurate information when doing so. The employee must be able to interact closely and safely with small children in various positions. Must be able to communicate verbally with children, able to perform tasks such as feeding children, changing diapers, lifting children from floor or other surfaces. Must be able to endure remaining in stationary position for extended periods of time (up to 50% of workday). Occasionally must be able to move or lift up to 50 pounds at a time. Must be able to detect, discern, distinguish, observe, inspect and compare.  

Work Environment

The employee will work in classroom environment, may work in close quarters with other staff and small children.  The noise level in the work environment varies from moderate to loud; frequent chaotic, characteristic to working with children ages 0-5 years. Employee must expect exposure to strong odors such as soiled diapers and clothing, and poor hygiene. Employee may come into contact with childhood diseases and blood on occasion. 

Other

The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. The qualifications, physical demands, and work environment described herein are representative of those an employee will encounter and must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. These statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel or candidate and may be subject to change at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

Sunbeam Family Services is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  We are committed to fair and equal in all its employment practices for persons without regard to race, ethnicity, color, creed, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, religion, disability or degree thereof, national origin, domestic/marital status, political affiliation or opinion, veteran status, HIV status, AIDS status, genetic information, and any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.