Title: Teacher Assistant
Reports to: Teacher or Head Teacher
FLSA: Exempt
Position Summary:
The Teacher Assistant works under the direct supervision of the classroom Teacher. The Teacher Assistant assists the Teacher in ensuring that the classroom runs smoothly on a daily basis. In the absence of the classroom Teacher, the Teacher Assistant must take the initiative to resolve any emergency situations that arise, in concurrence with the Substitute Teacher, Head Teacher and Education Specialist.
Position Summary:
The Teacher Assistant works under the direct supervision of the classroom Teacher. The Teacher Assistant assists the Teacher in ensuring that the classroom runs smoothly on a daily basis. In the absence of the classroom Teacher, the Teacher Assistant must take the initiative to resolve any emergency situations that arise, in concurrence with the Substitute Teacher, Head Teacher and Education Specialist.
Job Responsibilities:
Learns and adheres to the philosophy and mandates of Head Start and Early Head Start as outlined in the Performance Standards, licensing requirements, and the Policies and Procedures of Greater Bergen Community Action
Understands how children develop and learn in a variety of school, family and community contexts and provides opportunities that support their intellectual, social, emotional and physical development
Ensures children receive as much individual attention as possible and must supervise all children all the time by using your eyes and ears
Assists in creating a learning community in which individual differences are respected
Assists teacher prepare classroom prior to the children arriving
Assists teacher develop appropriate learning experiences making subject matter accessible and meaningful to all students
Assists teacher prepare weekly lesson plans one week in advance and posts lesson plans in designated area that is easily visible to all pertinent individuals
Assists teacher prepare all mandated classroom documentation for the education component
Keeps the classroom neat and assures that all equipment and materials are in good condition
Maintains the safety and bodily cleanliness of each child
Must plan for and participate in home visits, parent/teacher conferences, and back to school events. These activities will be scheduled during the day and evening
Participates in the Early Screening Inventory and Ages & Stages and/or any other assessment tool required by agency and/or any other regulatory body
Attends in-service and pre-service training workshops as required and/or requested
Assists teacher conduct parent conferences and makes home visits as required
Assists teacher in planning and/or participating in class trips or any other type of event that may take the teacher and/or students out of the typical classroom environment
Shares information with parent/guardian and plans, with the Teacher, strategies for meeting the individual needs of each child
With the teacher, meets with supervisors to discuss progress, classroom observations, program planning, professional development, and plans for specific training as needed
Assists teacher in keeping accurate weekly anecdotal records on each child and makes written evaluations of each child’s development
Assists teacher in keeping daily attendance records on each child
With the teacher, alerts family advocate and follows up on each child in the event of a prolonged absence
Participates as active, responsible members of the professional community, engaging in a wide range of reflective practices, pursuing opportunities to grow professionally and establishing collegial relationships to enhance the teaching and learning process
Knows and understands how education research and other methods of inquiry can be used as a means for continuous learning, self-assessment and development
Participates in the design and implementation of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) if requested
Learns through professional education organizations
Makes the entire school a productive learning climate through participation in collegial activities
Establishes and maintains a harmonious relationship with fellow staff and parents
Attends all meetings as specified by the site manager and/or requested by administration
Responsible for the evaluation of the education component of the program at the ends of the school year
Is punctual and adheres to the work schedule assigned
Assists with classroom coverage at own site and/or any other site upon request of supervisor and/or administration
Communicates clearly and concisely in English, both orally and written
Operates a computer and other standard office equipment to meet the demands of the position
Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with management, clients, representative of community organizations and other staff members
Assumes and performs any other additional assignment as directed by the site manager and/or administration in order to ensure the effective servicing the clients in our care
Responsible for the overall safety of each child in the GBCA HS/EHS program
According to the New Jersey mandated reporting guidelines, any person having reasonable cause to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse or acts of abuse should immediately report this information to the State Central Registry (SCR). If the child is in immediate danger, call 911 as well as 1-877 NJ ABUSE (1-877-652-2873)
Knowledge of:
Principles and practices involving the implementation of a developmentally appropriate curriculum
Applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations relating to preschools and child care
Cultural and socio-economic issues relevant to providing appropriate services to special population groups
How student learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents and prior learning, as well as language, culture, family and community values
Characteristics, uses, advantages, and limitations of different types of assessments (criterion-references and norm-references instruments, traditional standardized and performance-based tests, observation systems and assessments of student work) for evaluating how students learn, what they know and are able to do, and what kinds of experiences will support their further growth and development
Qualifications:
Tier One:
o Current Pre-School CDA Certificate
o Valid NJ driver’s license preferred, local travel is required
o Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or similar computer software.
Tier Two:
o Associate Degree or higher
o Valid NJ driver’s license preferred, local travel is required
o Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or similar computer software.
Physical & Mental Demands:
The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Physical Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand or bend; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone, use hands to find, handle, feel or operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms to lift up to fifty pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. The employee will also work outdoors with children during some part of the day during each season.
Mental Demands:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use written and oral communication skill; read and interpret date, information, and documents; analyze and solve problems; observe and interpret situations; perform work on multiple, concurrent tasks and constant interruptions; and interact with management, staff, clients, state representatives, and other encountered in the course of work.
Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee may have occasional contact with abusive and/or physically violent clients. If the employee works in a typical office condition, the noise level is generally quiet. If the employee works in a classroom setting, the noise level, at times, will be above a standard noise level.
AAP/EEO Statement
Greater Bergen Community Action, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing 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.
To Apply, CLICK HERE.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Equal access to programs, services and employment is available to all persons.