Assistant Teacher

Job Description

Job Description

About This Role

WACOG, the Head Start Grantee for Mohave, La Paz, and Yuma Counties, champions developmentally appropriate practices in quality early childhood programs. Our school readiness programs focus on the growth and development of children and families.

As a leader in the region, WACOG seeks a dedicated professional to develop and implement age and developmentally appropriate lesson plans and activities that promote the social competence, cognitive and language development, and physical growth of pre-school children.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities.

1. Abide by the Program Standards of Conduct and assume responsibility for the care, safety, and welfare of the children through active supervision.
2. Coordinate with the Head Start Teacher and other center staff to plan and facilitate comprehensive and culturally sensitive early childhood experiences using the Creative Curriculum and State standards.
3. Implement developmentally appropriate practices that meet the needs and interests of the children, applying age-appropriate teaching techniques and positive behavior management skills while working with preschool age children.
4. Evaluate and report student progress while working with the Family Development Team and Program Specialists to ensure screenings and delivery of services to children and families.
5. Apply Coaches' reflections to enhance and improve the overall teaching experience.
6. Understand and adhere to all WACOG and applicable external regulations, policies, and procedures, and safety standards to include Head Start Performance Standards, Arizona Child Care Licensing, CACFP, and all Mandated Reporting requirements regarding suspected child abuse and/or neglect.
7. Develop and maintain respectful partnerships with families, including communicating with parents professionally on a daily basis, that support family well-being, strong relationships between parents and their children, and ongoing learning and development for both parents and children.
8. Actively participate in the development of weekly lesson plans that include individualized activities for each child in a timely manner aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and WACOG's School Readiness Goals to ensure children's daily experiences provide multi-cultural and dual language opportunities that lead to improvements in cognitive, social/emotional, and physical growth.
9. Prepare and maintain accurate records including ongoing observations to evaluate each child's growth and development while maintaining the confidentiality of child, family, and program information.
10. Conduct developmental screenings and ensure each child's ongoing assessment is linked to curriculum goals. Use screening results to develop written referrals for children with suspected disabilities.
11. Attend parent/teacher conferences; attend home visits and screenings on a regular basis.
12. Attend IEP reviews and apply goals to meet children's needs. Write needed IEP referrals in a timely manner.
13. Track, prepare, and submit In-Kind documentation in a timely manner through the appropriate channels.
14. Remain prepared and organized with necessary forms for meetings and everyday classroom needs. Take responsibility for the completion and accuracy of sections five and six of the family files.
15. Perform data entry into assigned electronic systems and paper files to include MTS and ChildPlus.
16. Actively participate to build and maintain a professional and collaborative instructional team that includes Assistant Teachers, parents, and volunteers; mentor and lead other classroom staff.
17. Clean and disinfect assigned areas on a regular basis and as needed.
18. Develop professionally by taking educational training or workshops as required.
19. Travel within WACOG service area, including overnight stays as needed; additional travel may be required.
20. Maintain regular and punctual attendance; work outside of standard business hours as needed.
21. Utilize tact and discretion to maintain confidentiality; project a positive and professional image of WACOG at all times.
22. Other duties as assigned or required of the position.

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Per Head Start Program Performance Standards, currently:

Enrolled in a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential program to be completed within two years of hire, or

Enrolled in an Associate degree in child development or early childhood education to be completed within two years of hire, providing continuous enrollment

WACOG REQUIREMENT- must provide proof of continuous enrollment/progress each Spring/Fall semester

Per Arizona Licensing Requirements (R9-5-401), currently:

16 years of age, and

Current and continuous enrollment in high school or a high school equivalency class, or employment as a teacher-caregiver aide for 12 months

WACOG REQUIREMENT- must provide proof of high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma within two years of hire.

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Current Child Development Associate (CDA) credential

Two years experience working in early childhood education and with federal grants.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES (KSAs) The individual who holds this position must be able to perform the essential duties and responsibilities satisfactorily. The KSAs listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities needed for satisfactory performance.

• Demonstrated competency to provide effective and nurturing teacher-child interactions, plan, and implement learning experiences that ensure effective curriculum implementation and use of assessment and promote children’s progress across the standards described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five and applicable state early learning and development standards, including for children with disabilities and dual language learners, as appropriate.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to plan and implement learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children.
• Skill in improving the readiness of children for school by developing their literacy, phonemic, and print awareness.
• Skill in improving children’s understanding, use of language, and use of increasingly complex/varied vocabulary.
• Skill in improving children’s appreciation of books and their understanding of early math and early science.
• Skill in improving children’s problem-solving abilities, and their approach to learning.
• Ability to establish and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment.
• Ability to support the social and emotional development of children.
• Knowledge to encourage the involvement of the families of the children and support the development of relationships between children and their families.
• Ability to interpret a wide variety of technical instructions.
• Working knowledge of Head Start Program Performance Standards and Arizona State Licensing requirements.
• Ability to perform accurate and timely data entry.
• Skill in navigating a variety of software programs.
• Ability to verbally communicate, instruct, read, and write in the English language.
• Ability to form and maintain professional and productive relationships.

EOE/ADA

• Medical

  Dental

  Vision

  Arizona State Retirement System

  Long Term Disability

  Flexible Spending Account

  Health Savings Account

  Life Insurance

  Tuition Reimbursement