Assistant Teacher

Summary

WACOG is the Head Start Grantee for Mohave, La Paz and Yuma Counties. Our programs focus on school readiness for all children and families. As a leader in quality early childhood programs in the area, WACOG is a champion of developmentally appropriate practices.

Under general supervision, develop and implement age and developmentally appropriate lesson plans and activities designed to promote the social competence, cognitive and language development, and physical growth of pre-school children.

Duties

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities.
1) Assume responsibility for the care, safety, and welfare of the children through active supervision; abide by the Program Standards of Conduct.
2) Coordinate with 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; implement developmentally appropriate practices which meet the needs and interests of the children.
3) Apply age appropriate teaching techniques and positive behavior management skills while working with preschool age children. Provide children a safe, nurturing, stimulating, and enjoyable learning environment through positive behavior management techniques and constant ("Active") supervision during all activities including instructional, playground, combined staff and child meal times, hand washing, and teeth brushing.
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. Follow up on goals on a monthly basis.
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 maybe 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.

Requirements

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.

Nice To Haves

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

Benefits

Medical
Dental
Vision
Arizona State Retirement System
Long Term Disability
Flexible Spending Account
Health Savings Account
Life Insurance
Tuition Reimbursement