Teacher Assistant - Preschool (4 hrs/day)

FLSA Status: Non-exempt

Grade: U02, U03 (Unified)

Revision Date: December 1, 2015

Location: Bright Beginnings Preschool

Job Summary

This position provides assistance to Preschool Teachers in the daily management and instruction of students. The work involves observing and reporting on the behavior and learning of students, in a preschool classroom, closely monitoring the needs of children with and without disabilities.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Implements instruction activities as prescribed by the teacher for individual children's programs.
• Attends to daily record keeping tasks such as attendance and collecting lunch money.
• Prepares classroom materials in accordance with needs of children; assumes partial responsibility for arranging and decorating the classroom environments to fit the needs and interests of young handicapped children.
• Observes and records data in child's progress and behavior including solid interactions and emotional behavior.
• Insures the safe transfer of students on and off the school buses; removes and replaces braces and splints; lifts children from and into strollers and other specialized adaptive equipment.
• Helps facilitate personal care and hygiene of students including diapering, nose wiping and body cleaning. Follows safe procedures for appropriate handling of body fluids and wastes.
• Takes appropriate action in instances of special medical needs including seizures, respiratory arrest, broken bones, postural drainage, and airway obstruction.
• Maintains the safety of the children in the absence of the teacher by continually observing safety precautions.
• Assists with daily activities including snack and stories as per teacher's lesson plans.
• Escort children as needed to classroom activities. Responsible for safe exiting of children from building in case of an emergency.
• Participates in school based and system wide in-services and workshops designed to improve skills and expand theoretical knowledge.
• Models the WJCC Strategic Plan Values: Individualism, Integrity, Innovation, Accountability and Collaboration.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills and/or Abilities Required)

• High school diploma or GED certificate required.
• Experience in nursing, childcare, or special education preferred.
• Demonstrate the ability to supervise and teach students.
• Maintain confidentiality with records to student records and information.
• Ability to communicate clearly and properly orally and in writing to students, staff, and parents under the direction of and in collaboration with teacher.
• Basic computing and spelling skills required. Patience, flexibility, dependability, interest, punctuality, and ability to follow directions.
• Special Instructional Assistant II : Must have completed at least 60 semester hours of college credit or earned an associate’s or higher degree or have successfully passed the ParaPro Assessment (Virginia qualifying score of 455). Experience in nursing, childcare, or special education preferred.

Supervision Exercised

Responsible for individual or small groups of students as assigned by supervising teacher.

Supervision Received

Reports to the Supervisor of Early Childhood Programs and receives direction from the teacher and works under general supervision of Principal.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Must have the ability to sit for extended periods of time; exhibit manual dexterity to dial a telephone, to enter data into a computer terminal; to see and read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids; hear and understand speech at normal levels and on the telephone; speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in person and on the telephone; ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.

Duties are normally performed in a school/classroom environment. Duties may be occasionally performed on field trips away from school. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. Employees are regularly required to stand and reach with hands and arms; walk; sit; stoop or kneel; crouch or crawl. Duties may involve risk resulting from attending to students’ physical or sanitation/hygiene needs. Must be physically capable of frequently lifting or moving up to 50 pounds. Must be able to move between indoor and outdoor environments to supervise students and direct students to safety in emergency situations.