Early Childhood Special Education Paraprofessional

We are in need of an early childhood special education paraprofessional to work in the classroom under the direct guidance of the EC teacher. This position involves working with students with disabilities. You will assist in classroom modifications, communication with regular and special education staff, provide structure and feedback, and work with other students as assigned.

Responsibilities under the direction of a certified teacher:

• Work with general and special education teachers to reinforce teacher-introduced content and help students in individual/small/large group lessons make connections to their learning.
• Build relationships with students through knowledge of students' background, skills, and interests, and use this knowledge to work with students and individualize their learning.
• Demonstrate an understanding of students' background, skills, and interests, and use this knowledge to work with students and individualize their learning.
• Demonstrate an understanding of students'' instructional goals and work to successfully implement goals within the classroom.
• Demonstrate warmth and caring when interacting with students, being respectful of the cultural and developmental differences.
• Support students' participation in the general education classroom.
• Employ constructive communication strategies and approaches when working with students, staff, and the school community.
• Follow instructional practices of general and special education teachers.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the supports and services listed in a student's IEP.
• Demonstrate positive, supportive, and cooperative relationships with colleagues.
• Display high standards of honesty and integrity in all interaction with students, staff and the school community.
• Maintain student confidentiality in all settings.
• Be prepared, punctual, and reliable.
• Demonstrate flexibility with schedule changes and shifting student needs.
• Use required technology and support students in the use of technology

Additional Expectations:

• Moves or assists students transferring into and out of wheelchairs or adaptive equipment when necessary.
• Ensure safety of students inside and outside of the building.
• Provides personal care and healthcare tasks for students when needed, including toileting, feeding, catheterization and g-tube feeding under the supervision and training of the district nurse and special education teacher
• Assists in data collection related to IEP goals and general education curriculum.
• Performs other duties as assigned by authorized personnel.
• Maintains a current assistant substitute folder.
• Comply with all district and departmental guidelines and expectations.
• Comply with board policies as defined on the district website.
• Comply and uphold exceedingly high levels of confidentiality and customer service.
• Ability to work effectively with staff, students.
• Neat and professional in appearance and behavior.

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, and talk or hear, to use hands and fingers to handle, or touch objects and/or controls, as well as use repetitive motion of fingers, hands and arms. The employee is frequently required to bend, stoop, and crouch. The employee must be able to frequently lift/or move up to 50 pounds including, but not limited to lifting children from wheelchairs or transferring them. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close, distance, depth perception and also the ability to adjust focus.

Please attach a letter of interest and 2-3 letters of reference to the online application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Questions and correspondence can be addressed to

Jenny Niesen

Director of Pupil Services

niesenj@sdoj.org