Infant Toddler Assistant Teacher - Full Year

Infant Toddler Assistant Teacher - Full Year

Job Summary: Under the supervision of the Center Education Coordinator or Assistant Center Education Coordinator, this position is responsible for providing comprehensive early childhood services in compliance with DHS regulations, Head StartPerformance Standards, program guidelines, policies and procedures. The Infant Assistant Teacher is responsible for implementing the curriculum in the classroom by creating lesson plans and developing individual child goals to meet the needs of children, including observing, assessing, and documenting children's progress. In addition, the Infant Assistant Teacher is responsible for maintaining active supervision of children and for providing ongoing communication with parents, including during home visits, at parent-teacher conferences, in written daily activities sheets, and at other programsponsored events.

Essential Functions: Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide comprehensive services for children from birth to 3 years of age maintaining compliance with the program's guidelines and performance standards (including MN DHS licensing regulations Head Start Program Performance Standards, Child & Adult Care Food Program)
• Strictly adheres to the highest standards of confidentiality and ethics when working with children, parents and peers.
• Engage each child in the classroom with hands-on learning and assist the lead teacher as they execute their role.
• Responsible for a primary care group of 2-4 children acting as the primary caregiver for this group of children, including caregiving activities (feeding and diapering), building secure and trusting relationships with children and families, documenting daily activities of children, developing child-level goals, and completing ongoing observations and assessment of children.
• Assists in the creation and implementation of detailed and comprehensive lesson plans appropriate for very young children using Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers and Twos (per Curricula and Intentional Planning Procedure), which includes activities that support goals to achieve measurable outcomes based on observations and results of the program's child assessment tool.
• Actively engages in developmentally appropriate classroom activities, such as child-initiated free play, floor play, caregiving routines, limited adult-initiated activities, self-help and routine care such as formula preparation and diaper changing.
• Uses self-talk and other language support techniques continuously throughout the day to enhance language development in children.
• For each child in the assigned primary care group, observe each child on a regular basis in all developmental domains to establish individual child goals that are meaningful and measurable.
• Responsible for recording authentic observations and accurate documentation to track and achieve measurable child outcomes and established programmatic school readiness goals.
• Documents, levels and finalizes development using the designated online assessment tool (per Assessment & Child Goals: Individualizing for Children Policy).
• Presents results of the program's assessment tool to parents in a manner that is easy to understand during parent-teacher conferences, home visits, and upon request.
• Assists parents with developing individualized strategies in order to continue curriculum learning in the home.
• Communicate with parents regarding the child's overall development including the child's successes and areas of potential concern or needed improvement (per Family Teacher Conferences policy).
• Closely partners with families to build relationships and ensure smooth transitions between home and classroom. This includes daily written communication provided to families regarding the child's day, which must include successes, challenges, classroom routines, and self-care (e.g., diapering, napping, and meal consumption, etc. (per DHS regulations and Parent/Family Engagement policy).
• Assists in designing a safe and developmentally appropriate learning environment (per Teaching and Learning Environment Policy).
• Ensures appropriate health and safety practices are implemented. Inspects the classroom, indoor and outdoor space daily ensuring that materials are safe. Remove or repair all unsafe equipment. Report any major concerns to management (per Daily Potential Hazard Checklist).
• Assist with the children's daily informal health checks. Actively participates in emergency drills (per Emergency Safety Lockdown policy).
• Ensures active supervision is maintained at all times (per Active Supervision of Children policy).
• Continuously cleans and sanitizes classroom and toys. Monitors for the excretion of bodily fluids (e.g., toileting accidents, mouthing of toys, etc.) using universal precautions to clean and sanitize (per Safe Facilities policy).
• Assists in ensuring that children's classroom files, data within necessary program database (e.g., daily attendance, meal counts, home visits, parent-teacher conferences), children's tracking log, monthly reports, health and safety logs, separation log, accident report.
• Promotes parent participation in all areas of the Head Start Program. Communicates opportunities such as volunteer opportunities in the classroom, center meetings, family events, parent education opportunities, community events/resources, Policy Council, and Advisory committees.
• Focuses on developing trauma-informed universal classroom supports, and utilizing and following a social-emotional curriculum.
• Teaches and develops children's social emotional skills using evidence-based strategies to teach, model, and reinforce positive behaviors.
• Assistant Teachers will assist in producing a material-rich environment to stimulate social interactions among children, including predictable and consistent routines, rules and social expectations.
• Provides appropriate responses to typical infant behavior using positive behavior supports.
• Model appropriate and respectful behavior to the children, parents, fellow staff, and program leadership following the NAEYC Code of Ethics and signed Code of Ethical Conduct Statement of Commitment.
• Maintain personal training logs. Complete required number of annual training hours necessary to remain in compliance with Minnesota Rule 3 Licensing guidelines.

Professional Development:

• Undergoes annual classroom observations (CLASS) that measure effective teacher and child interactions, providing useful data to drive improvement.
• Attain and maintain the program reliability certifications within established program deadlines.
• Actively participates in required and optional professional training classes and workshops as available.
• Maintains personal training logs. Completes the required annual training hours necessary to comply with MN DHS Licensing guidelines.
• Participate in classroom assessment in determining the implementation of Pyramid practices through the use of the Teaching Pyramid Infant-Toddler Observation Tool (TPITOS).
• Actively participates in center, agency and community meetings, classroom team meetings, family fun events, conferences and home visits.
• Actively participates in Practice-Based Coaching Collaborative (per Professional Development: Coaching policy)

Safety: Responsible for the area of supervision and daily enforcement of safety regulations and practices.

Qualifications:

• Education & Experience: Must meet one of the following educational requirements: A current Infant/Toddler Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or a state-awarded certificate that meets or exceeds the requirements for a CDA credential; OR Enrolled and actively pursuing an AA/AS or BA/BS in Early Childhood Education or a degree in a related field, 6 months of experience in an early childhood setting, with a minimum of 6 semester credits in early childhood completed. Required to provide transcripts and/or certification.
• Must meet minimal experience required by MN Department of Human Services Rule 3 for licensed child care centers.
• Abilities and Skills: In order to be successful in this position, the person will at a minimum need to possess the following abilities and skills: Enjoy working with young children. Ability to effectively relate and communicate to people of varying multi-ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Flexible and willing to work in a team teaching environment. Capable of using good judgment in daily teaching situations, and in interactions with staff, parents and community volunteers. Must successfully complete and pass the criminal background check Use a computer and related software applications To ensure compliance with program requirements, and safety of staff and clients, the ability to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing is required. Core Technology Competency : Level 1-Basic Certifications : Must obtain CPR/First Aid Certification within 90 days of hire; must maintain certifications. Driver's License: A valid driver's license and reliable transportation on a daily basis is preferred.
• Physical Requirements: Must be able to lift 50 pounds, have the stamina and ability to model best practices in the classroom and act appropriately in an emergency situation. Physically capable of reacting to the demands of active children under 3 years old. Must be able to successfully pass the pre-placement Head Start physical exam.
• Mental Requirements: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive listing of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Management reserves the right to make modifications at their discretion.
• Environmental Requirements: School environment (classroom and playground), Home Visits in the community, trainings at various locations within the community.

Benefits: