Assistant Teacher

Clarke School For The Deaf•New York, NY

29d•$20 - $25•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Teacher works under the direction of the classroom teacher to support a language-rich, nurturing, safe, challenging, and therapeutic environment for preschoolers ages 3 and 4 who are deaf or hard of hearing. The role prepares materials and activities, maintains classroom organization and cleanliness, uses appropriate classroom-management strategies, interacts with children in developmentally appropriate ways, and implements lesson plans. The position follows the school-year and six-week summer-school calendar, with general hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and is classified as non-exempt. The Assistant Teacher supports children’s auditory, spoken-language, social-emotional, and developmental learning; helps supervise and care for children throughout the day; and collaborates with teachers, colleagues, and families. The role also includes classroom cleaning and setup, documentation, meetings, professional learning, and other tasks assigned to support the school.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Early Childhood, Special Education, Speech/Audiology, or a related field.
NYS Teacher Assistant certification, or willingness to obtain it immediately.
Strong interpersonal communication skills and ability to work collaboratively.
Strong written communication skills and ability to communicate effectively by email, Word, and ClassDojo with a variety of stakeholders.
Ability to meet the physical demands of cleaning and sanitizing; moving children’s furniture; sitting at child level; bending; assisting with dressing, toileting, walking, stairs, buses, and emergency evacuation; participating in preschool activities such as dancing, yoga, playground activities, and running; and unpacking and storing materials and supplies.

Nice To Haves

Experience with children age 5 and under, particularly in a school, daycare, or camp setting.
Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

Work collaboratively with the classroom teacher.
Follow the classroom teacher’s plans for daily activities, lessons, and goals, and prepare related materials.
Implement the teacher’s strategies for working with students, using developmentally appropriate language, tone, and practices to provide behavioral support and develop social-emotional skills.
Supervise children throughout the day in accordance with school procedures and classroom practices to ensure their safety.
Assist in recording, transcribing, and analyzing language samples.
Maximize opportunities for auditory and language learning and carry over goals and strategies throughout the day, across settings and activities.
Engage individual children and small groups daily in activities that develop auditory and spoken-language skills.
Organize, sanitize, clean, and maintain the classroom environment, including cleaning cots, preparing cleaning materials, wiping furniture, and cleaning up after lessons.
Interact positively and meaningfully with families in accordance with guidance from the teacher and Clarke.
Set up and clean up the classroom each morning, and organize it throughout and at the end of the day.
Assist with toileting and feeding tasks according to each child’s needs.
Follow health, safety, and development policies and procedures of Clarke, the NYS/NYC Education Department, and the Department of Daycare.
In the teacher’s absence, lead the class in a manner consistent with the teacher’s and Clarke’s approach.
Perform other tasks assigned by the director to support the school.
Participate in self-identified and program-directed professional learning related to child development, developmentally appropriate practices, curriculum, social-emotional learning, behavior management, language intervention, amplification and technology, and other topics.
Participate in team, staff, and parent meetings.
Assist with written documentation, including daily attendance and health monitoring, transferring IEP information into progress-report format, and other tasks as needed.
Collaborate and communicate professionally and proactively with the classroom teacher and colleagues.