Assistant Teacher

The Associated and its Agencies•Owings Mills, MD

13d•Onsite

About The Position

The Stoler Early Learning Center at the JCC of Greater Baltimore’s Rosenbloom Owings Mills Campus serves 200 children from six weeks through kindergarten. Its child-centered, constructivist-inspired program partners with families and supports children’s development through play, exploration, and hands-on learning. The Assistant Teacher helps create a caring community of learners and supports children’s social, emotional, educational, physical, spiritual, and cognitive growth. The role works in collaboration with Lead Teachers, classroom and age-level teams, leadership, families, and specialists. Assistant Teachers may work part-time or full-time; schedules are typically 35–40 hours per week between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The program operates year-round and transitions to Noah’s Ark Preschool Camp in the summer.

Requirements

High school diploma required.
Working knowledge of young children’s growth and development and ability to apply that knowledge in the classroom.
Strong organizational, interpersonal, and oral, reading, and written communication skills.
Creativity, problem-solving ability, and a can-do attitude.
Flexibility and ability to multitask and prioritize workload.
Ability to work independently in the classroom and collaboratively with classroom teams, age-level teams, leadership, and specialists.
Ability to meet Maryland State Department of Education employment requirements for preschool settings, complete mandated coursework, and fulfill ongoing MSDE, MD EXCELS, and credentialing education requirements.
Comfort exploring indoors and outdoors in a variety of weather conditions.
Ability to work the agreed schedule and complete the full shift, typically five days per week, except during illness or approved time away.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and demonstrate professionalism and discretion.
Physical ability to occasionally lift, push, or pull objects or children weighing up to 50 pounds; sit or stand for extended periods; move between floor-level and standing positions; walk extended distances; maintain balance on uneven surfaces; bend, reach, and help children with clothing and toileting; clean and set up classrooms; and rapidly walk or run in an emergency.
Ability to meet the role’s visual, hearing, speaking, focus, and endurance demands in a fast-paced, sometimes loud environment.

Nice To Haves

A 90-hour certification, CDA, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, education, child development, or a related field.
Experience working in early childhood or elementary education, especially in a constructivist, child-centered setting.
Basic Judaic knowledge, including holidays, culture, traditions, and values, and ability to integrate it into lessons and experiences; willingness to learn is also acceptable.
Credentialing in early childhood education; employees are encouraged to complete the credentialing process.

Responsibilities

Provide active supervision and maintain a safe environment, including keeping children in sight and sound and maintaining required staff-to-child ratios.
Observe children’s play and development, reflect on their learning, and respond to emerging interests and themes.
Support the Lead Teacher in documenting children’s learning through reflections, journey binders, blogs, newsletters, and other school materials.
Adapt learning experiences to children’s individual differences and needs.
Create opportunities for social interaction, physical activity, creative expression, and Jewish experiences indoors and outdoors.
Encourage children’s responsibility for learning and use questions and conversation to develop reasoning and inquiry.
Collaborate with the teaching team on classroom routines, group dynamics, classroom management, and conflict resolution using positive guidance and modeling.
Support children’s physical, spiritual, emotional, social, cognitive, and literacy development through responsive interactions.
Work with the teaching team to address required state content areas, including social-emotional learning, language and literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, physical well-being, Jewish studies, motor development, and fine arts.
Maintain a clean, organized, safe, healthy, and engaging classroom environment and care for classroom equipment and materials.
Welcome children and families at arrival and communicate with families at pickup; use a note or phone call when a topic is unsuitable for discussion in front of children.
Read and maintain children’s files, work samples, anecdotal notes, and other documentation.
Support the Lead Teacher with attendance, sign-in/out, name-to-face recognition, accident and incident records, and other classroom records as applicable.
Help maintain adequate, safe, and well-maintained classroom materials, equipment, and supplies, and take preventative measures against hazards.
Develop courteous, professional relationships with families and colleagues and treat community members with dignity, respect, and compassion.
Share observations with the Lead Teacher about children’s interests, strengths, successes, and challenges.
Provide constructive input for engaging and developmentally appropriate school-wide events.
Participate in professional development, workshops, courses, meetings, and ongoing learning in early childhood education.
Collaborate with faculty and leadership, reflect on professional practice, and participate in self-evaluation and school evaluation processes.
Follow agreed workdays and hours, school policies and procedures, the staff manual, the school’s vision, the JCC mission, and MSDE licensing and safety requirements.
Maintain confidentiality and protect the rights and privacy of children and families in accordance with the NAEYC Code of Ethics.
Complete required annual professional development and maintain First Aid, CPR, MSDE Basic Health and Safety, and MSDE COVID certifications.
Perform other program duties assigned by the director in response to school and agency needs.