Assistant Teacher

Walker•Needham, MA

About The Position

The Assistant Teacher works as part of a three-person classroom team under the supervision of an Education Coordinator, supporting up to nine children with social, emotional, learning, and behavioral disabilities. The role primarily involves assisting students with academic tasks and supporting the overall learning environment. The classroom team creates and maintains a structured, consistent, nurturing classroom and supports children during recreational activities. The Assistant Teacher is expected to provide child-centered, family-focused, culturally competent care and strengths-based treatment. The position works collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team to support children’s emotional, behavioral, and educational development. It includes implementing treatment protocols and therapeutic strategies in children’s treatment plans, IEPs, and individual support plans, as well as maintaining a safe, structured, therapeutic environment. The role also includes administrative and communication duties, such as attending meetings, completing reports and logs, and providing updates to families and residential staff. The Assistant Teacher may support residential students during school vacation weeks, holidays, snow days, and morning wake-ups as needed, and provide group coverage during a teacher’s absence under the direction of special education certified staff.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
Ability to be flexible and work collaboratively.
Ability to respond to emergency situations quickly and safely.
Ability to work in a stressful and fast-paced environment.
Understanding of child development and the impact of emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities.
Understanding of confidentiality issues.
Receptiveness to supervision and professional development.
Ability to work and stand for extended periods.
Ability to bend, stoop, stretch, and lift.
Ability to perform therapeutic physical intervention as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with social, emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities.

Responsibilities

Work as part of a multidisciplinary team to further children’s emotional, behavioral, and educational development.
Maintain a classroom atmosphere conducive to learning and manage student behavior in small and large groups.
Support residential students on their units during school vacation weeks, holidays, snow days, and morning wake-ups as needed.
Plan and implement developmentally appropriate activities and programming for the group.
Apply Walker’s childcare model, including Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), physical restraint when necessary, trauma-informed care, cooperative group games, and behavioral support.
Implement treatment protocols and therapeutic strategies established in children’s treatment plans, IEPs, and individual support plans.
Provide a safe, structured, and therapeutic environment for children.
Attend and participate in required meetings, complete assigned reports in a timely manner, and communicate with families and multidisciplinary team members.
Participate in supervision and professional development opportunities offered at Walker.
Provide daily written updates to families and residential staff; complete weekly school logs; and support Special Education Support Staff with data collection, treatment update notes, and multidisciplinary team meetings as needed.
Provide group coverage during a teacher’s absence under the direction of a special education certified staff member.
Follow and implement all Walker policies and procedures.
Perform other duties as assigned.