ASSOCIATE TEACHER

NHA • San Diego, CA

9d

About The Position

Under the supervision of the Site Supervisor, and when appropriate under the guidance of a Teacher, the Associate Teacher assists with the instruction of children. The role follows the Agency’s core values, the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct for Early Childhood Practitioners and Professional Practice, Head Start Performance Standards, and required Head Start competencies. The position supports developmentally appropriate learning, children’s safety and well-being, family engagement, and classroom operations.

The Associate Teacher assists with lesson planning and child assessments, supports children with special needs, maintains confidential records and program documentation, and helps meet children’s daily hygiene and meal needs. The role also involves communication and collaboration with families and colleagues, participation in meetings and trainings, preparation of learning materials, and maintaining a safe, clean classroom and playground environment. For Early Head Start, additional infant and toddler coursework and licensed-care experience are required.

Requirements

• Knowledge of appropriate child development theories and practices.
• Knowledge of basic first aid.
• Ability to create and maintain a safe learning environment for children and others.
• Ability to work effectively with parents, families, and childcare providers and sensitivity to culturally and ethnically diverse groups.
• Twelve units of early childhood education or child development, including an Associate Teacher Permit.
• Fifty days of experience, at least three hours per day, in an early childhood education setting within two years of application for employment.
• Ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from managers, clients, customers, and the general public; demonstrated written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, interpret technical instructions, and handle abstract and concrete variables.
• For Early Head Start, at least three semester units related to infant and toddler care and at least six months of experience in a licensed infant/toddler care center.
• Obtain pediatric first aid and CPR certification within 90 days of employment.
• Meet and maintain state and county childcare-center employment licensing requirements, including fingerprints, TB screening, physical examination, immunizations, and an Associate Teacher Permit or higher.
• Ability to meet the physical and mental demands of the position, with reasonable accommodations as applicable.

Nice To Haves

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or child development.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing weekly lesson plans with developmentally appropriate activities that reflect the Head Start curriculum and comply with Performance Standards.
• Recruit families for the Program as required by Performance Standards.
• Help develop and maintain a safe, welcoming environment that supports children's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development.
• Assist with child screenings and use assessment information to help plan for each child's needs.
• Assist in developing Individual Education Plans for children with special needs.
• Help ensure children's daily hygiene needs are met, including tooth brushing, hand washing, bathroom routines, and meal times.
• Help ensure classroom and outdoor playground safety.
• Provide emotional support and encourage children's self-esteem.
• Maintain confidential written documentation on each child.
• Help prepare monthly reports and program records, including attendance, absences, sign-in/out sheets, in-kind records, meal counts, fluoride tracking, and health and safety checklists.
• Complete required forms and records, including home visit and parent/teacher conference forms, classroom meeting records, training reports and agendas, Ouch Reports, field trip permission slips, and milestones.
• Assist with home visits and parent/teacher conferences.
• Collaborate with the classroom Family Service Assistant to address family needs.
• Prepare food for children's meals, wash dishes, and maintain cleanliness of children's bathrooms and classroom areas.
• Participate in family support team meetings and document necessary information in children's files.
• Attend mandated meetings and trainings.
• Help prepare reinforcement and supplementary materials to support parents with home instruction.
• Participate in center-level case management meetings as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed