Early Head Start Teacher Assistant

Omaha Tribe of Nebraska•Macy, NE

19h

About The Position

The Early Head Start Teacher Assistant supports the Omaha Tribe Head Start and Early Head Start mission of providing comprehensive, family-focused child development services, including education, health, nutrition, and mental health. The position helps ensure that the education program is developmentally appropriate, meets children’s needs, and complies with Federal Head Start Performance Standards and applicable local, state, and agency policies and procedures. The Associate Teacher works from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and must notify a supervisor by 6:45 a.m. if unable to work. The Teacher Assistant supports children’s development, classroom activities and management, curriculum implementation, parent involvement, and classroom leadership. Duties include observing and documenting child development; helping plan and deliver age-appropriate activities; maintaining a safe, healthy, stimulating classroom; communicating with families; and completing required records. The employee is expected to uphold the organization’s mission, values, confidentiality requirements, and professional and ethical standards.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Ability to obtain First Aid and CPR certification.
Willingness to complete a CDA credential within one year of hire.
Knowledge of early childhood education curriculum, principles, and best practices.
Ability to establish supportive relationships and collaborate with staff and families from diverse backgrounds on behalf of children.
Effective verbal and written communication skills that foster cooperation, respect, concern, and openness to change.
Organization and time-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Ability to collaboratively problem-solve.
Knowledge of state childcare licensing requirements.
Ability to operate a computer and office equipment, including a telephone, fax machine, and copier.
Basic knowledge of caring for infants and toddlers.
Ability to walk or run quickly, kneel or sit on the floor, bend, and lift; ability to lift, carry, and move classroom equipment, supplies, bulky objects, or children weighing up to 50 pounds.
Must attend meetings and training courses as required or directed by the Education Coordinator.

Nice To Haves

CDA credential and/or associate’s degree.
Two years of early childhood experience in a center-based setting.

Responsibilities

Demonstrate the Omaha Tribe Head Start and Early Head Start’s core mission, vision, and values; maintain professional and ethical boundaries and comply with confidentiality regulations.
Assist with observing, assessing, and documenting each child’s skills, behavior, growth, and development.
Help provide opportunities for children to experience success and build self-confidence, and assist in developing individualized educational plans.
Share information with the Lead Teacher, Education Coordinator, and Educational Service Unit team to support referrals for children with special needs.
Build positive relationships with children and families in the classroom.
Conduct family-style mealtimes, sit and engage in conversation with infants and toddlers, and encourage toddlers’ independence and self-help skills during setup and cleanup.
Maintain an attractive, stimulating, clean, safe, and healthy classroom environment, and encourage children to select activities independently.
Ensure children are appropriately supervised and maintain the required adult-to-child ratio of 1:4; do not use cellphones.
Use positive behavior support strategies and interventions and encourage children to develop self-regulation skills.
Assist with timely completion of paperwork, including developmental assessments, lesson plans, newsletters, and incident reports.
Assist in planning and implementing age-appropriate activities that support children’s social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development.
Assist in developing lesson plans with goals, objectives, activities, and outcomes; write anecdotal observations to inform individualized plans and evaluate progress.
Create documentation panels regularly, or take responsibility for them when assigned, to make children’s learning visible to parents and visitors.
Assist with regular parent meetings about children’s progress, including at least two parent-teacher conferences and two home visits per year.
Encourage parent participation in program activities and in education activities for children at home and in the community.
As assigned by the Lead Teacher, communicate with parents about children’s classroom participation and progress toward learning goals through informal conversations, newsletters, or Brightwheel.
Model positive behavior and maintain confidentiality regarding each child and family.
Maintain daily attendance, USDA food counts, medical logs, infant and toddler eating, sleeping, and toileting information for child files and parents, and other required forms.
Attend meetings and training courses as required or directed by the Education Coordinator.
Perform other duties as assigned within the scope of the job description.