Early Learning Teacher Assistant

Mid Florida Community Services Head Start/Early Head Start • Brooksville, FL

87d

About The Position

Responsible for day-to-day operation and management of the classroom. Responsible for guiding and directing the learning experiences for infants and toddlers by providing a developmentally appropriate learning environment.

Requirements

• Minimum requirement of High School Diploma or Equivalent.
• Valid Florida driver's license and be insurable by Company's current carrier.
• Subject to Federal, State and Local legal requirements/background checks/clearance for working with children.
• First Aid and CPR certified.

Responsibilities

• Maintains an open, friendly, and cooperative relationship with each child and family.
• Encourages each child's family to be actively involved in the Early Learning Programs.
• Promotes/supports parent-child bonding and nurturing parent-child relationships.
• Promotes/supports feelings of security and trust in infants and toddlers.
• Greets children and their parents/caregivers warmly and with enthusiasm each morning and is transitioned to become a part of the learning environment.
• Talks, sings, and reads to children frequently throughout the day.
• Responds quickly and consistently in a soothing and tender manner to child cries or calls of distress and to needs for food and comfort.
• Implements individualized feeding plans and shares family-style meals; models manners and good nutrition.
• Tends to children's personal hygiene needs, remaining especially attentive to routines such as diaper changing, cleaning, feeding, and changing soiled or wet clothes.
• Respects children's curiosity about each other; ensures that children treat each other gently.
• Organizes each day's activities to provide children with a variety of individualized experiences and opportunities that allow them to develop curiosity, initiative, problem-solving skills, and creativity, as well as a sense of security and a feeling of belonging to the group.
• Conducts developmental screenings and ongoing assessments of children to determine motor, language, social, cognitive perceptual and emotional skills.
• Completes timely, neat, accurate documentation of screenings, assessments, individualized plans, attendance, daily health checklist, feedings, daily activity logs for parents/caregivers, inventories, and other documentation as may be deemed necessary for providing quality services.
• Completes menu worksheet for children.
• Maintains a safe, clean, care-giving environment, practices good personal hygiene and hand washing, and assures the well-being and safety of all of the children in that environment.
• Maintains a positive, calm attitude and a pleasant, soothing voice, and models this attitude and voice for parents and others working or volunteering in the program.
• Maintains a cooperative attitude of working together with other teachers and supervisors, parents and volunteers in planning and implementing activities for the program/classroom.
• Utilizes developmentally appropriate discipline techniques.
• Protects all children from physical punishment or verbal abuse by anyone in any program activity and immediately reports any such incident to the Site Supervisor or person in charge.
• Provides the physical safety of each child from arrival time until departure time.
• Assists the Site Supervisor in teaching and modeling developmentally appropriate practices for parents/caregivers in caring for their young children.
• Observes children to detect signs of illness, injury, abuse, neglect, emotional disturbance, or other special needs, and reports these signs immediately to the Site Supervisor or person in charge.
• Plans activities for children with special needs, with training and technical assistance from disabilities and mental health specialists; implements individual education plans, behavior management plans, and/or individualized services or activities as outlined for these children.
• Attends all training opportunities and staff meetings as provided and scheduled.
• Performs any other tasks deemed necessary by supervisors.
• Demonstrates proficiency and application in the learning environment of the CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System).
• Guides children in developing basic concepts as prescribed in the education, nutrition, health, dental and mental health plans.
• Develops Education Child Portfolio for each child in the classroom with required and current documentation and ensures accuracy and completion.
• Ensures referral is completed and submitted to the appropriate service area for any infant and toddler with suspected delay or any other area of concern.
• Participates in supporting the family with the implementation process of the IFSP/IEP in collaboration with the Behavior and Development Team and Early Steps.
• Maintains a safe, clean, and orderly classroom and playground area.
• Monitors and reports in writing to supervisor about any needed repairs and takes appropriate action to correct any unsafe area.
• Establishes and maintains an adequately supplied classroom, ensuring the physical and developmental needs of children are met.
• Prepares requests for and purchases all classroom supplies/equipment with supervisor's approval.
• Provides and participates in learning experiences that allow children to solve problems, initiate activities, explore environments, and develop language through hands-on learning.
• Supports the development of children's positive self-concept and social skills through the promotion of cultural and ethnic acceptance and experiences.
• Provides direct supervision to children at all times; maintaining child/staff ratios in accordance with policies and regulations.
• Provides information to Site Supervisor of any known reason for child absence.
• Ensures regular safety and fire/storm drills are conducted and assures that emergency procedures and evacuation routes are posted in the classroom.
• Recruits parents/caregivers as volunteers in the classroom/center and acquaints them in the classroom.
• Documents/reports parent participation in center activities.
• Prepares parent bulletin board and ensures compliance with program standards.
• Emphasizes the importance of cleanliness/hygiene, assuring that hand washing takes place at appropriate times throughout the day including but not limited to after diaper changing/toileting, nose cleaning, and before/after mealtime.
• Ensures children's hands and face are clean upon departing for the day.
• Promotes and assists children with toothbrush routine after lunch.
• Assists in the recruitment of children for the program.
• Participates in community activities as requested that enhance the Early Head Start program.
• Maintains appropriate documentation required by USDA/Child Care Food Program and ensures quality of data and timelines for completion.
• Actively participates in center/classroom activities, parent meetings and annual parent activities as requested.
• Acts as an advocate and role model for Early Learning Program families.
• Recruits children for the program.
• Assists in the development and implementation of the annual training plan, including pre-service, in-service, and ongoing training requirements.
• Attends and actively participates in trainings and staff meetings.
• Maintains confidentiality in all aspects of client, staff and agency information.
• Maintains effective working interaction with coworkers and outside contacts that will enhance the operation of the Early Learning Program.
• Organizes and prioritizes all assignments as directed.
• Participates in community activities that enhance ELP programs as directed.
• Participates in Community Assessment and Self-Assessment and performs reasonable related functions.
• Uses and follows the policies/procedures of You Thrive FL ELP, federal, state and local regulations/laws, and federal regulations/laws including applicable transmittal notices, and other administrative orders/directions.
• Uses and follows the policies/procedures of You Thrive Florida, including but not limited to Personnel Policies, Occupational Health and Safety policies, payroll policies/practices, etc.

Benefits

• Teacher Break Pay
• Sick
• PTO
• Employer paid health benefits
• Non-Matching retirement
• 14 company paid holidays
• Pet Insurance
• Basic $30,000 Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Disability (LTD)
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Qualified Employer

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED