ED PARA,PRE-K,C

Orange County Public Schools•Maitland, FL

About The Position

Under direct supervision, this position provides paraprofessional support in an educational or childcare environment by assisting teachers and pre-kindergarten students. The employee works with children individually or in small groups, providing basic instruction in abilities and skills appropriate to preschool-age children. The position also assists teachers in transporting children to scheduled activities, including lunch, rest time, and restroom visits. Essential functions are performed according to the needs of assigned teachers, along with related duties as directed. The role supports classroom instruction, student safety and conduct, learning activities, developmental progress, classroom preparation, and recordkeeping. Employees may also assist with monitoring duties in locations such as hallways, lunchrooms, restrooms, and buses, or provide assistance in various labs.

Requirements

Associate’s degree or higher, or at least 60 semester hours from an accredited institution of higher education; an official transcript is required to validate education.
Passing the paraprofessional certification exam may substitute for the educational requirement for highly qualified status.
Applicants must be highly qualified before beginning employment with Orange County Public Schools.
Ability to fulfill the dexterity and physical requirements of the work and effectively attend to the needs of preschool-age children.

Nice To Haves

Previous vocational training or work experience in a licensed childcare environment is preferred.

Responsibilities

Respond to internal and external customers in a timely, accurate, courteous, and empathetic manner, representing OCPS positively.
Monitor pre-kindergarten children’s activities and behavior, including when classroom teachers are absent, to support their safety and appropriate conduct.
Assist teachers in supervising classroom learning activities and provide assistance and learning support to children.
Provide instruction prescribed by the supervising teacher and reinforce skills through games, stories, and other constructive activities.
Assist teachers in checking and objectively evaluating student progress; teach individuals and small groups using instructional guidelines.
Help children develop gross motor skills, including grasping, holding objects, posture, crawling, walking, and running, and fine motor skills through activities such as playing with toys, cutting, and coloring.
Assist with lesson-plan preparation and teacher planning sessions, and contribute to classroom activities and learning tools.
Help identify and report potential learning or communication deficiencies, monitor learning progress, and document learning activities and diagnoses.
Prepare or assist with instructional materials and provide support tasks such as copying, laminating, typing correspondence, and filing.
Coordinate with media center staff for classroom learning resources and set up classroom equipment for instructional use.
Assist with classroom bulletin boards, decorations, displays of children’s activities, and other classroom objectives.
Maintain attendance records, assign student seating, and learn assigned bus routes.
Maintain accurate and complete records, including entering scores and other student data using a computer terminal when required.
Perform assigned monitoring duties, including hallway, lunchroom, restroom, or bus duty, and support appropriate student conduct.
Provide assistance to teachers and instruction or information to students in various labs when assigned.
Keep current with job-appropriate technology used by OCPS and attend district-supported training as needed.
Maintain timely and accurate information as part of job responsibilities.
Perform related duties as directed.