Educational Assistant

Hamilton County Schools•Chattanooga, TN

About The Position

Orchard Knob Middle School is a 6-8 school located in the heart of Chattanooga, TN. At Orchard Knob Middle, we are committed to fostering academic achievement, personal growth, and community involvement. OKMS is a middle school focused on college and career readiness. Our students enjoy college visits every semester in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. In addition, our community partners assist us with this focus and we offer the following extracurriculars aligned with Future Ready Institutes: Culinary Club, Robotics Club, and Engineering Club. We also offer our students after school programs, athletics, an eLab (digital fabrication), and dedicated administrators. We are looking for high energy, dedicated teachers who are experts in their content areas and who embody a growth-mindset. Teachers who want to inspire children to be thoughtful, passionate and brave individuals. Our teachers take advantage of professional development opportunities and opportunities for growth, while our administrators work diligently to support and provide teacher voice while implementing derived feedback. Hamilton County Schools, located in Chattanooga, TN, is working to ensure that all students thrive and experience a future without limits. We are committed to excellence for every student and are seeking outstanding leaders, teachers, support staff, and district employees who desire to make a difference in the lives of students. With nearly 75 schools, we are confident that you can find your place in Hamilton County. Learn more about working for Hamilton County Schools at careers.hcde.org and get to know us and our strategic plan, Opportunity 2030. The purpose of this classification is to provide teaching assistance under the direction of a licensed teacher in classrooms or as otherwise needed.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required; basic technology skills required; general office/clerical experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.
Must possess one of the following before reporting to work: (1) 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours; (2) An Associate’s degree or higher; (3) passing score on PRAXIS for Parapro Exam.
Ability to learn and implement a variety of teaching strategies.
Demonstrate proficient verbal and written communication skills.

Nice To Haves

One year of experience working with children preferred.
Fluency in Spanish required for educational assistant in ESOL program.

Responsibilities

Assists teachers in classroom or other educational settings; oversees, monitors, or conducts classes during the temporary absence of teachers; assists teachers in setting up and conducting various class activities and projects; works with and assists students during class activities and projects; prepares instructional materials for classroom use; copies materials for use by teachers; sets up and assists with classroom technology; assists in administering and grading tests; assists in evaluating student performance and skill levels; creates bulletin boards, displays, or wall decorations; and assists with cleanup activities.
Provides tutoring or one-on-one assistance to students in basic educational skills; assists students with word study, spelling, sentence writing, reading, math, science, physical education, or other areas; utilizes instructional programs; assists with development of lesson plans.
Monitors students in cafeteria, auditorium, halls, bus zones, or other common areas; organizes groups of students upon arrival/departure; seats students in appropriate areas; assists in cleaning tables or spills; chaperones students on field trips occurring during the regular school day only.
Monitors behavior/activities of students and initiates disciplinary action per prescribed policies under the teacher’s direction.
Follows established procedures for ensuring students are safe.
Performs clerical tasks in support of teaching activities, office operations, and/or other school functions.
Communicates with supervisor, employees, other departments, school officials, teachers, students, parents, vendors, the public, and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, exchange information, or resolve problems.
Attends staff meetings, parent meetings, IEP-Team meetings, or other meetings as required.
Follows established procedures for ensuring assigned areas are safe.
Works collaboratively with supervisor, administrators, employees, students, and other stakeholders.
Attends work regularly and arrives to work in a timely fashion.
Maintains confidentiality.
Adheres to the Teacher Code of Ethics as defined by Tennessee Law.
Provides assistance to other employees or departments as needed.
Performs other duties as assigned.