Head Start Teacher Assistant

You Thrive Florida•Bushnell, FL

1d•$15 - $17•Onsite

About The Position

The Head Start Teacher Assistant supports the teacher with the daily operation and management of the classroom and helps provide a developmentally appropriate learning environment that meets children’s individual needs. The role assists with implementing lesson plans and curricula, facilitating children’s learning and development, and maintaining a safe, clean, orderly, and adequately supplied classroom and playground. The assistant provides direct supervision of children, supports attendance and documentation requirements, and collaborates with teachers, families, health staff, and other program staff. The position also supports family engagement, child screenings and assessments, individualized activities, classroom safety, recruitment, training, and compliance with Head Start, USDA/Child Care Food Program, and applicable organizational and government requirements. The posted schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The position is full-time and benefits-eligible. The listed job location is Bushnell Head Start in Bushnell, Florida; the description also identifies Head Start facilities in Hernando, Sumter, and/or Volusia counties as primary locations and notes occasional travel to other counties.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Enroll within 90 days of hire in a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential program and complete it within 9 months.
After completing the CDA program, enroll to complete an associate degree within 2 years.
Valid Florida driver’s license and ability to be insured by the company’s current insurance carrier.
Subject to federal, state, and local legal requirements and background checks.
Ability to plan and carry out lesson plans and learn to coordinate activities.
Ability to work with children with special needs and establish effective working relationships, particularly with parents and children.
Accuracy in completing work; ability to arrive daily and on time, work with limited direction, and organize work.
Ability to evaluate situations and make prompt decisions; communicate effectively orally and in writing; and analyze and interpret data.
Ability to use and operate a computer and maintain confidentiality.
Reliability, responsibility, and accountability for job requirements.
Ability to meet the role’s physical demands, including frequent talking, standing, sitting, squatting, kneeling, walking, reaching, handling, climbing, bending, turning, balancing, pushing, pulling, carrying, lifting up to 65 pounds, and driving.
Correctable eyesight and hearing.

Responsibilities

Assist the teacher with developmentally appropriate activities that support children’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development and meet individual needs.
Implement lesson plans in collaboration with the teacher using established curricula, providing small-group, large-group, and individual learning experiences.
Guide children in developing basic concepts through education, nutrition, health, dental, and mental health plans.
Prepare children for vision, hearing, dental, speech, developmental, and other screening or examination procedures.
Assist with ongoing child observation and assessment, including anecdotal notes, health checks, and required tracking tools.
Help maintain each child’s Education Child Portfolio and keep required documentation current.
Work with the teacher to identify children with suspected delays or other areas of concern and support implementation of LEA IEPs.
Organize and document outdoor play, support gross motor development, and balance indoor and outdoor activities.
Maintain a safe, clean, and orderly classroom and playground; report needed repairs and take appropriate action regarding unsafe areas.
Help maintain an adequately supplied classroom and provide learning experiences that encourage children to solve problems, initiate activities, explore, ask questions, and learn by doing.
Encourage children’s language development through open-ended questions and support positive self-concept, social skills, and cultural and ethnic acceptance.
Provide direct supervision of children at all times and maintain child/staff ratios according to policies and regulations.
Help maintain accurate classroom attendance and ensure sign-in/sign-out records match the number of children present; notify the Family Advocate of known reasons for absences.
Participate in breakfast and lunch with children and support family-style dining and healthy cooking experiences that reflect the population’s ethnic and cultural composition.
Assist with planning and participating in safety, fire, and storm drills; work with health staff on first-aid supplies, secure medication storage, and OSHA standards.
Maintain and document regular contact with parents; help ensure two home visits and two parent/teacher conferences are conducted yearly, document parent participation, and provide two individualized home activities per child each month.
Acquaint volunteers with the classroom and assist with the parent bulletin board.
Report child abuse and neglect according to program policies and procedures.
Recruit children for the program and participate in community activities that support Head Start.
Help maintain documentation required by USDA/Child Care Food Program and ensure data quality and timely completion.
Participate in center and classroom activities, parent meetings, annual parent activities, training programs, staff meetings, and other meetings or trainings as requested.
Act as an advocate and role model for Head Start families.
Assist with developing and implementing the annual training plan, including pre-service, in-service, T/TA, and ongoing training requirements.
Maintain confidentiality concerning clients, staff, and agency information and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers and outside contacts.
Organize and prioritize assignments, submit reports and records as directed, and follow applicable Head Start, You Thrive Florida, and federal, state, and local policies, standards, and regulations.
Demonstrate proficiency and application of the CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System) in the learning environment.
Participate in ongoing monitoring, Community Assessment, and Self-Assessment, and perform related functions as assigned.
Perform additional duties assigned by a supervisor, management staff, or program director.