Preschool Assistant Teacher

St Mary's Montessori•Fontana, CA

12h•$17 - $23•Onsite

About The Position

The Montessori Assistant Teacher serves as a guide, effectively communicating with children, parents, and staff. This role requires providing quality, nurturing care to infants, toddlers, and preschool children enrolled in the school. The Assistant Teacher must demonstrate skills to address developmental needs and help direct children academically, emotionally, and physically within a prepared Montessori environment. The role includes adapting to student and community needs, fostering positive interactions with teacher assistants, students, and parents, assisting in Montessori teacher training, ensuring a safe and clean environment, and participating in special events and assisting the Lead Teacher.

Requirements

Salaried employees are required to maintain a valid, one-year, employment agreement with St. Mary’s Montessori School.
12 ECE units.
Coursework in child development.
One year of experience in an early childhood program.
Required licenses, certificates, or ongoing training (e.g., CPR, ECE units, law enforcement clearance).
Training and experience necessary to develop supportive relationships with young children.
Work independently with minimal supervision.
Flexible and adaptable to constant change.
Strong tact and diplomacy; ability to interact and work cooperatively with students, parents, and staff.
Ability to prioritize, organize, and plan work activities independently.
Effective communication skills, both orally and in writing.
Initiative to develop and maintain communication and relationships with parents and others.
Knowledge and skill in instructional principles, methods, and techniques of the Montessori program.
Skill in obtaining, clarifying, and exchanging information.
Skill in classroom management with guidance from the Lead Teacher/Assistant Director.
Skill in handling student discipline.
Ability to serve as a role model and treat students as individuals professionally.
Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in a diverse setting.
Ability to fully participate as a team member in a professional learning community.
Ability to embrace and incorporate Montessori philosophy guidance.

Responsibilities

Full knowledge and understanding of St. Mary’s Montessori School parent and employee policies, handbooks, and procedures. Full knowledge and understanding of State of California: Department of Social Services Title 22 regulations.
Consistently meet teacher responsibilities related to customer service, guiding, and nurturing the development of infant, toddler, and preschool students.
Provide a prepared environment with identifiable activity routines, facilitating activity transitions and constantly observing students.
Demonstrate working knowledge and application of Montessori principles/philosophy.
Use a daily schedule based on Montessori ideals, acting as a reference and exemplar for students.
Create an environment that fosters and showcases Montessori learning.
Maintain knowledge of local primary expectations for kindergarten readiness, guiding the learning process accordingly.
Recognize and respect parent/student confidentiality.
Interact with parents positively and in a friendly manner.
Provide parents with basic daily feedback.
Encourage parental involvement and support the student’s relationship with their family by appreciating student’s families as part of the Montessori program and incorporating family culture into student experiences.
Maintain constant supervision of students, attend to students in distress, and ensure safety during activities.
Use positive Montessori discipline techniques.
Interact with students supportively, using their names and a calm tone of voice.
Follow policies, procedures, and regulatory standards for student activities.
Report signs of illness, injury, or abuse to the Head of School and take appropriate emergency action.
Maintain sanitary standards for self and students.
Collaborate with the Lead Teacher during sanitizing and prep time.
Ensure each child is warmly greeted upon arrival.
Maintain a safe, clean caregiving environment, practicing good hygiene and ensuring the well-being and safety of all children.
Maintain a positive, calm attitude and a pleasant, soothing voice, modeling this for parents and others.
Attend all training opportunities, staff meetings, and professional development activities.
Maintain a neat, well-organized, and attractive prepared environment consistent with Montessori pedagogy.
Develop effective relationships with parents, providing opportunities to discuss and understand the child’s progress and encouraging bonding with the class and school community.
Consistently and regularly attend work as scheduled.
Complete other duties as assigned by the Head of School.
Supervise facility clean-up and maintenance of student areas, both interior and exterior.
Employees may be assigned additional duties and responsibilities beyond their job description as needed. These duties may vary from time to time. Such assignments are expected to be within the employee's skills and capabilities and contribute to their professional development.