Preschool Teaching Assistant

Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County•Mount Joy, PA

11h•Onsite

About The Position

A Teaching Assistant position is part of the teaching team that has a primary classroom placement. Their role is to support the Lead Teacher and the children in the classroom.

Requirements

A high school diploma or GED
Age-appropriate Child Development Associate Credential (CDA) with 1250 hours of documented experience with children

Nice To Haves

Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education

Responsibilities

Promote cognitive development and learning dispositions in ALL children.
Assist with implementing Creative Curriculum, Thrive to Five Daily Structures, and instructional strategies in accordance with program guidelines to fidelity.
Follow schedules, daily routines and lesson plans of each classroom.
Plan lessons when needed.
Prepare classrooms.
Use responsive language with children.
Assess children’s developmental levels using a variety of assessment tools and plan lessons with Lead teacher.
Collaborate with Lead Teacher in the observation of children in the classroom and collecting data for GOLD assessment to inform differentiated & individual instruction, scaffolding children’s learning, & meeting program readiness goals.
Enter GOLD observations and assign levels on continuum that accurately reflect authentic descriptions of children’s behaviors.
Follow all safety and health procedures and expectations as outlined by regulatory standards (DHS, STARS, EHS, or Head Start Performance standards).
Provide adequate supervision of children at all times as defined in Thrive to Five policies and procedures.
Follow all meal service standards as outlined by CACFP.
Follow all guidance to prevent the spread of illness as defined by Thrive to Five’s policies and procedures such as but not limited to: daily health checks, use of gloves and masks, etc.
Use meals & snacks times to teach about health, sanitation and proper nutrition.
Assist with ensuring all children receive the required dental, vision, hearing, and BMI screenings under the guidance of the lead teacher and the Health and Safety manager.
Teach children proper safety skills such as but not limited to: tooth brushing, hand washing, walking to/from spaces, using tissues, etc.
Follow all procedures when assisting children with the toilet or changing a diaper.
Follow all procedures when supervising and assisting children with rest time. IE, following safe sleep procedures for infants. Supervising rest time appropriately with older children.
Implement PBIS universal practices established by Thrive to Five.
Teach and model social-emotional skills and practices.
Implement interventions, such as, Teacher Support Plans and Safety Plans with support from intra/inter agency teams (Program Coordinators, Early Childhood Behavior Specialists (ECBS) or Mental Health Consultants).
Maintain current knowledge about challenging behavior and mental health concerns.
Implement behavior support plans as needed.
Follow the responsive scale of discipline.
Collaborate with Lead Teacher using & following screening and referral system for children suspected of having a disability.
Work with Lead Teacher, Early Learning Coordinator, Education, Behavior & Disabilities (EBD) Specialist & Health Manager and itinerant early intervention teachers in ongoing assessment and instructional planning for children with disabilities, health needs, and challenging behavior.
Implement individualized instruction for children (with teacher guidance) with disabilities and individual needs.
Assist in providing a welcoming culturally inclusive environment for families.
Model enthusiasm and promote parent/child activities.
Maintain parent/staff rapport and mutual confidence and trust with classroom team.
Use assessment to develop long- and short-range plans for parent’s participation in their child’s learning experiences.
Collaborate with Lead Teacher in delivering evidence-based family engagement practices that reflect the Thrive to Five’s PFCE Framework.
Provide updates on classroom closures.
Provide support and supervision to Floating Teaching Assistant(s), Bus Monitor(s), outside agency or community and/or parent volunteers in the absence of the teacher.
Follow all Community Action Partnership (CAP) and Thrive to Five policies, procedures and systems.
Demonstrate the CAP Values.
Work with Early Learning Coordinator ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and quality standards.
Work with Early Learning Coordinator to reflect on coaching feedback and set professional development goals.
Work with all staff to develop strategies to resolve interpersonal problems that affect program operation.
Attend and participate in mandatory trainings, workshops, and meetings related to professional development and job requirements and such optional trainings as necessary to maintain optimal performance.
Maintain all required certifications and licenses.
Support their peers to understand program routines and expectations. Support and peer to peer coaching occurs to support collaboration and growth across the program.
Timely review and response to internal and external communications.
Actively participate in committee work as needed.
Perform other job related duties as assigned.
Perform other related duties as assigned.