Special Education Teaching Assistant

Lake Forest School Districts 67 & 115 • Lake Forest, IL

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Special Education Teaching Assistant supports students eligible for special education in various instructional settings. The responsibilities of this position include adapting classroom assignments and/or materials under the direction of a special education teacher for the purpose of supporting and reinforcing curricula and IEP objectives. The Special Education Teaching Assistant works under the direction of a certified teacher and is expected to exercise independent judgment, a high degree of confidentiality, creativity, organizational skills, and be able to react appropriately in crisis situations.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Illinois Professional Educator License, Paraprofessional License, or Substitute License
• Ability to obtain a valid Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Certificate
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and positive problem solving attitude
• Comfortable and pleasant demeanor in busy environments
• Ability to work under pressure and deal with multiple tasks to meet deadlines
• Ability to work with speed, attention to detail, consistency, and organization
• Ability to work harmoniously, cooperatively, and effectively with all stakeholders
• Ability to work effectively within office and school-based management systems
• Ability to collect basic data and enter the information into spreadsheets
• Ability to implement Nonviolent Crisis Interventions
• Ability to recognize dangerous situations and to prevent accidents
• Ability to motivate students as to the value of learning the curriculum and inspire positive performance
• Ability to transport oneself to different student vocational sites throughout the day, including transporting oneself to and from high school campuses
• Proactive in addressing needs and problem-solving
• Demonstrate a commitment to excellence, high expectations and to the academic and personal well-being of all students
• Flexibility and willingness to assist in general departmental responsibilities
• Maintain confidentiality
• Adhere to Board of Education policies and procedures
• Maintain a professional appearance and demeanor at all times

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with children and/or adolescents with disabilities
• Experience with office and school-based management systems

Responsibilities

• Serves as an instructional assistant to the classroom teacher and adapts classroom activities, assignments and/or materials under the direction of the supervising teacher for the purpose of supporting and reinforcing classroom and vocational objectives and meeting IEP goals
• Administers classwork, tests, homework, make-up work, etc. for the purpose of supporting teachers in the classroom and the community setting
• Communicates with supervising instructional staff, work site staff, and professional support personnel for the purpose of communicating progress and/or implementing IEP goals and objectives
• Implements, under the supervision of assigned teacher, research based interventions and best practices for the purpose of presenting and/or reinforcing learning concepts
• Assists with evaluation of student skills and data collection for monitoring student IEP goals
• Intervenes in potential conflicts utilizing appropriate physical and/or therapeutic approaches for the purpose of defusing confrontations and minimizing disruptions
• Prepares and maintains instructional materials, manuals and electronic files/records for the purpose of ensuring availability of items, providing written reference; and/or meeting students' needs
• Assists with the implementation of the behavior management plan (BIP) including behavior escalation, Crisis prevention intervention (CPI) and positive behavioral strategies under the direction of the teacher or related services faculty
• Assists with escorting students to and from classes including loading and unloading of students from bus or other school vehicles
• Serves as a daily supervisor of the student during events, activities, meals and other programming (e.g. daily walks/breaks, assemblies)
• Provides, under the supervision of assigned teacher, instruction to students in a variety of individual and group settings for the purpose of reinforcing instructional, functional and vocational and IEP objectives
• Attends meetings and in-service presentations for the purpose of acquiring and/or conveying information related to job functions
• Helps students develop, learn, and self-monitor social skills, executive functioning skills, and social emotional skills
• Helps students with health related services as directed by school nurse which may include observing and recording individual student health needs
• Maintains and respects confidentiality of student information
• Performs other job related duties as assigned by direct supervisor
• Adheres to Board of Education policies and procedures

Benefits

• Personal and Sick Leave provided
• Reimbursement - up to $1300 annually for tuition reimbursement
• Insurance - 100% district paid Single HMO Health (other options are also available)
• Retirement - IMRF (Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund) - the district pays the full district premium, employees pay the 4.5% employee contribution

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED