SPED Self-Contained Teacher Assistant (Grades: EC- 5)

Dallas Independent School District • Dallas, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The SPED Self-Contained Teacher Assistant will support teachers in preparing instructional materials, maintaining a neat and orderly classroom, and assisting students with their diverse needs. This role involves direct student interaction, including assisting with physical disabilities, personal care, and behavior management. The assistant will work with individual students or small groups to develop skills and execute assigned instructional exercises. Maintaining student confidentiality and regular attendance at the worksite are crucial. The work environment is typically moderately noisy, and travel throughout the district may be required. This is a campus-based position, and remote work is not an option.

Requirements

• Accredited Senior High School Diploma or equivalent (U.S.A. equivalency)
• Associate degree, 48 college credit hours, or pass an academic assessment
• Paraprofessional certificate required from State Board of Certification
• Demonstrated general knowledge of child growth/development and behavior characteristics
• Demonstrated ability to work with people from diverse ethnic groups
• Demonstrated organizational and interpersonal skills required to meet the goals of the position
• Demonstrated initiative and a willingness to follow verbal and written instructions
• Demonstrated effective communication skills both in oral and written form
• Demonstrated ability to work with children with disabilities
• Demonstrated flexibility to cope with the challenges of a rapidly changing world
• Demonstrated willingness to remain current with the latest developments in the profession

Nice To Haves

• Successful completion of a specific training program for teacher assistants or six months of knowledge and skills acquired through work experience
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred

Responsibilities

• Help teacher prepare instructional materials and classroom displays
• Help maintain a neat and orderly classroom and prepare classroom according to student needs
• Help with inventory, care and maintenance of equipment
• Help teacher keep administrative records and prepare required reports
• Provide orientation and assistance to substitutes teachers
• Assist students with physical disabilities according to their needs, including transferring to and from wheelchairs, lifting or positioning
• Assist students with physical needs and personal care, including feeding, bathroom needs and personal hygiene
• Assist with classroom curriculum
• Help manage behavior of students which includes intervening in crisis situations and restraining disruptive or dangerous student behavior as needed
• Assume responsibility for learning and adapting to each student's special medical, physical, communicative and emotional needs
• Work with individual students or small groups to develop motor skills and conduct instructional exercises assigned by teacher
• Help supervise students throughout the school day, inside and outside the classroom which includes lunchroom, bus and playground duty
• Keep teacher informed of special needs or problems of individual students
• Maintain confidentiality
• Participate in staff development training programs, faculty meetings and special events as assigned
• Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned

What This Job Offers

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