SPED Unit Teacher Assistant (Grades: EC-5)
About The Position
The SPED Unit Teacher Assistant supports teachers in preparing instructional materials, maintaining a neat and orderly classroom, and assisting students with their diverse needs. This role involves working with students with physical disabilities, assisting with personal care, and supporting the classroom curriculum. The assistant will also help manage student behavior, including intervening in crisis situations, and must be adaptable to each student's unique medical, physical, communicative, and emotional requirements. Collaboration with individual students or small groups to develop motor skills and conduct instructional exercises is also a key part of the role. Maintaining confidentiality and participating in staff development are expected. Regular and punctual attendance at the worksite is required.
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 substitute 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
- 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
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
