GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY

Responsible for providing support to a Lead Teacher and assisting the Site Supervisor.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Supports the Lead Teacher in providing quality educational and family services to children and their families. Provides instructional assistance such as but not limited to: facilitating learning centers; individual and small group instruction; facilitating and modeling play; and model good nutrition practices during meal/snack times. Helps provide developmentally appropriate environments for children. Demonstrate high-quality language models in all their languages and strongly support continued home language development. Provides basic care to children including assistance with toothbrushing, toileting, diapering, assisting physically ill children, assisting with the detection of head lice and communicable diseases. Ensures supervision of children at all times; must be able to hear and see children at all times. Report suspected child abuse or neglect to the immediate supervisor. Supports the Lead Teacher with the caseload of families. Completes assigned home visits and parent/teacher conferences. Assists with parent education and support program for all assigned families. Promotes parent involvement. Provide guidance and support to substitutes/sub floats when classroom lead teacher is absent. Provides site office, clerical, and staffing support. Provides coverage for other classrooms when possible, including Part-day. Attend staffing, meetings, and training when required or requested. Assists with cleaning and disinfecting of classroom equipment and materials. Completes and maintains all required records, child/family files, reports, and Agency paperwork, timely and accurately. Responsible for maximizing and documentation of in-kind contributions. Participates in professional development and opportunities for growth. Demonstrates on-going professionalism. Recruit for enrollment. Support and assist volunteers serving in the classroom. Assists Site Supervisor as needed. Responds to two-way radio calls for assistance.

SPECIFIC JOB SKILLS

Ability to read, write, and understand English essential. Ability to actively participate in team development and team-oriented processes. Good organizational and time management skills. Ability to accept direction and supervision. Good interpersonal skills essential. Sensitive to the needs of young children; willing and able to relate to children and adults from all ethnic, national origins , religious, or economic backgrounds. Ability to drive, including travel to multiple sites, home visits, trainings, etc. All communications are potentially sensitive and are subject to Head Start's policy on confidentiality.

JOB CONDITIONS

Physical effort as a part of the regular work routine.

This includes:

seeing, hearing, writing, frequent driving, standing, walking, bending, stooping, and kneeling, prolonged periods of sitting, occasional lifting up to 50 pounds, which may include infrequent lifting of children, and carrying of lightweight materials.

Required mental functions:

reading, calculating simple math, and withstanding moderate to high levels of stress.

WORK HABITS

Required work habits include regular attendance, teamwork, initiative, dependability, and promptness.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

High school diploma or G.E.D.; and A Child Development Associate (CDA), or a state awarded certificate that meets or exceeds the requirement for CDA credential, or one year of experience in a preschool classroom and enrolled in a program to complete a CDA within 2 years of hire, or; Enrolled in an Associate or Bachelor's degree program with one year experience in a preschool classroom. Meet the STARS requirement and be listed in the State training and registry system (STARS).