Position Description
Title: ASSISTANT TEACHER
Reports To: EARLY EDUCATION SUPERVISOR
Division: CHILDREN’S SERVICES
Program: HEAD START
Status: NON-EXEMPT, HOURLY
Hours Per Week: 35 to 40
SUMMARY OF POSITION
To assist the teacher and cooperate in a supportive role in providing a successful, safe and supervised
educational setting for children while they are in the Head Start environment (classroom, outdoor play area, and
field trips). Assist with designing, planning and carrying out developmentally appropriate daily experiences that
meet all component areas of Head Start, school readiness goals established by the program and the individual
needs of each child. Assist in developing individual goals for children, providing on-going assessment on progress
and facilitating transition into kindergarten. Encourage parent involvement in all aspects of the program. Must
meet requirements per Federal Head Start Performance Standards and any state or agency policies and
procedures.
ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Insure a safe and healthy learning environment
- Assist in providing children with a learning environment and the varied experiences, which will help them
- Assist with maintaining a clean, orderly, physical environment conducive to optimal growth and
development of children.
- Help ensure that the building, classroom and playground area is maintained in a clean and orderly
- Help build a healthy environment where children and adults can interact freely and constructively in a
group setting.
- Integrate the educational aspects of the various Head Start components in the daily program of activities.
Advance physical and intellectual competence
- Assist with developmental screening and assessments on each child.
- Accept each child at his/her own developmental level and individualize a plan to help each child grow to
- Encourage children to practice physical and cognitive school readiness skills by solving problems,
activities.
- Assist with providing opportunities daily where children are free to choose where they wish to play.
- Utilize playground time as a learning experience for the children and as a continuation of the classroom
- Participate in all indoor and outdoor activities with the children.
Support social and emotional development and provide guidance
- Assist with providing children with an environment of acceptance that will help each child build ethnic
relationships to support school readiness.
- Use Minds in Motion maze, 2nd Step Curriculum, and Challenging Behavior Policy.
- Help each child find acceptable social behavior for out-of-control emotions and moods by using 2nd Step
rules consistently.
Establish positive and productive relationships with children and families
- Help each child’s parent(s) or guardian(s) realize that their child is unique and special with their own
- Model positive self-esteem building behaviors when working with children.
- Adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) to insure high
quality teacher-child interactions.
- Establish a good rapport with families by making home visits, having parent/teacher conferences and by
- Encourage parent engagement in program activities, planning, classroom volunteering, assisting on field
trips, in-home activities, parent meetings, trainings, workshops, and parent and child together time.
- Model manners, health, hygiene, speech and safety.
- Assist with the recruitment of volunteers and orientation of volunteers in the classroom / education
- Encourage parents and families to develop warm relationships that nurture their child’s learning and
development.
- Encourage parents and families to become lifelong educators by observing, guiding, promoting and
- Encourage parents and families to support and advocate for their child’s learning and development as
they transition to new learning environments, including EHS to HS, EHS/HS to other early learning
environments, and HS to kindergarten through elementary school.
Insure a well-run, purposeful program responsive to the participants needs
- Provide a balanced program of staff-directed and child-directed activities.
- Maintain screening, anecdotal notes, and assessments in organized files on each child.
- Take part in family case conferences and challenging behavior conferences.
- Report any suspected cases of child abuse or neglect, as required by law, in accordance with agency
- Participate in staff meetings, family meetings, training and any other assigned meetings.
- Assist with daily attendance records and documentation of excused absences. Contact the family case
pattern.
- Contribute to the agency’s full compliance with the Head Start Performance Standards and all written
component plans. Help implement all objectives and policies.
- Maintain daily health and safety and playground checklists and give documentation to the early education
- Assist with the recruitment of eligible children for the Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
- Assist with gathering and accurately documenting in-kind.
- Perform additional duties as deemed necessary by the Director of Children’s Services or designee.
Maintain a commitment to professionalism
- Maintain confidentiality at all times.
- Participate in pre-service and in-service trainings, workshops, seminars and conferences to up-date
- Attend CLASS overview training conducted annually by the ECE Specialist or Early Education Supervisor
- Meet monthly with the early education supervisor to share information, problems and concerns as well as
discussing professional development opportunities and implementation.
- Participate in reflective self-evaluation each month.
- Create and adhere to career and position goals
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
- Must have high school diploma or GED. Child Development Associate credential (CDA) in preschool
- If employee does not have a CDA, he/she must obtain the credential within two years of hire as an
assistant teacher.
- Pre-school (ages 3-5) classroom teaching experience is desired. Experience should include the ability to
diverse populations.
- Must have a valid Indiana Driver’s License and proof of insurance. Must have a reliable personal vehicle
available for use in business related travel.
- Must submit to a criminal history background check.
- Must obtain a physical within 30 days of hire and update every two years.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Problem solving abilities.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Intermediate computer skills, internet and e-mail.
- Good organizational skills with sensitivity to detail.
- Must be flexible and non-resistant to change.
- Ability to work as a team member collaborating with staff, parents and community resources.
- Ability to set and maintain professional boundaries with families.
- Ability to supervise pre-school children and ensure a safe environment including the ability to monitor and
physical ability to move quickly in order to respond to children who are very active and may need restraint
or redirection in order to insure their safety or the safety of others in the environment.
- Ability to respond appropriately to an emergency or a crisis situation.
- Must be able to understand, interpret and implement policies and procedures.
- Daily kneeling, stooping, bending and sitting on the floor to attend to children’s needs.
- Occasional lifting up to 50 lbs.
- Must be available for overnight travel, evening and weekend work as required.
- Must be supportive of the missions of
Children’s Services Division.
CONCLUSION
This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the job and general
nature and level of work performed by staff within this position. This job description is not intended to be an
exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the
position.
Interested applicants should forward a resume and cover letter to:
Hoosier Uplands EDC
Attn: Kim Hall, Early Education Supervisor
710 6th Street
Bedford, IN 47421
-or-
khall@hoosieruplands.org