Assistant Teacher I

The Assistant Teacher assists in the instruction of preschool-aged children in activities designed to promote social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth. You will be responsible for assisting the Teacher in the general day-to-day operations of the Head Start classroom.

You will report directly to the Center Director or Head Start Teacher. You will assist in creating and nurturing strong partnerships with families, and ensuring that instruction is consistent with best practice and at the highest level of quality, in compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards.

As a frontline representative of Save the Children, you are required to ensure the safety and security of children and families that you come into contact with, adhering to the agency's values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaborations, Creativity and Integrity.

As a Save the Children employee who will come into contact with children on a routine basis, you are expected to prevent child abuse in every situation by striving, through mental awareness, good practice and training, to minimize risk to children. You must take positive steps to protect children who may be a subject of concern and report and respond to any instance of child abuse and promote training and awareness around all child-safeguarding obligations.

What You'll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

• Engage with children during all activities throughout the day; provide constant supervision of children during all learning activities indoors and outdoors and ensure safe environment.
• Assist in planning and conducting activities with Head Start Teacher to meet individual needs of children in accordance with the daily schedule.
• Guide and facilitate activities with Head Start Teacher including classroom projects and field trips.
• Maintain classroom management using developmentally appropriate techniques.
• Provide a safe and developmentally-appropriate learning environment; interact with children one-on-one and in small groups.
• Build effective relationships within the organization, the children and their families.
• Protect the safety of children by implementing active supervision techniques to ensure no child is left alone or unsupervised at any time.
• Work closely with management to ensure program compliments Head Start Program Performance Standards.
• Keep manager informed of important issues.
• Serve as a liaison between staff and parents; partner with parents in the education of their children including encouraging classroom involvement and home activities.
• Participate in parent-teacher conferences to discuss children's individual development and progress.
• Eat with and assist children with eating at mealtime to teach social and self-help skills and sound nutritional practices.
• Assist children in health and personal habits, such as resting, brushing teeth and toilet habits.
• Assist the Head Start Teacher in record keeping; conduct and document observations, assessments and screenings.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding children.
• Participate in staff meetings, committees and training sessions.
• Assist in the mobilization and documentation of matching in-kind activities, goods and services.
• Work may require the flexibility to stay until all children have left the program.
• In cooperation with supervisor, develop and document progress on professional development plan.
• Will be required to take lead in absence of teacher.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Child Development Associate (CDA) or credential of a state-awarded certificate that meets or exceeds the requirements for a CDA credential, or be enrolled in a CDA credential program to be completed within two years of the time of hire.
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the purpose of the Head Start/Early Head Start program.
• Demonstrated successful interpersonal, communication and organizational skills; ability to follow directions and take initiative.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with individuals and teams at all levels, including students, families, coworkers, and community members.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with Head Start Teacher, other staff, parents and community partners in the provision of high-quality services to children and families.
• Proven ability to keep all information on families strictly confidential.
• Professional proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and online client management systems.
• Must participate in professional development training including basic first aid and pediatric CPR certification as required by state licensing and HSPPS.
• Ability to perform medium to heavy physical work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds frequently and up to 5-10 pounds constantly, performing such activities as sitting, crawling, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting and grasping.
• Clear pre-employment background check requirements, including local, state, and national criminal records check, sex offender registries, employment, and education verifications (including child abuse registry check if required by state regulations) and pass all state and local health requirements required post job offer and prior to employment.
• This position may require the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle to fulfill certain essential functions of the job. The incumbent should maintain a valid driver's license and remain in compliance with any Save the Children policies pertaining to the safe operation of motor vehicles.
• Current and former Head Start/Early Head Start parents will receive preference for employment vacancies for which they are qualified.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual preferred (English/Spanish or English and other languages used by children and families).
• If in North Carolina, holding a Birth-Kindergarten (B-K) Licensure preferred.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.