SUMMARY: The Classroom Aide is responsible for assisting the Teacher in creating, maintaining, and managing an attractive, warm, and challenging learning environment for all children enrolled in the Head Start Program. The Classroom Aide will serve as a liaison between staff and parents.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assists the Teacher in implementing educational programs for each child and the classroom and on the playground.
- Assists the Teacher in record keeping, observations, assessments, and screenings.
- Serves as a liaison between staff and parents. Assist in maintaining regular communication with parents and actively encouraging parent participation.
- Participate in team meetings, in-services, visits, conferences, planning sessions, and staffing for the children and families as needed.
- Maintains confidentiality regarding students.
- Assist in maintaining records and submitting all required reports, forms, records, and expenses on time. This includes inventories, lesson plans, meal service records, child observations, and assessments.
- Protects the safety of children by implementing active supervision techniques to ensure no child is left alone or unsupervised at any time.
- Assist children in health and personal habits, such as eating, resting brushing teeth, and toilet habits.
- Assists in preparing food and serving meals to children. Maintain a clean environment in the food service area for serving.
- Fills in temporarily when a staff member needs to leave the classroom for a short duration.
- Participates in staff meetings and training sessions.
- Works in cooperation with the supervisor to develop and document progress on the professional development plan. Actively engages in professional development activities to increase qualifications in accordance with Head Start’s Core Values.
- Work may require the flexibility to stay until all children have left the program.
- Driving to transport food to serve children, or to perform other work-related tasks may be necessary.
- Perform all other duties as assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: This position has no supervisory responsibilities.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:
- Write reports and correspondence.
- Effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, families, and the general public.
- Interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
- Travel area-wide, and access classroom sites and family homes to evaluate program activities, requiring a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and proof of insurance.
- Ability to pass a medical examination, certifying freedom from communicable disease upon employment offer.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Requires a minimum age of eighteen (18) years to comply with regulations.
- Requires a high school diploma or GED.
- Experience with Preschool-age children preferred.
- Must be willing to attend college courses in child development or early childhood education and special needs and/or complete coursework for Child Development Associate (CDA) certification within 2 years.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS and WORK ENVIRONMENT:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee must periodically lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. These physical demands are as with handling children of pre-school age. The environment will be a normal office environment and a normal pre-school environment.
Project NOW is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We celebrate the unique differences of our employees because that is what drives our mission. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information, political affiliation, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Accommodation is available for applicants with disabilities.
Positions within Project NOW are primarily grant-funded and funding decreases can affect our staffing needs.
