Assistant Teacher

The Assistant Teacher plays an important role in the classroom and in the school community, working under the direction of the classroom teacher to provide a language rich, nurturing, safe and challenging therapeutic environment for 3 and 4 year old preschoolers who are deaf or hard of hearing. The assistant teacher ensures the learning environment and activities are ready for student engagement by preparing materials, maintaining classroom organization and cleanliness, utilizing appropriate strategies for classroom management, communicating and interacting with children in developmentally appropriate ways and implementing lesson plans. This is a non-exempt position that follows the school year and 6-week summer school calendar, with general hours of 8:00 am-4:00 pm.

Qualifications include:

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with the classroom teacher
• Follow the classroom teacher’s plans for daily activities, lessons, and goals and prepare materials for lessons and activities related to classroom plans
• Implement strategies for working with students consistent with teacher’s approach and strategies, using developmentally appropriate language, tone and practices, to provide behavioral supports and the development of social/emotional skills
• Follow school procedures and classroom practices to supervise children throughout the day to insure each child is safe
• Assist in recording, transcribing and analyzing language samples
• Maximize opportunities for auditory and language learning in the classroom and ensure carryover of goals and strategies throughout the day and across settings and activities
• Engage individual and small groups of children, daily, in activities which contribute to the development of auditory and spoken language skills
• Organize, sanitize/clean and help maintain the classroom environment daily (i.e. cleaning cots, preparing bleach and other cleaning materials daily, wiping down furniture, cleaning up after lessons, etc.)
• Interact in positive and meaningful ways with families consistent with guidance from the teacher and of Clarke.
• Set up/clean up the classroom each morning and organize the classroom throughout and at the end of the day
• Assist with toileting and feeding tasks appropriate to each child’s needs
• Adhere to all policies and procedures for health, safety and development related to Clarke, NYS/NYC Education Department and the Department of Daycare

Other Duties:

• In the teacher’s absence, assume role of leading the class consistent with the teacher and Clarke’s approach.
• Perform any other tasks as assigned by the director to support the function of the school
• Participate in both self-identified and program directed professional learning activities to improve or acquire skills and knowledge related to: child development, developmentally appropriate practices, curriculum, social/emotional learning, behavior management, language intervention, amplification and technology, and other topics.
• Participate in team, staff, and parent meetings
• Assist with written documentation such as daily attendance and daily health monitoring, transferring of IEP information to progress report format, and other tasks as needed.
• Collaborate and communicate with classroom teacher and with other colleagues professionally and proactively

Physical demands:

• Cleaning/Sanitizing (i.e. cleaning cots, preparing cleaning materials daily, wiping down furniture, cleaning up after lessons, etc.)
• Moving children’s furniture, such as stacking chairs.
• Activities of childcare such as sitting on floor or child level chairs, bending down/bending over to care for children-tying shoes, changing clothes, toileting children, helping children walk or assisting children who have fallen, walking up and down stairs, and assisting children with safely doing so, assisting children on/off buses, picking up children for emergency evacuation or other health/safety situations, modeling and engaging in preschool appropriate activities, such as dancing, yoga, playing on playground equipment, running
• Unpacking and putting away materials and supplies

Education, licenses, certifications, skills and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Early Childhood, Special Education, Speech/Audiology or a related field.
• NYS Teacher Assistant certification (or wiliness to immediately get)
• Experience with children 5 and under, particularly in a school, daycare or camp setting preferred
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work in a collaborative environment
• Strong written skills and the ability to communicate effectively via email, Word, and Classdojo with a variety of different stakeholders
• Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply

*Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech does not discriminate on the basis of sex in admission and administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. Clarke is required by Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 not to discrimination on the basis of sex in admission, administration of its educational programs or activities or employment. Inquiries concerning the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 106 to Clarke may be referred to Clarke’s Title IX Coordinator, Andrea Harkins, CHRO, 45 Round Hill Road, Northampton, MA 01060, aharkins@clarkeschools.org , 413.582.1155 or the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, at 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202, telephone number 800-421-3481.