Assistant Teacher Head Start (3 year-olds)

**This position is eligible for the Sunbeam's Teacher Investment Program

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Assistant Teacher provides daily care to children in a Head Start classroom using appropriate child guidance techniques and building responsive relationships with classroom teachers, staff, children and families. The Assistant Teacher assists co-teacher(s) in maintaining a safe, clean, and healthy work environment. The Assistant Teacher ensures that all regulations and mandates for federal, state, and local licensing are met and works with co- teachers and family members to achieve positive outcomes for children of all abilities.

All employees and volunteers are expected to be sensitive to our clients’ cultural and socioeconomic characteristics, reflect Sunbeam Family Services core values and to perform at Sunbeam’s standards of excellence at all times.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS                                                           

• Promote and contribute to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures, beliefs, abilities, and experiences.
• Support and individualize the physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development of each child in the classroom.
• Demonstrate capacity for providing developmentally sensitive, evidence based, hope centered and trauma informed services and supports.
• Perform the functions of this position with a strong understanding of the Head Start Performance Standards.
• Ensure compliance with Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), federal and state regulation, and DHS Child Care Licensing requirements.
• Work with co-teacher(s) to maintain a safe, clean, and healthy learning environment, and assure the wellbeing and safety of children in their care.
• Observe children to detect signs of illness, injury, emotional disturbances, learning disorders, speech problems, or other special needs and reports those signs immediately to supervisor for required or necessary follow-up.
• Work with supervisor to ensure child-staff ratio is maintained at all times.
• Encourage and model language expansion, extended learning, and problem solving strategies throughout the day.
• Conduct home visits and parent-teacher conferences in accordance with HSPPS to share each child’s progress with parents.        
• Work cooperatively with other staff assigned to classroom as a team to involve all parents with the children and to encourage the active participation of all parents in the program.
• Participate in ongoing professional development through education, role modeling, mentoring, training and resources.
• Ensure implementation of HS/EHS written curriculum plan.
• Maintain record keeping and reporting systems to ensure accurate information, with timely completion and follow-up.
• Work in a team setting with all staff to determine individual needs of children including children with disabilities or special needs.
• Ensure that files are complete, accurate, and confidentially maintained.
• Regular, reliable attendance is required.
• Participate in and attend all staff meetings, trainings, and certification courses as required.
• Travel locally as required in the performance of responsibilities.
• Perform other appropriate and related responsibilities as assigned by supervisor or member of Executive Team.