Early Childhood Assistant Teacher-14

Job Title

Early Childhood Assistant Teacher-14
Agency

Texas A&M University
Department

CS Children's Center
Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate
Job Location

College Station, Texas
Job Type

Staff
Job Description

Our Commitment
Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experienc. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.

Who we are

The Texas A&M University Children’s Center is a premier early childhood care and education center dedicated to providing an exemplary education for over 200 children year-round. At the Texas A&M Children’s Center, we believe that every child deserves the best start in life. That is why we embrace emergent, play-based, and child-centered approaches building strong foundations for our young learners. Through hands-on exploration and imaginative play, we create an engaging learning environment that nurtures children’s love of discovery and innovation. Our commitment to excellence in early childhood education is evident in the vast high-quality experiences we offer our students and families. We take pride in serving as a clinical and practicum site for academic departments at Texas A&M University. By collaborating with educators and researchers, we aid in the development of future leaders in education and beyond. Our dedication to developing the next generation of educators ensures that our team stays at the forefront of innovative teaching practices. Our participation in groundbreaking research advances the field of early childhood education. Together, we open the gates to a lifetime of learning.

What we want

This position provides the highest quality, developmentally appropriate learning environment for young children including social-emotional development, responsive caregiving, assessing and documenting child progress, and assisting with mentoring and supervising others while using a positive team approach. This position is responsible for supporting play-based education and emergent curriculum design with high collaboration within the university and community. This position provides a positive laboratory experience for college students.

What you need to know

Salary range: $15.85/Hourly (Compensation will be commensurate to selected hire's experience).

Position Details: This position is security sensitive. This position requires compliance with state and federal laws/codes and Texas A&M University System/TAMU regulations and procedures.

Required Education and Experience:

High school diploma or equivalent combination of education and experience

No prior experience required

Required Licenses and Certifications:

Pediatric CPR, Pediatric First Aid Certification, or the ability to be certified within 60 days of employment

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Ability to develop knowledge of child growth and development, learning theories, effective learning environments, and appropriate teaching strategies

Ability to develop knowledge to assess the effectiveness of instructional strategies and learning environments

Ability to give, receive, and reflect on constructive feedback

Ability to work cooperatively with others in a fast-paced environment

Ability to assist in mentoring and supervising early childhood preservice teachers and student employees

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Strong interpersonal and organizational skills

Team building, collaboration, and leadership skills

Ability to present information clearly and concisely

Flexibility

Physical Requirements:

Requires ability to lift light to moderately weighted objects

This position requires the ability to safely lift and carry/hold children with proper lifting techniques for children of varying age and size

This position may have biological exposure to bacteria and communicable diseases as well as exposure to blood and bodily fluids

Responsibilities:

Classroom Duties - Assumes the responsibility of classroom oversight in the absence of a (or the) teacher. Learns to assist in planning and implementing daily curriculum according to developmentally appropriate practices and understand the principles of responsive caregiving. Develops a well-articulated philosophy regarding child learning, social-emotional development, and positive guidance. Curriculum: Learns how to develop and implement emergent and project-based curriculum daily with integrated interest/learning areas. Assessment: Learns how to perform observations, record anecdotal notes, and to take photographs and videos of child development in classroom to be used in coordination with assessment tool for intentional planning and reporting. Enrolled children come from a variety of backgrounds, family structures, languages, abilities, and special needs. Assist in fully including children into classrooms with a variety of developmental needs creating a strong classroom community. Learns best practices in a model early childhood learning environment. Follows classroom routine based on curriculum and developmentally appropriate practices. Learns to establish individual and group goals in coordination with families. Observes family conferences and assists with sharing progress reports twice per year each. Assist in mentoring university students by guiding, supporting, and describing appropriate behaviors and effective practices to students connecting theory to practice. Assists in the supervision of indoor and outdoor activities to ensure safety. Assist in directing student employees to assist with supervising indoor and outdoor activities to ensure safety. Follow policies regarding conducting research to assist faculty/students with data collection.

Communication and Collaboration - Learns to plan, prepare, and implement developmentally appropriate play-based and culturally responsive early learning experiences based on emergent curriculum including project-based activities to promote children’s interests and all developmental levels. Learns to resolve conflicts appropriately and efficiently with children or parents. Assists in providing accommodations for children as needed. Assists in establishing and maintaining meaningful partnerships with children, families, colleagues, university faculty and staff, and the community. Learns to establish and maintain good verbal and written communication with families through daily and weekly communication.

Regulatory Compliance - Adheres to all policies and procedures dictated by the Children’s Center, Texas A&M University, the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, SACS/Cognia, and Texas Rising Star to ensure compliance for state certification and national accreditation. Assist to ensure all federal, local, state, and/or program documentation is complete and accurate.

Research Collaborations - Assists in collaborating with university researchers that support the production of new knowledge in the field of early childhood care and education. Assists in coordinating with researchers to implement studies both within and outside of the classroom in ways that support the children’s psychological and physical needs. Act as an advocate for participating children. Follow all center and university policies on the implementation of research occurring at Texas A&M University Children’s Centers.