Assistant Teacher Head Start

Department: Early Childhood

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Reports to ECC Director

Supervises: 0

Location: 3800 E. 51st St. Kansas City, MO 64130

Hours: 8am-5pm Monday-Friday

Rate: $18.50- $19 per hour

Summary: The Assistant Teacher assists with creating a quality program and a class environment conducive to learning and personal growth. The Assistant Teacher establishes effective rapport with children and establishes a respectful, supportive, and collaborative relationship with children, families, and staff.

Essential duties and responsibilities:

• Promote and support children's social, emotional, and physical development consistent with the philosophy of Head Start.
• Assist and provide input with planning and developing an early learning curriculum with intentional opportunities for social and emotional development.
• Work respectfully in collaboration with all program staff.
• Assist with the implementation of lesson plans and daily activities both indoors and outdoors.
• Demonstrate knowledge of early childhood theories of child growth and development.
• Provide support with individualized learning opportunities for children to enhance their development of cognitive and language skills.
• Establish a quality early childhood learning environment, aligned with quality standards of education, health, and safety, while maintaining program policies and procedures.
• Consult with the lead teacher on observations and assessments of children.
• Observe and document each child's learning and development in support of DRDP data collection.
• Assist with maintaining required individual children assessments in compliance with Early Childhood affiliated Federal and State contracts.
• Provide the lead role of lesson implementation in the absence of the Lead Teacher.
• Maintain a professional relationship with staff and families.
• Attend and complete required professional training, classes, meetings, and workshops
• Maintain confidentiality regarding children and parents.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualification Requirements: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma required; Associate's degree in Early Childhood or Associate's degree with 9 hours in Early Childhood preferred
• A valid driver's license required
• Preschool Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials required
• One (1) year of experience working in Early Childhood Education preferred
• Must have early childhood classes on the transcript or must be currently enrolled in Early Childhood classes.
• Current Certificate in Early Childhood Education.
• TB test is required
• A physical test is required
• FBI and MO State fingerprint clearance is required.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred
• Knowledge of community diversity and cultural dynamics.
• Ability to work in a non-judgmental way with a diverse range of people maintaining a respectful and inclusive culture.

Work Environment

This job operates in an early childhood school and professional environment. This role continually uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines. Guadalupe Centers serves a diverse population, including children, adolescents, and adults, who may have mental or behavioral health problems. Consequently, all GC staff must demonstrate appropriate daily behavior, appropriate expression of emotions, and appropriate role modeling. Hostility, aggression, unnecessary or inappropriate physical actions, and inappropriate emotional expression are not acceptable behaviors for our employees.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, and talk or hear. The employee is also frequently required to walk, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 45 pounds. The employee must occasionally push items of 45 lbs. such as pushing children on a bike or moving/rearranging furniture. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and depth perception. The employee is directly responsible for safety, well-being, and work output.

This job's specific vision abilities include close vision, such as reading handwritten or typed material and adjusting focus. The position requires the individual to meet multiple demands from several people and interact with the public and other staff.

Equal Opportunity Employer

GCI is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, creed, ancestry, age, sex, gender, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, disability, genetic information, veteran status, service member status or any other category protected by federal, state or local law. Preventing discrimination is the responsibility of every employee in the way employees treat and interact with one another. Therefore, GCI expects all work relations to be business-like and professional, free of bias, prejudice, harassment and/or discrimination.

GCI's policy of Equal Opportunity extends to all conditions of employment including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, placement, training, compensation, discipline, transfers, separation, layoff, recall, leave of absence and promotion. GCI will not tolerate any discrimination in the workplace, and it is expected that any employee who believes they have been subjected to any practice that appears to be inconsistent with this policy will contact Human Resources. Improper interference with the ability of GCI's employees to perform their expected job duties is not tolerated.

GCI encourages reporting of incidents or concerns regarding discrimination to the Director of Human Resources, so that prompt and constructive action can be taken. There will be no retaliation or adverse action against an employee for raising an issue or complaint pursuant to this policy. The report will be investigated to determine what, if any, responsive action is necessary and appropriate. Any employee found responsible for an inappropriate or discriminatory act will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including separation.