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Position Purpose: This position will assist the teacher in the provision of quality child development activities for assigned children in such a manner that contributes to their growth and development according to the Head Start Performance Standards and in the best practices for serving children.
Essential Job Responsibilities
• Assist in the design and setup of classroom and learning centers based on curriculum, children interest, needs, and best practices.
• Assist in providing constant and continuous active supervision of children daily during all activities, both indoor and outdoor. Children should not be left unattended for any reason.
• Conduct classroom activities in the absence of an assigned teacher.
• Assist with the implementation of developmentally appropriate activities for each assigned child in each of the required learning domains.
• Assist in the screening of each assigned child according to the prescribed schedule using the Brigance (Early Childhood Screen III 3-5 years) developmental and social-emotional screeners in order to meet the 45–day compliance.
• Assist with developing Group Weekly Lesson plans as appropriate based on curriculum and children's interests.
• Assist with implementing individual (and bi-weekly lesson plans as appropriate) lesson plans IEP/ISFP based on screening/assessment results within two (2) weeks of screening/assessment.
• Assist with conducting anecdotal observations weekly during daily activities for each assigned child for development and learning.
• Assist with administering the Child Progress Indicator (CPI) assessment three times a school year for each assigned child.
• Referral immediately to classroom teacher observations of children with behavioral concerns or suspected learning disabilities; maintain, record, and follow up bi-weekly, at a minimum, until referral concern is addressed.
• In the absence of the teacher, record child attendance daily for each assigned child; report
absences to assigned Family Community Worker.
• Assist with maintaining and updating clear and concise Education Records for each assigned child.
• Assist with maintaining order during indoor and outdoor activities continuously each day, using positive approaches to behavior management. Corporal punishment of any kind is prohibited.
• Assist with maintaining an accurate head count of meals daily.
• Assist with implementing family-style meal service at each meal provided for children.
• Understands, generates, and documents in-kind and other allowable costs applied toward the non-federal share requirement.
• Responsible for understanding Head Start Performance Standards and local childcare licensing regulations.
• Expected to be knowledgeable of the regulations associated with the prevention of occupational disease and injury, including the exercise of universal precautions and the prevention of contamination.
• Maintains strict confidentiality with respect to Head Start and Early Head Start children, families, and staff in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Attends all required training and workshops, including but not limited to 15 hours of classroom-focused professional development and methods that comply with applicable state and local laws for identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect.
• Regular and Predictable attendance is a requirement of the job.
• Other duties as assigned.
Parent Involvement and Community Partnerships
• Accompany teacher on home visits and parent conferences as requested. Review proposed service delivery plans with parents prior to the onset of services; secure parental permission as needed.
• Encourage and recruit parents at each interaction to become involved in their child's ECD process by volunteering in the classroom and other ECD activities at least once per month.
• Establish and maintain relationships with family and community partners to facilitate the generation of non-federal share resources.
• Assist assigned teacher and other center staff in recruiting eligible children and expectant mothers, at a minimum, to fill vacancies in assigned caseload to include children with disabilities.
• Attend meetings and training as scheduled to stay abreast of policies, procedures, and best practices in Head Start and field of expertise.
• Observe children daily for health concerns, including signs of child abuse or neglect; report concerns immediately to the Center Administrator; record as appropriate in manual and computerized records.
• Provide daily handwashing and toothbrushing in accordance with established hygiene procedures.
• Daily, prior to children's arrival, conduct a visual inspection of the classroom to ensure, at a minimum, emergency lighting is in good working order, electrical outlets are covered, and that equipment and materials present no safety threat to human life; report concerns immediately to the Center Administrator.
• Maintain classroom in a neat and orderly fashion (free of clutter and debris) daily; remove objects immediately deemed hazardous to human life.
• Communicate frequently via telephone, e-mail, or in-person contact with parents, Center staff, District and Central Office staff, and consultants for information exchange, problem-solving, and coordination of efforts.
• In the absence of custodial staff, ensure daily walk-through of playground areas is conducted prior to children outside activities.
• Assist in maintaining clear and concise records for each child.
• Ability to travel, sometimes overnight and with short notice
• Assists the teacher in meeting the program’s needs for parent/family involvement in each classroom.
• Establishes a relationship of trust and rapport with the families of the children.
• Communicates with families to facilitate positive interaction with the program, awareness of the child’s needs and development, how the activities of the program promote positive development, and their roles in the child’s overall education and development.
• Involves parents/families in the educational activities of the program:
To emphasize their role as the principal influence on the child’s education and development; and
To assist parents/families to increase their knowledge, understanding, skills, and experience in basic child development.
• Assists with identifying and arranging for parents to volunteer in the classroom as volunteers and substitutes.
• Assists the teacher in collecting monthly in-kind records from parents and community members participating in the program.
Child and Adult Care Food Program
• Contribute to the collection and editing progress of correct documentation for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). This process is important and contributes additional dollars, which in turn enhances food delivery.
• Be knowledgeable about CACFP requirements regarding portions and components of each meal service.
• Conduct point-of-service meal documentation, count meals when children are seated, and have been offered a credible meal by USDA standards for portions and components.
• Enter the point-of-service meal counts in appropriate forms or software used by the program to support claim reimbursement.
Active Supervision Duties – Applies any time you are working with children
• Understands and implements all required policies and procedures always related to the active supervision of children, including:
Observation of the environment evaluation that children have a place to play, and they can be observed and listened at all times.
Continuously scan & count for children under care and report accurate numbers when asked.
Listen to children at all times to identify potential danger, like specific sounds or the lack of any sound that may trigger an action.
Develop knowledge of the children under care to anticipate their behavior, perform wellness checks, and be proactive and avoid putting children in danger.
• Collaborates with the Bus Driver in teaching children the correct safety procedures for boarding and exiting a bus as well as the danger zones around the vehicle.
• Ensuring that indoor and outdoor equipment and facilities are lean and do not present any hazards.
• Ensure that classrooms and centers are equipped with safety supplies that are readily accessible to staff.
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
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