Easter Seals Jobs

There is 1 of this position at the Seguin Head Start Center.

BECOME A HEAD START PROFESSIONAL

BENEFITS:

• Competitive Pay and Benefits Package
• Welcoming and Friendly Environment
• Retirement Plan with Match
• Professional Development Opportunities

MISSION:

CCSCT empowers vulnerable families and individuals in greater South Central Texas to achieve self-sufficiencyby eliminating barriers through innovative programs and strong community partnerships.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Head Start Teacher Assistant I-III is responsible for the assisting the Head Start Teacher in implementationof the program in an assigned classroom and ensuring that classroom operates in compliance with Head StartPerformance Standards, TDFPS Minimum Standards and all state and local regulations. The Head Start TeacherAssistant provides care and education for children and their families in a child care setting, provides asupportive, safe, and stimulating learning environment and will be knowledgeable of Texas Minimum Standardsfor Licensing and Head Start Performance Standards. This is a year-round position.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Therequirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonableaccommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Assists Teacher in maintaining a calm, safe classroom and playground that incorporates developmentalappropriateness; assists in creating an atmosphere in which the children feel comfortable and secure,reflecting the cultures of all enrolled children to include children with special needs.
• Ensures the safety of children through constant supervision, effective arrangement of space, propermaintenance of equipment and regular practice of fire drills and other emergency procedures.
• Works closely with the Teacher to develop lesson plans that meet the physical, social, emotional, andintellectual needs of each child; plans small and large group activities for variation in ability levels andindividual interests.
• Assists Teacher in incorporates developmentally appropriate practice according to the Head StartPerformance Standards.
• Assists Teacher in ensuring continuity of curriculum and high standards of equality in the classroom;works individually with children who experience difficulty in group activities.
• Consistently implements center routines, including hand washing, tooth brushing, eating, napping, andtransitioning between activities.
• Operates the classroom in compliance with all childcare-licensing standards, paying particular attentionto standards prohibiting any form of physical punishment.
• Assists Teacher in ensuring that the arrangement of each classroom provides a stimulating, clean, andsafe learning environment.
• Ensures proper documentation in children's files in all content areas.
• Assists Teacher in ensuring Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP)goals are implemented in the classroom for each identified child; continues the ongoing assessmentprocess, maintaining written and electronic records on each child.
• Ensures all classrooms have a variety of materials and planned activities designed to encourageindividual and group play to promote language/literacy, social-emotional, physical, match and scienceand cognitive skills to include children with special needs.
• Provides experiences that promote individual self-expression in conversation, imaginative play, andcreativity and provides positive guidance to promote self-esteem.
• Provides experiences involving thinking skills such as generalizing, classifying, sorting, and problemsolving.
• Makes available a variety of opportunities to help children develop and understands appropriater lationships with others.
• Increases the complexity and challenge of activities as children develop.
• Observes, records, and reports any child's behavior, sharing information appropriately with otherEHS/HS management staff for intervention or assistance on improving child's behavior.
• Shows personal development and growth by being relaxed, using a calm, quiet voice, being pleasant andenthusiastic about the children, and by using self-control in trying situations.
• Assists with transition activities for the Head Start child and family: into Head Start, during the year,and to the next placement (kindergarten).
• Joins the children at snack, breakfast, and lunchtime, ensuring that the Head Start philosophy of servingfamily style meals is maintained and that the children serve themselves. The Teacher Assistant andTeacher will both be seated at the table(s) with the children at mealtimes.
• Joins the children at snack, breakfast and lunchtime, ensuring that the Head Start philosophy of servingfamily style meals is practiced and encourage children in eating a variety of components from My PlatePlan for kids. The Teacher Assistant and Teacher will both sit at the table(s) with the children atmealtimes.
• Encourages the involvement of the families of the children in a Head Start Program and supports thedevelopment of relationships between children and their families through frequent communication.
• Assists Teacher as needed to complete and submit TSG weekly lesson plans to include individualizationfor all children, curriculum box, ongoing documentation and ensures age-appropriate activities areprovided including those children with special needs.
• Assists Teacher as needed to ensure child or family participation is documented appropriately into TSG;ensures high quality age-appropriate lessons/activities continue to be provided through CLASS DOJOvirtual, live-lessons (when applicable).
• Familiarizes self, gains knowledge of and implements School Readiness Goals in the classroom to alignwith ELOF.
• Ensures completion of screening and assessments to meet 45/90-day Head Start Performance ProgramStandards compliance.
• Reports all suspected child abuse to the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or to an immediatesupervisor.
• Follows CCSCT Policies and Procedures and maintains confidentiality in all phases of agency operations.
• Attends and participates in continuous professional development trainings through a variety of methodsincluding in-person trainings conducted by Education Coach, Education and Disabilities Manager, CenterDirector, Program Director, webinars, use of Office of Head Start resources (ECKLC), CLASS, TSG,and attending meetings, conferences and other resources as needed to increase professional knowledge,serves on committees as assigned.
• Be willing to participate in coaching and feedback through Practice Based Coaching model to includerole modeling, side-by-side coaching or videotape.
• Familiarizes self with the agency's Strategic Plan and gains an overall understanding of how positioncontributes to the accomplishment of goals within that plan.
• Attends and participates in staff meetings and related activities; attends conferences, workshops, andtrainings to increase professional knowledge; serves on committees as assigned.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or required.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Education and Experience Requirements

Must possess one of the following:

Current infant/toddler Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or a comparable certificate or credential that meets or exceeds the na