Special Education Preschool Assistant

Job Description

Job Description

Position Hours: 9am to 6pm (Full-Time)

This position is a support position for our special education preschool integrated classroom. You will be working with both typically developing students, as well as students with disabilities.

Position Overview:

The Assistant Teacher supports the daily operations of the classrooms by assisting lead teachers, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment, and helping maintain compliance with New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) regulations. This role requires flexibility, strong communication skills, and a team-oriented mindset to support consistent routines and classroom consistency and predictability. The Assistant Teacher plays a key part in upholding expectations in the classroom, licensing regulations, and stepping in as the lead teacher during an absence.

Key Responsibilities:

Professional Expectations:

• Serve as a positive role model for students and colleagues.
• Maintain punctuality and a professional appearance.
• Use respectful and appropriate language at all times.
• Uphold student and staff confidentiality.
• Punctual, and reliable: ensures classrooms retain consistency
• Support a nurturing classroom atmosphere through calm and respectful interactions.
• Patience and positive attitude: Ability to interact with young children in a calm and supportive manner. 
• Treat all students fairly and with dignity.
• Reacts calmly and in a poised manner to student behavior.
• Encourage students to improve their sense of responsibility, self-discipline, cooperation and respect for others.
• Actively contribute to a positive and inclusive school culture.
• Attend required staff meetings and training sessions.
• Demonstrates effective communication with all stakeholders; Ability to communicate concerns constructively with teachers or supervisors.
• Observational skills: Ability to monitor children's behavior and identify potential developmental concerns 
• Flexibility and adaptability: Willingness to adjust to changing situations and needs of children 
• Teamwork: Collaborate effectively with the lead teacher and other staff members
• Strong work ethic, and ability to be trusted to lead a classroom in the absence of the lead teacher

Classroom Support Duties:

• Assist with the arrival, daily health checks, attendance, and dismissal of students.
• Supervise children during classroom activities, transitions, playtime, and meals.
• Perform basic caregiving tasks including diapering, toileting, handwashing, and snack preparation.
• Maintain classroom cleanliness and follow the OCFS 3-step sanitation procedures.
• Ensure refrigerators are operational and temperature logs are completed.
• Support lead teachers with instructional materials and classroom organization.
• Provide additional assistance to students under teacher supervision.
• Monitor and report on student progress and behaviors as needed.
• Promote social-emotional development by encouraging positive peer interactions and problem-solving skills.
• Follow classroom routines and assist with activities such as naptime and transitions.
• Maintain appropriate student-to-teacher ratios at all times.
• Active supervision: must always know the number of children being supervised in the classroom at all times
• Next Up: Takes over the classroom responsibility when the lead teacher is absent. 

• Communication: Record all child’s daily activities in the ProCare Engage App. 
• Student progress: Recording and reporting student progress to the teacher 
• Student well-being: Looking after students who are upset, unwell, or have special needs 
• Enforcing rules: Enforcing rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order 
• Classroom preparation: Setting up learning centers, preparing materials for activities, organizing supplies, and ensuring the classroom is clean and safe. 
• Implementing lesson plans: Assisting the lead teacher in carrying out planned activities, including reading stories, singing songs, and facilitating group learning experiences. 
• Individualized support: Working with individual children who may need extra attention, providing support with developmental skills, sensory needs, or addressing specific needs. 

Regulatory Compliance & Teamwork:

• Understand and adhere to all OCFS regulations.
• Ensure the health and safety of all children at all times.
• Collaborate positively with lead teachers and team members.
• Participate in maintaining licensing and safety standards.

Other Duties:

• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned by the lead teacher or program administrator.

Some qualifications for a childcare assistant may include:

• Some college coursework in early childhood development
• Experience working in an early childhood setting
• Demonstrates a respectful and unbiased approach when working with families from diverse backgrounds.
• Manual dexterity and visual skills
• Auditory and verbal skills for communication 
• Lifting 50lbs

Benefits:

• Paid Snow Days
• Paid Holidays (6 out of the 12) in the year
• 401k 
• 40 hours of sick time each year, accrued based on hours worked