Instructional Assistant

Instructional Assistant

Assist the teacher and/or student(s) with instructional and non-instructional activities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist in meeting the needs of students as described in their Individualized Educational Plans.
• Work with individual students to reinforce material initially introduced by the teacher.
• Assist the teacher with non-instructional classroom duties as appropriate.
• Help prepare and distribute lesson materials, as appropriate.
• Instruct students under the teacher's supervision.
• Keep student materials organized.
• Provide appropriate supervisory duties possibly including the lunchroom and playground as assigned.
• Assist with escorting students while on site.
• Attend district or school meetings when necessary or appropriate.
• Accompany students to special area classes as needed.
• Participate in collaborative planning for instruction with the classroom teacher.
• Assist the teacher in preparing the student for transitions and the end of the school day.
• Demonstrate cooperation, flexibility and willingness to contribute as a productive team member.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding all aspects of his/her work with children and staff.
• Perform other appropriate tasks as assigned by the building administrator or supervising teacher.
• Participate in professional development when necessary or appropriate.
• Assist with toilet, feeding, and other grooming tasks when assigned.
• Supervise students.
• Attend work on a regular and punctual basis.

Qualification Requirements:

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

Education and Experience: Possess the State of Illinois mandated licensure.

Language Skills: The employee must possess the ability to read, write and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos; and the ability to effectively present information to students, staff, parents and administrators in one-to-one and small group situations.

Mathematical Skills: The employee must possess the ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measurement, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; and the ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent, and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability: The employee must possess the ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written and oral instructions; and the ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

Other Skills and Abilities: The employee possess the ability to work with emotionally, physically and/or mentally impaired students; the ability to maintain composure under stressful situations; the ability to develop effective working relationships with students, staff, and the school community; the ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing; the ability to perform duties with awareness of all district and Board of Education policies; and the ability to understand confidentiality and to abide by confidentiality regulations.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 20 pounds such as adaptive equipment and supplies.

The employee must frequently push/pull up to 90 pounds such as assisting a child in a wheelchair around the school grounds. The employee is regularly required to reach with arms and hands. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit, to use hands and fingers to feel objects, tools or controls; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl. The employee is occasionally required to bend at the trunk more than the average person. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and peripheral vision. The employee needs to be able to tell where a sound is coming from and to hear in a noisy environment.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually loud. The employee is frequently exposed to infection at a greater risk than the average person. The employee must work with the public and other staff, continuously meeting multiple demands from several people.

Terms of Employment: Work year, salary, and work schedule to be established by the Board of Education.

Evaluator: Job performance is evaluated by the building administrator(s) with the input of the supervising teacher and in accordance with district guidelines.

The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the American with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed by this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position, and additional duties may be assigned.