Teacher Assistant Special Education

Teacher Assistant

Reports To: Classroom Teacher

Benefits: Benefit Package Available

Schedule: 12 Month

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Essential Functions

Note: These duties and responsibilities are judged to be "essential functions" in terms of the Americans With Disabilities Act or ADA. 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 the essential functions.

• Assist the classroom teacher in providing individualized educational programs resulting in the attainment of team identified short-and long-term goals in the areas of the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains of assigned students.
• Participate in program planning to assist in the development of student instructional plans.
• Implement teacher-approved plan of instruction to assigned students.
• Maintain program records, monitor student programs and submit student reports as directed.
• Gather data and maintain data logs to assist the teacher team.
• Assist in the evaluation and assessment process of students.
• Assist with the physical care of students, including personal care, lifting and daily living activities.
• Assist with proactive behavioral interventions to support students with behavioral challenges.
• Ensure safety and well-being of all students involved in the educational program.
• Be familiar with and follow all procedures covered in the handbook including student safety, student rights, emergency and disaster plans, etc.
• Assist in the maintenance of a safe and sanitary school environment.
• Maintain appropriate supervision of students.
• Submit reports as required regarding student safety, well-being, concerns and incidents.
• Assist in the operation of the classroom in a manner that achieves instructional results.
• Participate with teacher in ongoing development and improvement of classroom operations.
• Perform assignments in areas of general program operation.
• Be familiar with and adhere to district contract, handbook, program procedures, regulations and district policies.
• Provide input to committees formed to improve operations.
• Assist in maintaining appearance and condition of assigned program areas.
• Submit information and reports as requested.
• Accept other school related duties and responsibilities as directed.
• Assist in planning, training and follow-up of students in supported employment.
• Maintain required records.
• Responsive and intuitive regarding employers' and students' needs.

Additional Duties

• Performs other related tasks as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Must be 18 years old or over.
• Must have high school diploma or equivalent.
• Must possess characteristics which enable applicant to assist with the instruction and care of Students with disabilities.
• Prefer advanced training in an approved community college or a degree-granting institution's special education instructional aide training program

Preference Will Be Given For The Following:

• Associate degree in relevant field.
• Well-developed interpersonal communication skills.
• Practical and theoretical background with behavior modification skills.
• Certification and experience with Physical Management Training.
• Certification and experience with health care training, i.e., first aid, CPR.
• Excellent organizational skills.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Some supervisory of students when the teacher is temporarily absent.
• Some supervision of students in the community and at work sites.

Language Skills

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract and multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Other Skills and Abilities

Ability to operate computers and related software. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Ability to assume responsibility for supervising students in the absence of teacher or administrator. Employee must be able to drive or transport between school buildings. Employee must have the ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with students, public and other staff members. Employee must also exhibit a positive attitude, creativity, independent thinking, work cooperatively, and be able to take initiative.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and or walk, talk and hear and occasionally stand. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, as to operate office equipment. The employee must be able to lift up to 40 pounds. The employee must occasionally push up to 25 pounds such as physical assist equipment including: gurneys, lifts, physical therapy equipment and wheel chairs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision for driving.

Work Environment

This position may require travel between buildings on a daily or weekly basis and a flexible schedule. Dependable transportation is required. Mileage reimbursement will be provided for travel between work sites during the scheduled workday. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The employee shall remain free of any alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substance in the workplace throughout his/her employment in the District.

The Board of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and transgender identity), disability, age, religion, height, weight, marital or family status, military status, ancestry, genetic information or any other legally protected characteristic, in its programs and activities, including employment opportunities.

Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies should be directed to the Deputy Superintendent for Administrative Services.