Special Education Teaching Assistant

Special Education Teaching AssistantThe Special Education Teaching Assistant supports a joyful, structured, and purposeful classroom culture where students with diverse learning needs feel a sense of belonging and are empowered to succeed. Working closely with special education and general education teachers, the Teaching Assistant helps maintain a safe, inclusive, and positive learning environment by building relationships with students, reinforcing classroom routines, and implementing individualized academic and behavioral supports tailored to each student's needs. The Special Education Teaching Assistant also plays a key role in helping to implement the school's vision for inclusive student growth, ensuring that all students, regardless of ability, achieve at high levels and embody the school's core values of practice, service, and purpose. The Teaching Assistant reports to the Assistant Principal of Specialized Services and collaborates with the school team to create a supportive and adaptive educational experience.Where students discover joy, belonging, and purposeAuthentic RelationshipsAt Deep Roots Charter School, we take the time to know our students and their families - their backgrounds, purpose, and passion - and provide a variety of experiences from leadership to mentoring, to social-emotional learning and multiple clubs within the school dayPersonalized LearningEvery child receives individualized attention tailored to their unique learning needs and strengths. Deep Roots maximizes various learning styles and prioritizes individual student support.Our Core Values:Practice: Each and every individual in our school community, from students to leadership, will engage in deliberate practice, and value this as the path to excellence.Service: Our service-learning model will be discipline based; it will require students to have a presence in the community, and reflect on their experiences regularly.Purpose: We want to empower our students to uncover their unique gifts and talents, and apply them towards an outward purpose about which they are passionate.Antiracist & InclusiveWe stand as an actively anti-racist organization, dedicated to supporting all students and families. We advocate for our communities and strive to dismantle barriers within and beyond our school walls.Responsibilities & DutiesAssist in Inclusive Instruction: Support the lead teacher during academic instruction by setting up and distributing materials, adapting resources for diverse learning needs, managing equipment, facilitating small group work, and providing individualized assistance to students with special education needs.Reinforce Learning and Development: Reinforce academic concepts by working with small groups and tutoring individual students, utilizing differentiated instruction techniques to meet each student's unique needs, and encouraging independence and growth.Promote Positive Classroom Culture: Foster a positive and inclusive classroom environment by employing supportive classroom management strategies, implementing targeted behavior interventions, and reinforcing social-emotional learning practices that align with the school's values of respect, empathy, and perseverance.Collaborate in Lesson Preparation: Partner with the lead teacher to prepare lesson materials and adapt instructional plans to support each student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals, ensuring all students can access and engage in learning.Provide Supervision and Support: Supervise and monitor students during lunch, recess, field trips, and hallway transitions, ensuring safety and positive social interactions that reflect the school's core values.Assist with Administrative Tasks: Track attendance, assist with grading assignments, support data collection for student progress on IEP goals, and help organize instructional materials to maintain an efficient and organized classroom environment.Education & ExperienceBachelors Degree preferred; HS Diploma requiredExperience working with students in a school setting preferredTitle: Special Education Teaching AssistantLocation: Philadelphia, PA 19134Job Type: Full-Time