Educational Aide - Spellman Campus

Educational Aide

Location: Spellman Child Development Center on the College of St Mary Campus

Shift: Full Time

Pay: $16.00 (Entry Level)

Job Purpose:
To foster healthy development of children, by supervising and coordinating daily classroom activities, and providing a safe and nurturing environment for young children to learn and grow. Provide back up for other staff in various classrooms.

Essential Job Duties:
• Supervision of children: Provide direct supervision of young children, knowing needs and whereabouts.
o Move throughout classroom and around playground to effectively interact with children.
o Interact with children in a group and on a one-on-one basis both verbally and physically to provide a safe supportive environment.
o Communicate with children by getting down on a child’s level.
o Provide effective and interactive supervision on field trips and in outdoor activities.
o Establish and maintain a daily schedule of activities/care times.
• Education: Provide teaching activities that facilitate the growth and learning of children.
o Assist in facilitating various hands-on activities in a manner that utilizes a variety of teaching methods and techniques such as hands-on discussions and supervised role-playing.
o Provide activities that promote self-help and independence in children.
o Assist in observation and documentation of individual developmental stages and growth.
o Utilize family style during mealtimes, using mealtimes as an opportunity to teach self-help behaviors, including proper table manners, etc.
o Create individual service plans goals based on a child’s developmental level and monitors and documents progress.
o Demonstrate in daily activities the belief that people have the ability to grow and change.
• Parent Interaction: Effectively communicate with parents (in verbal and written form) information regarding the program that is critical to the care of their child.
o Provide parents with daily written and verbal information about children.
o Communicate issues of concern and strengths to parents. Discusses goals for skill development.
o Encourage parents to discuss concerns and provides input regarding their child’s care.
o Assist in facilitation of parent-teacher conferences.
o Serve as a resource for further intervention (e.g., referral sources).
o Communicate specific parent requests and special instructions to Coordinator and Director.
• Professionalism: Act in a professional manner consistent with job description.
o Report to shift, meetings, and trainings on time.
o Follow agency policy and procedures.
o Represent the early childhood education program and the agency to the public in a positive manner at all times.
o Promote self-growth by participating in at least 15 hours of childcare in-service per year.
o Attend and constructively participate in agency-wide mandatory staff meetings, quarterly childcare meetings, and all other required meetings.
o Promote professional growth by being involved in professional organizations (i.e., NAEYC).
o Maintain appropriate confidentiality and boundaries at all times.
o Follow Child Saving Institute policies and procedures.
o Report child abuse and neglect according to policies and procedures.
• Environment/Structure: Implement schedules and structured activities for safety of children and effective management of care.
o Conduct housekeeping/sanitation activities consistent with agency expectations/schedules.
o Assist with a variety of maintenance activities.
o Has a well-organized classroom.
• Community Awareness & Personnel Capabilities: Perform direct care skills, including recognition of cultural and socioeconomic factors as well as appropriate standards for client care.
o Develop and maintain respectful partnerships with children and parents to help them gain the skills and confidence to address any issues and problems they face.
o Work collaboratively with other personnel and/or service providers or professionals.
o Establish and maintain limits and the helping role of practitioner and intervenes appropriately to address the needs of the persons served or other family members.
o Maintain a helping role and intervenes appropriately to meet service goals.
o Demonstrate a commitment to empowering others to solve their own problems.
o Demonstrate the belief in a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a person.
o Demonstrate a conviction that people have a capacity to grow and change.
o Interact respectfully with parents and children.

Other Duties:
• Complete other responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.
• Complete training necessary to perform position and necessary for professional growth.
• Facilitate a team atmosphere by working in partnership with other agency staff and promote a positive working environment.
• Represent the agency and programs in a positive manner to clients, community organizations and the public, in general.
• Must maintain First Aid, CPR certification.
• Must complete Blood borne Pathogens training, TB test and physical.