Assistant Teacher
About Us:
Day Nursery is the oldest child care provider in the state of Indiana, and is one of the few non-profit child care agencies in the Indianapolis area. Day Nursery was created in 1899 by the Kings Daughters Society who had provided clothing and food baskets to needy families. Wishing to expand their service, the Kings Daughters established Day Nursery to provide care for the children of working mothers. By 1940, modern child care standards were established, and as the need for quality child care grew, Day Nursery's programs and services became recognized as the "standard bearer" of early childhood excellence.
Assistant Teacher Summary:
Provides a developmentally appropriate environment for children. Conducts individual activities to encourage learning and develop social interaction skills. Ensure routines are flexible and individualized to meet the needs of all children.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
A. Child/Family Interactions
Assistant Teachers interact with children and families of all backgrounds in a positive manner, modeling equality and respect, and supporting communication in the families’ home languages. They provide a variety of activities that allow all children to participate, as well as encourage their independence. Assistant Teachers also respond positively to children who are angry and frustrated, modeling problem solving skills, and helping children understand the rules and expected behaviors. They provide both comfort when needed, and praise for successes. Assistant Teachers finally develop lasting relationships with families, by greeting them each day, providing ways for them to be involved, and helping the Lead Teacher communicate the child’s progress.
B. Curriculum, Observations and Planning
Assistant Teachers must supervise children at all times, ensuring ratios are always met. Assistant Teachers assist Lead Teachers in planning and implementing a variety of age-appropriate activities daily. These planned activities should do all of the following: encourage children to think, reason, question, and experiment; promote health, safety and nutrition; enhance physical development; encourage creative expression; encourage literacy and language development; promote the acquisition of number concepts; foster positive self-concepts; develop social skills; provide culturally diverse experiences; provide opportunities for children to learn to resolve conflicts. Assistant Teachers vary their instructional strategies based on children’s differing abilities, learning styles, interests, and temperaments. They follow the daily schedule, providing consistency in routines, but still allow variations to accommodate individual needs of children. Assistant Teachers also ensure our interest centers in the classrooms are organized and well equipped for daily use by children, incorporating new items to accommodate new interests and new skills. Assistant Teachers help Lead Teachers by conducting observations on children, and using those observations to plan new activities.
C. Classroom Environment
Assistant Teachers help maintain a quality classroom environment that is clean and organized, as well as equipped with a wide variety of safe, age-appropriate equipment and materials consistently accessible on low open shelves and organized in well-defined interest areas. Literacy is promoted through curriculum, displays, and classroom activities. Assistant Teachers help create an environment that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but welcoming to the children and families, including family pictures as well as their own artwork displayed where children can see them, as well as an individually labeled space for their belongings and a variety of learning materials that depict cultural diversity, special needs, and non-stereotyped role models. Assistant Teachers also help maintain compliance with all safety procedures. Assistant Teachers help arrange the classroom to accommodate individual children, small groups, and large group areas. In addition, Assistant Teachers help make mealtimes learning experiences for children as well, where adults sit and interact with them, and encourage independence.
Full Time Employee Benefits:
- Up to 18 days of paid vacation per year that begins accruing after 90 days.
- 12 hours of paid training each year.
- 401(K) savings opportunities with an employer match of up to 5% after 1 year.
- Life and disability insurance at no cost to you after 1 year of service.
- 20 - 60 % discount on child care rates.
- 8 paid holidays per year.
- Medical, dental and vision benefits.
- Health Savings Account w/ Employer Contributions.
- Tuition Assistance Opportunities for Early Childhood Education course work.