Colorado Nonprofit Association

1st and 2nd Grade Teacher Assistant

Working at Escuela de Guadalupe includes many different responsibilities to make a small, non-tuition driven school run effectively.  As a close-knit community, we all pitch in to make this a great place to work and learn.  Therefore, this description is not intended to be all- inclusive. Specific areas of responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Responsibilities

• Fully support the head teacher with implementing the components of dual-language instruction in all content areas (Teaching will be in English)
• Support literacy and language development 
• Plan with teachers to develop lessons and learning activities for literacy instruction in appropriate groupings for target language instruction. Teachers and Teacher Assistant should have a weekly planning time, led by the teacher of record (objectives, strategies, and materials). This should be reflected in the lesson plans submitted in Jupiter by the teacher of record. Planning with the teacher and  Teacher Assistant  could occur during specials, before school at 7:45 – 8:15 am.
• Support and tutor small groups and facilitate learning to support literacy and language development. The teacher and Teacher Assistant are expected to plan and discuss student progress frequently with data and evidence.  
• Tutor individual students and small groups, with clear objectives for each student based on assessment results. This should be supervised by the teacher. 
• Record anecdotal data about your work with students for effective, consistent communication with the classroom teacher
• Support communication with families to include parent/family-teacher conferences, emails, phone calls and personal conversations during their work hours. 
• Support the program goals in other academic areas (Math, Social Studies, Science) While the teacher is in charge of instruction, the Teacher Assistant  supports students via activities and practice during group work or independent practice.
• Speak in the language of instruction and find alternative ways to support students’ understanding without translating or using the other language (visual vocabulary support, definitions, explanations in language of instruction)
• Model questioning and language that supports complex thought development; ask students questions that help them think about the answers, rather than giving them the answers. Keep teachers informed on which students are struggling or have common misunderstandings.
• Help to prepare materials for classes to support learning, small groups, vocabulary development, etc during planning time.  
• Teacher Assistants can lead small intervention groups based on PLC objectives and assessments in coordination with the teachers.
• Teacher Assistant will be a support in the classes with the students while the teachers are doing the instruction. They will need to share the information about how the students are progressing. They will not teach, they will not create and assess homework. This  is the responsibility of the teachers but the Teacher Assistant must be aware of student progress, grades, and any feedback to students and families. 

Duties: supervision and attendance

• Support the culture of the school and monitor students’ well-being and safety during the teacher’s break times.
• Support positive social interactions and Restorative Justice  problem-solving strategies with students
• Model the values of our school culture throughout the day and during interactions with students, teachers and families
• Duties include: 
• Morning and Afternoon Supervision
• Lunch and Recess Supervision
• Snack Supervision
• Attend weekly PLC meetings
• Attend all Professional Development days on the school calendar
• Participate in the school Open House, conferences, and other school events

Expectations

• Carry out the mission and goals of the school
• Build positive compassionate professional relationships and communication with other employees, students, and families in the school 
• Support the events that build community
• Actively participate in ongoing dialogue about liberating education that works to change the status quo of the larger community
• Incorporate themes of social justice within the classroom instruction and how groups of people working together can create positive social change
• Empower students with a strong knowledge base and language skills to debate and challenge social injustices and current events
• Uses excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Approaches responsibilities and challenges with a creative and energetic attitude
• Possesses strong moral values and internal discipline

Embrace Dual Language model

• Model language acquisition, language nuances, vocabulary usage, and grammatical fluency for students.
• Value the integrity of both Spanish and English as tools for reasoning, problem-solving, communication and intellect.  
• Model a respect for cultural and linguistic diversity
• Respect that all employees, students and families are at different levels of language learning

Respect Catholic Religion

• Respect the Catholic faith and the religious practices that happen daily and weekly
• Prepare the students for assigned dates of masses

Requirements

Skills and Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Experience leading,  working with, or teaching a group of children
• Excellent language skills in the specific component in which he/she will be teaching English
• Authentic support of culturally rich and linguistically diverse learning communities.
• Open to working in a Catholic Environment and respecting the Catholic faith
• Willingness to learn new curriculums, technology systems, and software and the motivation to implement this learning to make a difference in the classroom.
• Willingness to learn new curriculums, practices for dual-language acquisition and linguistically diverse learners and the motivation to implement this learning to make a difference in the classroom.
• Proven ability to work in a team environment, develop effective interpersonal relationships, communicate patiently and effectively with coworkers and families
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, adapt to changing priorities, manage time and meet deadlines.
• Maintain the required hours of the work day, as well as the class schedule 
• Successful completion of CBI and FBI background check.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 3 years+ teaching experience in subject or related field
• Teaching experience and a Degree in Education or related field.
• Excellent language skills are critical and a willingness to provide verbal interaction with students both in and out of class.  Bilingual reading, writing and speaking skills are preferred.
• Genuine love and enthusiasm for learning, reading and writing
• Effective in managing and supervising students
• Organized, flexible and reliable