Title: Early Education Classroom Assistant
Responsible to: Children’s House Program Director, Toddler Program Director, Head of School, EEPP Director
OVERVIEW: Hilltop Montessori School faculty and staff members understand and promote the school’s mission, vision, objectives, and policies both within and outside the immediate school community. Faculty, consisting of teachers and assistants, are responsible for providing a Montessori classroom/instructional program that supports the development of the cognitive, emotional, social, physical and spiritual growth of the child in accordance with the school’s mission and vision and the child’s developmental stage. Faculty and staff are expected to attend to each child’s individual needs with warmth, guidance, and humor, and to model with their team members the same attributes. We also ask that teachers have experience with equity, anti-bias, and teaching in an equitable and culturally affirming way and have experience working with children having a wide range of educational, social, emotional, and behavioral needs.
The Early Education Classroom Assistant is an active and contributing member of the Children’s House and Toddler Program Teams, and is responsible for helping to maintain a safe, comfortable, and harmonious Montessori environment, and demonstrates the willingness and flexibility to help out wherever needed within the context of the classroom and the school.
RESPONSIBILITIES
To assist in establishing a Montessori classroom the Teacher will:
- Become familiar with the Montessori philosophy by attending a Montessori training
- Engage in equitable and culturally affirming teaching practices
- Consistently reflect on own teaching practices to better refine
- Be a support to classroom teachers and to students, open to flexibility as the daily needs of classrooms can change.
- Record observations in Transparent Classroom, and share with the teaching team
- Help students maintain their classroom environment as needed
- Provide one-on-one support for students as designated by the Program Director/Learning Specialist
- Supervise lunch, recess, and dismissal
- Set professional goals with the Head of School
- Help students to develop independence in self-care: toileting, dressing, prepare snack, ensure dishes are washed in the dishwasher daily
- Supervise Extended Day
To ensure a productive relationship with families, the Teacher will:
- Share all information from parents/guardians with the teaching team
- Keep all shared information confidential
- Be professional, positive, and welcoming in all interactions with families
To promote the school community the Teacher will:
- Be familiar with the Student and Family Handbook
- Know and adhere to the expectations in the Personnel Handbook
- Attend all in-service days
- Participate in yearly Montessori professional development
- Grow personally and professionally with anti-bias and anti-racist work to support equity, justice, and inclusion at Hilltop
REQUIREMENTS
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Meet the education requirements for a Northern Lights Career Ladder 1 within first year of employment
- Experience in a preschool environment, and/or a willingness to learn and embrace Montessori pedagogy
- Montessori assistant training within the first year of employment, if appropriate
- CPR/First Aid within first three months of employment
- A clear record through fingerprinting
- The physical capacity to work with preschool/toddler aged children (includes but is not limited to: bending, minor lifting, working on the floor)