Our Head Start Program

Neighborhood House’s Head Start program provides an opportunity for participants to learn, grow, and thrive in an environment that emphasizes parents as primary teachers, a co-operative environment between families, teachers, family advocates, home visitors, and other staff, connection to community resources, and learning through child-led play. Our program is designed to meet the needs of and to provide school readiness skills to all eligible children, including those with special needs and disabilities, so our community’s children and families are stronger for life.

Purpose of this Role

This position will be responsible for collaborating with the teaching team to support student’s learning and healthy development, under the direction of the Head Teacher. This position is responsible for leading the classroom when the Head Teacher is on break or out, as well as for developing and leading various small group activities each day.

This position has knowledge of early childhood development and general principles of early childhood education and developmentally appropriate, child-led, multi-cultural, anti-bias curriculum, combined with experience teaching children under the age of 3.

Primary Responsibilities

The successful Assistant Teacher models positive and appropriate interactions with children and other adults, including individuals from diverse communities and cultures, including communicating effectively with those whose English language skills are limited. In this influential role you will work with sensitive and confidential information and are expected to behave professionally in all interactions.

The Assistant Teacher works with the guidance and support from the Head Teacher assuming a degree of responsibility and autonomy, working both independently and in a team setting. As a team, you will help to hand crises and problem solve as needed.

Responsibilities are generally categorized as follows:

Classroom Management – 75%

• Support in establishing positive classroom environment.
• Ensure safety of staff and children in the classroom.
• Protect students, staff, equipment, materials, and facilities, as needed.
• Support in ensuring children’s supplies are within reach.
• Support a consistent classroom routine.
• Assist in setup and cleanup of activities.
• Assistant with general routine care of children.

Development, Implementation and Assessment of Education Services – 15%

• Assist in the Development and implementation of age appropriate, individualized lesson plans that focus on the process rather than the product of the child.
• Meet with Early Intervention team for supports in class.
• Support in maintaining records, maintaining confidentiality.
• Support in completing necessary reports.
• Limited support with parent conferences and home visits, communicate with parents as needed and support family involvement.
• Limited assistance with collecting observations.

Other – 10%

• Act as Head Teacher, and substitute in other classrooms as needed.
• Participate in monthly 1:1’s with Supervisor.
• Attend monthly all staff meetings and weekly classroom team meetings.
• Participate in required trainings and professional development opportunities.
• Participate in program self-assessment.
• Complete reports, as needed.
• Support in the cleaning and maintenance of common workspaces.

Minimum Required Qualifications

• Associates degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE) or Child Development; or Child Development Associate Certificate (CDA)

• A related degree that includes 15 quarter college credits in ECE, Child Development, Elementary Education or Special Education may be considered.

In lieu of the above, documentation of attaining at least step 7 or higher in the Oregon Registry Online (ORO), combined with 1 year experience teaching children under the age of 3 in an early childhood setting.

• Must be enrolled in the Oregon Childcare Division Central Background Registry (CBR) and always maintain enrollment during employment.
• Adult and Pediatric CPR & First Aid Certification (must obtain within 30 days of employment).
• Food Handlers Card (must obtain within 30 days of employment).
• Basic-Intermediate Proficiency of Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, Power Point and Publisher.
• Basic-Intermediate Proficiency of Outlook Mail, Calendar, and One Drive.
• Successfully complete a pre-start date physical exam.

Upon hire and as a condition of continual work, this position requires the ability of employee to frequently bend, stoop, twist, reach, run, kneel, crouch, walk, stand and sit on the floor and in child-size chairs, as well as lift up to 50 pounds. The ability of the employee to speak, hear, see (close up, distance and depth perception) is required. This position may expose the employee to blood borne pathogens and communicable diseases.
Benefits

Neighborhood House offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package including:

• 26 days PTO and 11 paid holidays.
• Affordable health insurance with 95% of employee premium paid by NH.
• Voluntary short- and long-term disability plans
• 403b retirement plan
• Paid Life Insurance
• FSA and FHA
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employees are eligible for credit in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.