Assistant Teacher - American Way .extra-padding-top { margin-top: 20px; } 02-Jan-2019 to 09-Jan-2019 (CST) Memphis, TN, USA Hourly Full Time Teachers at Porter-Leath want to make a difference in children's lives and see their students achieve great things. As the premiere provider of Head Start programs in Memphis, the agency is committed to helping high risk children in Shelby County get ready to succeed in kindergarten. Our Floaters/Assistant Teachers understand the valuable role education plays in improving the community. Our Floaters/Assistant Teachers: Employ their skillset to aid classroom teachers in their shared mission to improve the quality of education offered to Porter-Leath's Head Start students Assist the nutrition staff with preparing high-quality meals for the students Relieve teachers during periods of absence and during breaks Remain a flexible and organized team player in order to help all members of the Porter-Leath Community Qualifications High school diploma or GED Certified Development Association (CDA) certification is required Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education or related field preferred Previous Head Start experience preferred Two (2) years of relevant work experience with infants, toddlers, and/or preschoolers CPR and First Aid certification preferred About Porter-Leath For more than 160 years, Porter-Leath has been dedicated to helping vulnerable children within the Memphis area. We continue to support children and their families through multiple programs, including foster care placement, parent education, a residential facility, and early childhood education programs. Porter-Leath is accredited by the Council of Accreditation, demonstrating our commitment to best practices standards across our agency. Additionally, our Early Head Start and Head Start programs boast NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) accreditation, which requires our programs to set and maintain high standards. Benefits At Porter-Leath, our commitment to our employees rivals our commitment to the children and families we serve. Our comprehensive benefits package aims to meet the needs of every employee and includes the following: Health and dental insurance Life insurance (2 x salary) and voluntary life insurance for employee and family Short-term and long-term disability 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans Credit union Generous paid leave time and holidays Employee referral program Continuous professional development and recognition programs Employee assistance program (EAP) Employee friendly policies Advancement opportunities Professional corporate culture Competitive compensation Essential Job Functions: Performs according to the standards set forth by Head Start, the NAEYC, CWLA, CACFP, USDA, Tennessee Day Care Licensing and Porter-Leath while performing duties within the kitchen and classroom. Provides classroom coverage for Teachers and Assistant Teachers when they are absent or out of the classroom; Assume responsibilities as the primary caregiver for one group of children for Teachers / Assistant Teachers, including children with special needs when assigned. Performs duties as a role model to clients and staff; act as mentor to families of children in groups. Keeps Supervisor and Manager informed of programmatic issues in a timely and concise manner. Works cooperatively with other staff to create a positive, enriching and safe environment for children, families and staff. Assists program staff in delivering appropriate health, nutrition, disability, education, and family support services to children and families in accordance with program policies, procedures, and service plans. Assists in implementing daily education procedures in the classroom while adhering to best practices; assists in ensuring that children are involved in activities suited to their immediate emotional, social, intellectual, and physical needs; provides ample activity options to children. Ensures communication with nutrition staff, health/disability/nutrition staff, and education staff in order to fulfill special diet needs. Assists in the preparation and serving of meals to prep and serve meals in quantities according to menu and number of persons to be served making appropriate substitutions when necessary in accordance with USDA recommended daily dietary allowances and family-style dining requirements; comply with all Health department and Porter-Leath requirements regarding food preparation, food storage, cleanliness, and kitchen sanitation. Assists in maintaining appropriate records of attendance, meal counts, etc. necessary to produce reports. Assists with and conducts ongoing child evaluations. Contributes to team effort by performing other duties as assigned. Physical Demands While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit and talk or hear. The employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and color vision. Work in a non-smoking area. Special Conditions Maintain a valid driver's license with a good driving record and an appropriate level of insurance. NOTE: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be constructed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Porter-Leath