Easterseals Early Learning Center- Hickory Hills provides inclusive early childhood and education services for children between the ages of six weeks to five years of age. The Center is a part of Easterseals broader programming in Head Start/Early Head Start. Easterseals Head Start/Early Head Start provides high-quality, family-centered education for children from birth to five years old. We collaborate with 40+ early childhood programs located in the city of Chicago and suburban Cook County to promote school readiness in young children of all abilities from families with incomes below poverty guidelines. In addition to the Hickory Hills location, Easterseals also directly operates the Gilchrist Marchman Child Development Center in Chicago.

For more information about our organization, please visit us online at www.eastersealschicago.org.

The Teacher Assistant is responsible for implementing program objectives as part of a teaching team and providing support to the Master Teachers with all classroom activities. This includes but is not limited to, implementing curriculum, supervising children, communicating with parents, and providing a healthy and safe environment for children.

This position is located at Easterseals Early Learning Center- Hickory Hills at 8020 W. 87th St., Hickory Hills, IL 60457.

MAJOR FUNCTIONS/ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Work as a part of the classroom team to support the full inclusion of children with identified and suspected disabilities
• Work as a classroom team to prepare lesson plans, complete observations, and assess children
• Follow through with activities, and materials, in alignment with the children’s IEP goals throughout the entire school day
• Collect behavior data as requested for children with identified concerns
• Follow through with teacher/clinical /administrative recommendations regarding all aspects of curriculum and programming
• In conjunction with the classroom teacher, maintain consistent communication with the children’s families/guardians
• Participate in all scheduled team meetings pertaining to the classroom
• Assist in planning field trips
• Assume full responsibility for one group of children engaged in a specific activity
• Supervise and participate with children during free play activities
• Share responsibility for cleaning up after all classroom activities
• Set up the room for activities both in the morning and after nap time
• Participate in all scheduled in-house training throughout the school year
• Attend parent meetings
• All other duties as assigned

Education/Certification:

• An Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education (ECE) is required for some positions and preferred for all.
• A minimum of 30 college semester credits overall with a minimum of 15-semester credits in ECE, and an infant-toddler CDA (Child Development Associate)
• An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in another field, and a minimum of 30 college semester credits in ECE

Experience Required:

• A minimum of 1 year experience in an Early Head Start, Prevention Initiative, or NAEYC-accredited 0-3 classroom is a plus

Skills/Abilities:

• Bilingual skills may be required or preferred based on the needs of the program
• Must have the ability to create a classroom atmosphere in which children can develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially, and creatively
• Able to work well with staff, families, other agencies, and funding source personnel
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Well-organized, detail-oriented, and accuracy-driven
• Able to manage multiple projects
• Excellent computer skills

ADA: Easterseals will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disability Act of 1990. Unless exempted by the Americans with Disabilities Act, all persons hired for this position are required to possess the ability to perform the physical tasks necessary to treat clients, i.e., bending, floor-sitting, etc., as well as to have the ability to lift up to 50 pounds frequently.

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