Child Development Associate Teacher

The Child Development Associate Teacher performs a variety of duties, with the goal of working with and assisting the Lead Teacher to educate, supervise, and support the children in our care.

• Work as part of an instructional and organizational team.

• Maintain the established classroom environment that utilizes space, materials, routines, and positive guidance to facilitate physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development within the Lab School and Alvin College guidelines and philosophy.
• Maintain the health, safety, and welfare of the children by providing a clean and healthy environment, constant supervision, and positive interactions both verbally and physically throughout the day.
• Monitor and assist the children with personal hygiene, including hand washing, toileting, and diapering.
• Help the children develop good manners and nutritional habits by serving meals and snacks, eating and interacting with the children, and assisting the children with clean-up.
• Assist with the implementation of the chosen curriculum and assessment tools.
• Assist with implementing indoor and outdoor early childhood learning experiences appropriate to the developmental levels of the children being served. In the absence of the Lead Teacher, implement the planned learning experiences.
• Maintain an educated awareness of child abuse, neglect, child welfare, and all licensing regulations and reporting procedures for the care of young children and implement them when necessary.
• Maintain an educated awareness of licensing standards and Texas Rising Star expectations.
• Assist in completing attendance records, daily headcount sheets, and Procare communication daily.
• Assist in maintaining timely and accurate records of each child’s development. Participate in parent conferences at least twice yearly.
• Meet and maintain all state licensing requirements and qualifications and comply with all Alvin College and Lab School policies and procedures.
• Attend staff meetings and actively pursue opportunities for professional development.
• Maintain confidentiality regarding college, staff, children, and family information.
• Effectively communicate with parents, students, state agencies, licensing representatives, and other educational and community institutions that use the laboratory school as a resource location.
• Other related duties as assigned.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The employee typically works indoors in a classroom setting. Most days, a portion of the day is spent outside in conditions that include inclement weather, cold, heat, and humidity. The noise level is typical of that of an early childhood classroom. The employee will be exposed to loud sounds and high noise levels daily. The incumbent may encounter frequent interruptions throughout the workday. The employee will work very near others and will be exposed to diseases and infections, such as colds and influenza, regularly.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the incumbent is regularly required to:

• Stand, walk, run, stoop, bend, kneel, crawl, balance, and sit on the floor or in child-sized furniture.
• Be physically active at a child’s level.
• Reach with arms and hands and use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or grasp.
• Lift or move up to thirty-five (35) pounds regularly throughout the day, and occasionally lift or move up to sixty (60) pounds.
• Talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• High School diploma or equivalent
• One (1) year of teaching experience with young children (ages 0-5) in a licensed childcare facility

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Must be able to pass the Child Care Regulation Background Check before the hire date.
• Must be able to bend to a child's level, also stoop and lift regularly.
• Must meet current requirements of regulatory agencies within the first 30 days of employment, including the following minimum certification or training certificates:
  1. Pediatric CPR and First Aid
  2. Food Handler Certificate
  3. Emergency Prep. & Allergies
  4. SIDS, Shaken Baby Syndrome, and Brain Development
  5. Child Abuse mandated reporter training
• Must complete thirty (30) hours of professional development training annually.
• Must be able to make quick and accurate judgments regarding the health, safety, emotional, and physical needs of children.
• Must be able to physically and mentally react immediately to unexpected circumstances.

• CDA-Child Development Associate Certification
• Bilingual – English/Spanish