Preschool Assistant Teacher

### GENERAL OVERVIEW OF JOB The Montessori Assistant Teacher serves as a guide, effectively communicating with children, parents, and staff. This role requires providing quality, nurturing care to infants, toddlers, and preschool children enrolled in the school. The Assistant Teacher must demonstrate skills to address developmental needs and help direct children academically, emotionally, and physically within a prepared Montessori environment. The role includes adapting to student and community needs, fostering positive interactions with teacher assistants, students, and parents, assisting in Montessori teacher training, ensuring a safe and clean environment, and participating in special events and assisting the Lead Teacher. ### RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES 1. **Employee Policies/ Parent Handbook:** - Full knowledge and understanding of St. Mary’s Montessori School parent and employee policies, handbooks, and procedures. Full knowledge and understanding of State of California: Department of Social Services Title 22 regulations. **2. Students:** - Customer Service: Consistently meet teacher responsibilities related to customer service, guiding, and nurturing the development of infant, toddler, and preschool students. - Prepared Environment: Provide a prepared environment with identifiable activity routines, facilitating activity transitions and constantly observing students. - Montessori Principles: Demonstrate working knowledge and application of Montessori principles/philosophy. - Daily Schedule: Use a daily schedule based on Montessori ideals, acting as a reference and exemplar for students. - Learning Environment: Create an environment that fosters and showcases Montessori learning. - Kindergarten Readiness: Maintain knowledge of local primary expectations for kindergarten readiness, guiding the learning process accordingly. **3. Parent Relations:** - Confidentiality: Recognize and respect parent/student confidentiality. - Positive Interaction: Interact with parents positively and in a friendly manner. - Feedback: Provide parents with basic daily feedback. - Parental Involvement: Encourage parental involvement and support the student’s relationship with their family by appreciating student’s families as part of the Montessori program and incorporating family culture into student experiences. **4. Care**: - Supervision: Maintain constant supervision of students, attend to students in distress, and ensure safety during activities. - Positive Discipline: Use positive Montessori discipline techniques. - Supportive Interaction: Interact with students supportively, using their names and a calm tone of voice. - Policy Adherence: Follow policies, procedures, and regulatory standards for student activities. - Reporting: Report signs of illness, injury, or abuse to the Head of School and take appropriate emergency action. - Sanitary Standards: Maintain sanitary standards for self and students. **5. Other Staff Duties:** - Collaboration: Collaborate with the Lead Teacher during sanitizing and prep time. - Child Greeting: Ensure each child is warmly greeted upon arrival. - Environment Maintenance: Maintain a safe, clean caregiving environment, practicing good hygiene and ensuring the well-being and safety of all children. - Positive Attitude: Maintain a positive, calm attitude and a pleasant, soothing voice, modeling this for parents and others. - Training and Meetings: Attend all training opportunities, staff meetings, and professional development activities. - Organized Environment: Maintain a neat, well-organized, and attractive prepared environment consistent with Montessori pedagogy. - Parent Relationships: Develop effective relationships with parents, providing opportunities to discuss and understand the child’s progress and encouraging bonding with the class and school community. - Regular Attendance: Consistently and regularly attend work as scheduled. - Additional Duties: Complete other duties as assigned by the Head of Scho…