Teacher Assistant / Paraprofessional Academy of St. Louis
Special Education Teacher Assistant / Behavior Technician assists in the overall assistance of students in the classroom and those needing behavioral support in the form of escort and prevention of self-injury.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
1. Become familiar with the teaching procedures used by the Teacher, his/her schedule of activities, the continuity of academic progression, and the materials and equipment available.
2. Works with individual students or small groups to reinforce learning of material or skills initially introduced by the teacher.
3. Assists the teacher in devising strategies for reinforcing materials or skills based on an understanding of individual students, their needs, interests, and abilities.
4. Guides independent study, enrichment work, and remedial work set up and assigned by the teachers.
5. Provides escort and assistance to students as necessary throughout various school and community settings.
6. Checks students’ work, corrects papers, and supervises testing and make-up work as assigned by the teacher.
7. Assists with large group activities such as reading, science, history, lunch and break times.
8. Assists the teacher in maintaining work and preparing work and study areas, equipment, materials and facilities.
9. Assists the student(s) assigned to him/her in such physical tasks, if necessary, as putting on and taking off outerwear, moving from room to room, using the lavatory, transitioning, etc.
10. Operates teaching aids, i.e., computers, iPads, Smart Boards, etc.
11. Substitutes for teach when needed.
12. Alerts the teacher or administration to any problem or special information about an individual student.
13. Supervises and engages with students during break periods.
14. Assists with clerical responsibilities of the teacher or administration, before and after school, preferably not during school hours.
15. Participate in workshops, in-service training, and team meetings.
16. Assists teachers in dealing with students who have challenging behaviors.
17. Assists the teacher in maintaining an environment conducive to learning.
18. Observe, record, and follow the management plan established by the teacher.
19. Assists and manages students in the classroom, cafeteria, at breaks, and all related activities as directed by policy.
20. Assists in preparing teaching materials during the school day as directed by the teacher.
21. Within the classroom setting, the assistant reports to the teacher in matters involving the students’ programs and related activities.
22. Become educated and be able to implement the Heather Forbes methodology of behavior management.
23. Understands and can use Google Drive, Mail, and Calendar.
Qualifications:
Education and/or experience
Sixty hours of college credit is preferable. Experience working with children is required.
Essential Functions
(To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the following essential functions satisfactorily. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)
Language Skills
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and policy and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to communicate effectively.
Mathematical Skills
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, decimals and percentages.
Reasoning Ability
Ability to problem-solve and apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written and/or oral or diagram form.
Physical Demands
While performing the duties and responsibilities of this job, the person is regularly required to talk and hear, stand, move and walk at a brisk pace, sit, and use hands and arms to handle, feel, and reach. The ability to accompany students anywhere on the school premises. The person is occasionally required to stoop or kneel and lift and move up to 50 pounds. Regular attendance on the job is expected and necessary. Additionally, the person must be physically able to react and intervene quickly during crises, such as but not limited to the following circumstances: student elopement, physical altercations involving students, or any situation that requires physical intervention to maintain student safety.