Career Center

Position: Assistant Teacher

Location: Santa Monica, CA

Status: Full-time

Reports to: Campus Director 

Hours: FTE, M-F

Start Date: (includes one week of onboarding)

Description, Responsibilities, and Duties

The Assistant Teacher has the responsibility of teaching and learning with the children, as well as assisting the Co-Lead Teachers and Support Teachers in their work.  The Assistant teacher is expected to collaborate within their teaching team along with other fellow colleagues. This position requires a candidate to be attentive, flexible, reflective, warm in disposition; the candidate knows how to work with children in a developmentally appropriate manner and fulfill Growing Place’s mission, philosophy, and pedagogy. 

Teaching and Learning (90%)

• Work with children throughout the day
• Build trusting, respectful, and professional relationships with children and families 
• Keep children safe and healthy
• Collaborate with children, teaching team, and the Educational Coordinating Team to design and research curriculum 
• Use the school’s social constructivist and Reggio Approaches, and problem-solving techniques when working with children 
• Assist in the preparation of the indoor and outdoor learning environments (ex: setting up provocations, preparing materials and supplies, cleaning up, properly storing materials in collaboration with the children, preserving the children's work under the direction of the teaching staff) 
• Establish strong daily routines and rhythms for children 
• Prepare, serve, and clean up snacks and role model appropriate table manners and facilitate social conversations
• Help children to learn to self regulate during rest time and in resolving social conflicts with peers
• Support with pet care if needed 
• Procure food and other supplies for the classroom as requested
• Assist children in toileting, hand washing, and with minor injuries
• Complete accident/incident/illness reports when appropriate 
• Report any head injury, major fall, and/or incident to a co-lead teacher in a timely manner 
• Report parent concerns to appropriate co-lead teachers, administrators, and/or families in a timely manner
• Participate in school events when requested (ex: Mother/Father/Grandparent Event, Spring Fundraiser, Parent-Teacher Dialogue, New Family Picnic)  
• Communicate directly with team members and others on the staff to resolve issues in a prompt and professional manner  
• Lead and facilitate the school experiences for children who stay for the extended day 
• Ensure daily responsibilities for opening and closing the school are carried out in an appropriate and timely manner

Research and Dissemination (10%)

• Assist the teaching team by using the systems and strategies required to document, organize, and make accessible the experiences of children and adults including digital photographs, audio recordings, scanned work, and video 
• Assist teachers in collecting data regarding children’s work and behaviors
• Observe and document children in play and share observations with the appropriate teaching team
• Actively participate in monthly faculty and staff meetings 
• Participate in on-going professional development and continuous performance management 

Additional responsibilities will be assigned by the supervisor and outlined in the work plans.

Minimum Qualifications/Requirements 

Skills

• 1 year of experience working with children ages 3 months-6 years old in a licensed childcare program, a NAEYC-accredited childcare center preferred
• Associates Degree preferred
• At least 15 Early Childhood Units
• Must meet the requirements of the California Department of Social Services (licensing), including an updated TB status, CPR certification, fingerprint clearance. 
• Demonstrated understanding of child development 

Competencies 

• Values parents as important partners in the work of the school
• Pays attention to the many ways that children make meaning of the world
• Collaborates with children and adults in positive ways
• Has a keen interest and curiosity about the nature of learning and teaching 
• Finds joy in working with children and adults
• Approaches teaching as a life-long learner
• Embraces reflection as a tool for growth and learning
• Demonstrates commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity 
• Seeks out resources to continually improve one’s practice
• Values learning from mistakes
• Demonstrates flexible thinking
• Establishes professional boundaries with children, parents, and colleagues
• Demonstrates professionalism in dress, attitude, communication, and punctuality
• Shows and values integrity for oneself and others
• Provides value add to the organization beyond the job position

About Growing Place

The Growing Place is an early childhood education center established in 1985. Our mission is to help children develop into confident, compassionate, and creative problem solvers. Our program unifies children, parents, and teachers into a community that learns together. We operate three centers in Santa Monica; Our three sites are licensed to serve 257 children and positively impact approximately 500 working parents and 80 early childhood educators.We use a social constructivist approach to working with teachers, children, and families; in partnership with Reggio Emilia. We fundamentally view children as competent, resilient, and curious individuals, teachers as researchers, facilitators, and collaborators of learning for children and adults, and parents as authentic partners.

Connections working at Growing Place