Classroom Assistant – Job Description 2020-2021
Elm City Montessori School, launched in August 2014, is New Haven’s first public Montessori school. We are seeking Classroom Assistants to support us in building a vibrant and healthy learning environment in our new and growing school. We will serve 260 children preK-6th grade in the 2020-2021 academic year and will grow to more than 370 students between the ages of 3 and 13 over the next ten years. New Haven, Connecticut is a thriving arts, cultural, and education hub, located in the center of a growing community of public Montessori schools.
About the position: The Classroom Assistant works in partnership with the Classroom Guide. This is a full time 10-Month with required August Training before the school year begins.
Required Qualifications: All Assistants must successfully complete an AMI Assistants Training Course within their first years. High School diploma is required.
Preferred Qualifications: The ideal applicant has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education or a related field, is trained in the Montessori method and/or has experience as an assistant in a public school setting, collaborating as a member of a teaching faculty, supervising children, and supporting instruction for students with special needs. The candidate is kind, caring, compassionate, enthusiastic, well-organized, bilingual (Spanish), and creative with excellent written and oral communication skills.
Key Components of the Position:
Supporting academic and social emotional work in the classroom
Preparing and maintaining the physical environment
Working with individual and small groups of children to support independence and learning
Areas of Responsibilities:
Instruction
Assists the Guide in developing and modifying instructional materials to appropriately meet the academic, physical, and social emotional needs of all learners
Monitors appropriate use and care of equipment, materials and facilities
Continues planned instructional activities during Guide’s temporary absence from the classroom during lunch, prep time, and team meetings
Assists individuals and small groups of children in various subject areas and motor activities, e.g. Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics, Music, Cultural Studies, Exercise, Games and Physical Education.
Supporting Learning and Independence
Supports children in following classroom procedures and grace and courtesy
Helps maintain order and discipline and assists in managing the behavior of students, mediating conflicts and supervising for safety
Monitors students engaged in independent work or similar activities, ensuring respect for classmates and materials
Care of the Environment
Reviews and resets classroom environment daily to ensure that learning materials are in good order and ready for student use each day
Replenishes consumable items, e.g. paper, pencils, polish, cotton puffs, art supplies, etc.
Prepares, monitors and assists children with clean up of food activities – breakfast, lunch, snacks, and food prep
Assists students in clean-up of the environment at the end of the day
Observation and Record Keeping
Contributes to classroom record keeping and communication journals
Alerts Guide to individual student progress and needs and offers suggestions
Participates in individual student action plans, implementing activities and recording progress under direction of the Guide
Collaboration and Professional Learning
Communicates and interacts regularly and appropriately with students, faculty, staff and administration, maintaining positive relationships
Meets regularly with classroom team, engaging in planning of activities
Attends and actively participates in all require professional learning and events
Keeps confidential information about students and families confidential at all times
Miscellaneous
Maintains all professional certifications necessary
Seeks opportunities for professional development
Performs other duties as assigned
Interested applicants may fill out ECMS Employment Application:
https://forms.gle/abE8pi1AdQSDeMmGA
Revised: April 2020
