Paraprofessional

• At City Garden, we pride ourselves on giving students a vibrant learning experience in a welcoming environment. Our teachers count on paraprofessionals to bring the best to the classroom every day. We’re searching for a qualified paraprofessional to join us in delivering the high-quality learning experiences we’re known for. They will build on a student-centered environment which fosters relationships and promotes continual growth for students and staff. The ideal Paraprofessional will...
• Have a degree in education, early childhood development, or one of the social sciences
• Have at least one year of experience working with special needs students
• Be flexible to adapt to the changing nature of the demands of the class
• Be deeply committed to whole-child education, having proven success and outcomes in meeting children’s needs holistically
• Have a grounding in anti-bias education and antiracist values and principles, and is excited to be part of a school that is reimagining education through these lenses
• Current First Aid and CPR certification
• Current Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Paraprofessional certification

Responsibilities

• Objectives of this Role
• Provide instructional reinforcement under the direction of the classroom teacher in executing lesson plans
• Serve as a positive, nurturing guide for students
• Model professional and ethical standards when dealing with students, parents, staff, and community, following and upholding school rules and standards
• Safely supervise students in both instructional and assessment activities in and out of the classroom
• Participate in planning sessions with the learning team, communicating with parents and school officials as needed

• Daily and Monthly Responsibilities
• Co-teach lesson components as determined by the teacher, leading small-group or individual instruction and discussion, and reviewing classwork material
• Attend to students' physical, personal, academic, and emotional needs; help with translation and hygienic needs when necessary
• Organize classroom and teaching materials; verify and track student attendance
• Perform clerical duties such as data-entry, filing, and photocopying; grade tests and homework, recording the results
• Establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with students, parents, and staff to enhance the instructional environment; participate in parent-teacher and faculty meetings and events

• Professional Responsibility City Garden believes all employees must take an active role in their development as professionals and in developing City Garden as an institution of learning.
• Actively participates in a regular evaluation process including classroom observations, feedback conferences, and an annual self-evaluation toward yearly goals which are established with the school principal
• Participates in professional development activities (both within the school community and attendance at conferences, workshops, etc.)
• Participates in collegial activities designed to make the entire school a productive learning environment, for example, age level meetings, curriculum discussion groups, working committees, mentoring, etc.
• Attends all scheduled meetings and professional days as appropriate

• Related Duties
• Responsible for reading and adhering to the guidelines and school policies as established in the employee handbook

Requirements

• At least 12 Hours of Post-Secondary education and Paraprofessional certification from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
• At least 2 years of experience working with students
• Have prior experience in the role of Paraprofessional
• Effective communication skills; oral, written, and visual with adults and children
• Understanding of basic principles of childhood development
• Demonstrated success working with a diverse student population

Environment Working Conditions Indoor school environment, with the majority of work performed at a desk or sitting, with travel to and from individual classroom locations.

Physical Demands Requires ability to communicate and exchange information, collect, compile and prepare work documents, set-up and maintain student records files. Nature of work requires an ability to operate standard office equipment (telephone, computer, printer/copier). Have the ability to stand, bend, reach high and low, stoop, and walk around, sit on floor for periods of time. Be capable of physically assisting students as required (positioning, lifting, transferring, restraining, etc.), up to 50 lbs.