Inspire the leaders of tomorrow.

The Assistant Teacher in collaboration with the Lead Teacher provides support in effective instructional strategies, classroom management, learning, assessment, evaluation and related research for children 3-5 years old. The Assistant Teacher is responsible for providing developmentally appropriate learning experiences, supervision of children assigned in the classroom, and providing a supportive and positive classroom climate, while ensuring the individual needs of the children are met as mandated by DCFS, ExceleRate Illinois, NAEYC, federal, state and local standards, as applicable.

Earn a $300 signing bonus 30 days after your start date as an active Y employee!

What you’ll do:

• Promotes and models high quality teaching and learning in the classroom that fosters academic readiness.
• Demonstrates culturally and linguistically appropriate practices that values all children and families and makes them feel welcomed and an essential part of the program
• Maintains awareness and supervision of children’s needs and ensure their physical health and safety, at all times.
• Assists with communicating and developing effective partnerships with parents and families, encouraging parent involvement.
• Abides by DCFS and all quality standards for maintaining safe, high quality programming
• Collaborates regularly with classroom team including: families, volunteers and all staff.
• Assists with collecting and using multiple data sources, both formative and summative, to inform instruction and child centered learning and development.
• Assists with completing routine professional development annually; utilizes continuous quality improvement (CQI); and identifies different instructional resources and methods to meet children's varying needs and improve the classroom experience for children and families.
• Participates and supports association/center efforts towards recruitment, enrollment, attendance and retention of families while supporting the YMCA's mission and center operations as needed.

Lesson Planning and Classroom Management

• Collaborates with the Lead Teacher to develop lesson plans with goals, objectives, activities and outcomes for children that integrate health, nutrition, mental health, disabilities and parent involvement.
• Assists the Lead Teacher in implementation of high quality, developmentally appropriate instructional activities and curriculum approaches (like Creative Curriculum™) that facilitate active learning experiences and promote the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of each child; while ensuring the program follows DCFS, YMCA, ExceleRate Illinois™, and NAEYC accreditation standards, if applicable.
• Takes the lead in absence of the lead teacher.
• With the support of the Lead Teacher, uses observational and child data to assist in planning developmentally appropriate and 2 YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago engaging early learning experiences based upon the emergent needs of the child.
• Assists the Lead Teacher in leveraging the physical environment and pedagogical documentation to support teaching and learning practices.
• Supports and implements planned studies/projects for an in-depth investigation of a topic over time.
• Establishes and maintains an attractive, clean, safe and engaging classroom environment which includes positive guidance techniques and that encourages children's independence and self-selection of activities.
• Assists with classroom management, arrangement, organization, and labeling materials.
• Assists with completion of classroom inventory quarterly; and the selection of materials and equipment to support instruction and children’s learning using environmental assessments to guide decisions.

Child Abuse Prevention:

Supports the YMCA’s commitment to child abuse prevention by:

• Reporting any items that may provide a health or safety hazard to staff, members or guests to your supervisor
• Following all policies and procedures related to keeping children safe in our facilities and programs, including those related to the monitoring and supervision of children
• Reporting any suspicious behavior and violation of policy and procedures to your supervisor
• Completing all child abuse prevention training as required

How you’ll do it:

• Must meet DCFS licensing, and program related accreditation/credentialing requirements; Associates Degree or higher in Early Childhood Education preferred
• Must provide documentation of Gateways credentialing or apply within 90 days of employment.
• Passion for and commitment to the YMCA’s mission and serving the needs of children and families
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to assist in the implementation of developmentally appropriate practices to promote early learning and social-emotional development
• Assist with the application of early learning best practices to create a child-centered, supportive, inclusive and positive classroom environment to meet the needs of diverse children.