Assistant Teacher

The 14th Street Y is a vibrant Jewish community center located in Downtown Manhattan. Each year, tens of thousands of New Yorkers of all ages, races, and ethnicities come to 14Y as members, visitors, or partners to experience our high quality and varied programs centered around arts and culture, early childhood education, summer camps, fitness and aquatics, Jewish life, and older adult services.

We are seeking a full-time Assistant Teacher to join our team of teachers who are helping to build a vision for progressive education in the East Village.  Inspired by the preschools of Reggio Emilia, we believe all children learn through inquiry, exploration, learning and reflection.  

RESPONSIBILITIES

Planning, Preparation & Curriculum Development

• Co-construct curriculum with co-teacher, based on children’s interests 
• Share in documenting, analyzing, and planning from observations 
• Participate in planning meetings and staff meetings
• Support general areas of need to benefit the entire Preschool, which may include helping other classrooms or Admin

Classroom Environment

• Participate in planning and creating a classroom environment with inquiry, exploration, learning and respect in mind 
• Create a warm and inclusive environment where children and families feel welcome
• Organize clean, and maintain the physical space and selection materials in a way that is inviting and accessible for children 
• Share in creating visual evidence of the narratives and curriculum occurring in your classroom
• Maintain all best practices of DOH standards for classroom

Interactions with Children

• Speak and listen to children with respect and mindfulness 
• Assist in classroom procedures including transitions, routines, and small groups
• Engage students in exploration and learning; being curious about the children’s perspective
• Coach children through conflicts with problem-solving

Relationships with Families & Colleagues

• Build respectful and reciprocal relationships with families
• Participate with the Head Teacher in two sets of parent-teacher conferences (Fall and Spring)
• Support Head Teacher for occasional evening events throughout the year to share ongoing work and classroom curriculum.

 Professional Responsibilities 

• Share in supporting documenting children’s work, development and progress
• Share in daily reflections
• Assist head teacher in gathering observation and insight for conference and/or reports
• Collaborate and build professional relationship with colleagues   
• Reflective, asks questions, willing to take risks and make mistakes 
• Participate in professional learning meetings with the team or as a whole staff  
• Showing professionalism including integrity, ethical conduct, and decision making
• Maintaining collaborative and professional relationships with colleagues 
• Arrive and depart according to daily schedule unless otherwise approved by the Director

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Teaching experience in an early childhood setting preferred
• Strong oral and written communication with parents, children, and co-workers