Educational and Developmental Aide I

This position performs beginner level paraprofessional instructional work in educational/ developmental areas of day care centers such as Transylvania County New Adventure Learning Center. Employees are assigned instructional as well as housekeeping tasks and responsibilities for supervising play and meal activities. Work may also involve transportation of clients (students, children).

New Adventure Learning Center is a public agency which provides services without regard to race, color, sex, creed, religion, political affiliation, or national origin.  We are a full day childcare center providing high-quality care for children ages 12 months – 5 years. We meet enhanced teacher: child ratios, smaller class sizes, higher education standards for classroom teachers, and use of an approved curriculum to help plan development appropriate activities for each classroom. We strive to provide a safe, loving and nurturing environment for children through close supervision and compliance with all NC Child Care Standards and Laws. Through the use of developmentally appropriate teaching techniques, we plan activities that meet the needs of the classroom and the individual child physically, mentally, socially and emotionally.

• Employees perform routine, assignments in carrying out specific instructional activities on an individual and group basis.
• Employees spend approximately 25 to 35% of the time making instructional materials and assisting the teacher in planning and coordinating classroom activities.
• Provide a bright, cheerful classroom atmosphere.
• Employees choose specific tasks or games from specified lists to be used in carrying out the instructional activities according to the children's needs and progress.
• Provides observational and verbal feedback to teachers on the children's progress and overall condition. 
• Supervision of play time, meals, restroom breaks, and rest time activities; assisting with meal preparation; and performing light housekeeping duties.
• Work according to the daily schedule, lesson plans, curriculum guides, internal policies and procedures, and daily instructions by the teacher. 
• Work conducted in the classroom with teachers and other aides; may have general and informal contact with parents in delivery and pick up of children or at occasional parent-teacher night meetings.
• Employees interpersonal communication will vary depending on the specific day care program. Employees will work with clients whose functioning level may range from severely or profoundly mentally retarded, slow learner, to normal or gifted. During instructional time, employees demonstrate and explain material to the clients. 
• Changes out educational toys, puzzles, dress-up, etc. on a monthly basis.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.  

• Knowledge of basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. 
• Knowledge and basic understanding of normal stages of child development. 
• Ability to follow instructions. 
• Ability to establish rapport with children and parents. 
• Ability to communicate with peers, teachers, and social workers.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with contractors and the public.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective record-keeping systems.

Minimum Education and Experience:
High School Diploma or its equivalent, and one (1) year of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.  
 
Required Licenses or Certifications:

• Early Childhood Education Certificate/ Childhood Credentials. (Will accept completion of EDU 111 & 112 or EDU 119 at an approved NC college or university)
• Driver's License valid in the State of North Carolina.
• Complete and pass ongoing training and development upon hire.

 
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
This work requires the regular exertion of up to 10 pounds of force, frequent exertion of up to 25 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force; work regularly requires speaking or hearing and using hands to finger, handle or feel, frequently requires standing, walking, climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling and reaching with hands and arms and occasionally requires sitting, tasting or smelling and lifting; work requires close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus, depth perception, color perception and peripheral vision; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work requires primary exposure to the indoors in day care centers, which are usually designed with separate classrooms; some work may occur outdoors in cold weather; exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals and exposure to blood borne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment; work is generally in a loud noise location (e.g. grounds maintenance, heavy traffic). The New Adventure Learning Center is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 am until 5:30 pm, year-round, except for major holidays as observed by Transylvania County Government offices and 2-4 teacher workdays per year.