Classroom Aide - School Age - After Care (School Year 26-27/MD)

Why Work for Wonders Early Learning + Extended Day?

Play isn't just fun, It's fundamental! Children need playtime, it is crucial for healthy development. Children learn about the world by exploring ideas, manipulating objects, investigating creative materials, and problem-solving with others. Using imagination and creativity, children take on new roles and test new concepts. Wonders teachers use observation and planning to create learning experiences that are intentional and provide meaningful context for children to practice skills and express ideas.

Join the Wonders family of caring, dedicated, and fun educators!

About Wonders

Our Mission - To cultivate curiosity, resilience, and social responsibility in children by fostering high-quality, nurturing, and inclusive educational communities led by skilled professionals

Since our inception in 1976, our goal has been to provide non-profit, quality child care to working families. Over the years, we have grown from a single center in the basement of All Saint's Church in Chevy Chase, Maryland to multiple accredited early learning, extended day, and summer camp programs across the DC Metropolitan Region.

Our programs support today's workforce, while growing the workforce of tomorrow.

Benefits & Compensation

Our benefits package includes paid time off, holidays, winter break, medical with HRA, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, critical illness, accident insurance, 403(b) retirement savings plan, Wonders tuition discounts, and professional development training. Benefits eligibility is dependent on job type status.

We provide paid pre-employment background checks, fingerprinting, medical exams, & drug screens as well as paid New Hire Orientation.

Wonders values its educators and leaders and we invest in our workforce by prioritizing compensation and nurturing meaningful careers. Our educators are regularly engaged in efforts towards continuous improvement in their skills and knowledge in the classroom. Approximately 80% of our annual budget is directed to staff compensation.

Job Summary

The Extended Day Aide assists with before/after care in our school-age programs. They are a positive model, stimulating creative thought, providing hands-on experiences, and promoting emotional development for children. They ensure safe, interesting, engaging, and diverse program spaces.

The Extended Day Aide implements Wonders policies and practices effectively as part of a team. Teamwork is crucial, with regular meetings to support programming and lesson plans aligned with the Wonders Extended Day Curriculum.

Essential Functions

• Actively plan learning activities that are balanced in all areas and include: active/quiet, long/short, group/individual, cognitive/physical, large group/small group and child initiated/teacher directed. Attention is given to the children's ideas and curiosities in influencing the direction of daily activities.
• Implement policies, procedures, and practices in an organized and thorough manner.
• Actively participate, contribute, and cooperate in team planning sessions with Program Director and team.
• Meet with your team to lead planning and implementation of activities that are age-appropriate, process-oriented, and encourage divergent thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, based on Wonders extended day curriculum, philosophy and mission.
• Maintain open communication with Program Director regarding children, families, and team members.
• Assist in orientating and training new team members for center responsibilities.
• Share teaching responsibilities with all team members and provide clear and objective feedback.
• Plan and participate in special events for children and families.
• Ensure that all spaces used by the program are: physically and emotionally safe / interesting and engaging for children / clean and organized / reflect and support the lives and work of the children present / support children in their understanding of the diversity of our society.
• Develop behavior management strategies based on Wonders policy, with team and Program Director.
• Establish and nurture partnerships with families.
• Communicate with families on a regular basis to: inform them of program curriculum and activities / solicit information about their child's development and family events.
• Participate in accreditation and reaccreditation processes for your site.
• Attend a minimum of 18 hours of staff training yearly (MSDE/OCC approved for MD staff).
• Work extended hours on half and full-service days including winter and spring breaks and on early release days.

Core Competencies

• Creative, nurturing, and fun
• Dependable and detail oriented
• People oriented - enjoys interacting with people and working on group projects
• Adaptable - enjoys doing work that requires frequent shifts in direction
• Innovative - prefers working in unconventional ways or on tasks that require creativity

Qualifications - MD

• Must be 16 years of age or older
• Within 6 months after hire complete the Teacher Aide Orientation virtual training
• Formal or informal experience working with school-age children is strongly preferred
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

EEO Statement

Wonders provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, citizenship, current or future military status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or familial status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

ADA Compliance

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it is the policy of Wonders to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact Human Resources.

Additional Information

Job Type: Part-Time / 12 - 20 hours weekly

Program Length: School Year 26-27 / 10 months

Work Schedule: After Care - 2:30p to 6:30p

*Note: You must be available to work at least 3 afternoons per week and be willing to commit to work for the entire school year.

Work Location: 

Bethesda - 7600 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD 20814