Pre K– 3 Teaching Assistant

CONCORDIA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL NINGBO seeks candidates for the position of Teaching Assistant Pre-K through 3rd grade. You will assist in the launch of our Pre-K through Third Grade-school program, which is rooted in project-based learning, and international mindedness. 

Under the supervision of the lead classroom teacher, and reporting to, the Lead Teacher, you will provide support to the lead teachers in a full range of classroom activities. Duties of a Pre-K teaching Assistant may vary from class to class, but the main duties include helping the lead teacher to care for the children, and document their progress, and help the Lead teacher communicate with Chinese speaking families. The teaching assistant be given designated time to teach Chinese language and culture lessons, but the main task is to set up the classroom before the children arrive, to make sure the classroom is well equipped, to help organize activities, supervise children in the playground, monitoring their progress and reporting to parents. 

The holder of the position of Teaching Assistant will follow the mission of the school, be open to learning about international approaches in Early Childhood, and will have cultural adeptness.  

You will be handling children aged between 3 and 5 years by adapting classroom activities to reinforce learning goals and objectives. 

The assistant should demonstrate strong teaching aptitudes, patience, a friendly personality, communication, and supervisory skills.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Under supervision of the lead classroom teacher, the Teaching Assistant will: 

• Help facilitate children in developmentally appropriate investigations, projects, activities and play  
• Assist the Lead Teacher in implementing curriculum and planning daily activities that are developmentally appropriate for young children  
• Assist with the completion of daily sheets and the daily activities pertaining to eating, sleeping, and diaper changing
• Always maintain a caring, safe, and nurturing environment in class, observing health and safety protocols  
• Communicate with the Lead Teacher regarding all aspects of the children’s care as well as classroom management  
• Assist children with activities of daily life (e.g., diapering/restroom use, feeding, dressing)  
• Create and maintain an environment that is clean, organized, and safe for all children  
• Establish a professional level of rapport with each family in order to provide quality care and friendly service  
• Attend and engage in occasional parent participation events and other events that may be on nights and/or weekends  
• Always maintain a professional self-image and project the values of the organization   
• Help teachers with recordkeeping, such as tracking attendance  
• Make sure that the students can engage in learning and stay on task during the lesson or activity 
• Support the teacher in promoting positive behavior. 
• Lead additional classes such as Chinese Language and Culture  
• Help special needs students understand and follow classroom rules and directions. 
• Provide additional help with classwork and physically assist students with disabilities. 
• Observe and evaluate children’s performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. 
• Identify children showing signs of emotional, developmental, or health-related problems, and discuss them with supervisors, parents or guardians, and child development specialists. 
• Regularly track and communicate progress with students’ families
• Help plan and supervise class projects, field trips, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities. 
• Listen to students read and read to them as a class, group or one-to-one 
• Help with extracurricular activity such as breakfast and after-school clubs, homework club, revision sessions or lunchtime duties 
• Participating as a member of the faculty on school committees and professional association activities. 
• Attend academic, departmental, and school meetings when required, and attend/deliver professional development sessions as directed.   

Please keep in mind that the above job description is meant to be a guideline and does not list in detail all the job responsibilities of a Teaching Assistant.  All duties of the Preschool Teaching Assistant position will be covered in orientation and during the “hands-on” portion of the position training. 

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS: 

• Be at least 18 years of age 
• Have a high school degree or equivalent education   
• Have a certificate in early childhood education or currently working towards the completion of one. Current enrolment or completion of an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in the field of education. 
• Previous experience of working with Pre-schoolers through internships or through volunteer work.
• Be mentally and physically capable of caring for a large group of children alone in a classroom 
• Possess a strong work ethic, be punctual, and have minimal absences   
• Have an awareness of the unique needs of young children and have appropriate expectations of their abilities  
• Be able to kneel, bend, squat, lift, push, pull, and carry children up to 70lbs  
• Intercultural competence and the ability to foster collaboration and trust.  
• Ensure the safety and well-being of each child by responding to their emotional, social, and physical needs as well as their educational needs  
• Always utilize developmentally appropriate practice and best practice methods   
• Be warm and nurturing with children  
• Be a positive role model for all care giving staff and children  
• Be customer service orientated and professional 
• Provide excellent customer service according to the standards of Concordia International School, Ningbo. 
• Proficiency with technology and a willingness to learn to use digital learner management systems to document child progress with classroom technology 
• Be willing to submit to various background checks  
• Be willing to learn First Aid 
• Be willing to undergo a fitness for work medical check and provide a physician’s documentation of such 
• Be available for full time employment and available to work shifts 
• Have dependable transportation 
• Be proficient in Mandarin  
• Have a valid English as a Second language at IELTS 6.5 or above 

DESIRABLE: 

• Be willing to do tasks outside the constraints of the job description
• Be able to follow commands and take feedback 
• Have a pioneering attitude 
• Have experience in course design and curriculum writing
• Believes in the potential of each student, is responsible, caring and student centered 
• Willingness to practice and learn about project based learning and Western learning objective frameworks 
• Strong work ethic, innovative, and creative