ABOUT APPLETREE

With the mission of closing the achievement gap before students get to kindergarten, AppleTree focuses exclusively on Preschool and Pre-K education. We provide free, full-day public charter school programming for three- and four-year olds in 13 locations across Washington, DC, employing our innovative and award-winning instructional model, called Every Child Ready (ECR). This instructional model provides educators with tools and resources for “What to Teach”, “How to Teach” and “How to Measure Success.” Our instructional model is also used with partners across the nation. We continuously test and improve this model through feedback from AppleTree educators, partners and other stakeholders to ensure that children are learning and exploring through play and appropriate instruction.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Teaching Assistant serves as an integral part of the teaching team, either working with one -person instructional team consisting of a Lead Teacher and Teaching Fellow or with two 2-person instructional teams consisting of two Co-Lead teachers. The Teaching Assistant uses his/her knowledge of the development of young children, the ways in which young children learn and scientifically based practice to support the social, emotional and cognitive development of young children. Teaching Assistants plan for and provide instruction to students enrolled in Before Care and/or Extended Day programming.

• Creates environments and instructional opportunities that meet the needs of diverse learners
• Supports the establishment of rich and engaging physical learning environments and encourages children’s ownership and contributions to the classroom.
• Helps to create a safe, clean, attractive and engaging centers that encourage both exploration and complex play.
• Plans and preps daily to ensure the classroom contains sufficient supplies with adequate materials for all children.
• Establishes clear behavior expectations, rules and procedures to maximize learning time. Ensures effective implementation of universal behavior management systems as well as targeted plans to support student behavior.
• Actively supports diverse learners through the development of young children’s early literacy, language, math, science, social studies and social emotional development using intentional, playful and engaging instruction.
• Implements the Every Child Ready (ECR) instructional model with fidelity and collaborates with teaching teams’ members to ensure fidelity.
• Intentionally provides modeling and support for children’s expressive and receptive language throughout the school day including Before Care and Extended Day.
• Collects and uses data from a variety of sources to understand their children’s instructional needs and to improve teaching and learning by the implementation of tiered supports.
• Collaborates with families and communities to support children’s overall social, emotional and cognitive development. This may include communicating the school’s and individual children’s educational goals to families.

Contributes to a community of practice

• Plans collaboratively and shares ideas and resources with instructional teams (including Before Care and Extended Day teams).
• Communicates students’ academic and social-emotional data and information from Before Care or Extended Day to all members of the instructional teams to ensure aligned support.
• Actively participates on at least one site-wide committee.
• Provide informal and formal feedback on instructional materials, school-wide practices and professional development/coaching.
• Actively participates in professional development opportunities provided and seeks out additional professional development, including monthly Professional Learning Community.
• Incorporates coaching and feedback from regular observations conducted by Instructional Leader and AppleTree Leadership Team members.
• Communicates professionally and constructively with colleagues.
• Maintains a professional relationship with families and shares important family information with teaching teams.
• Fulfills the standards of professionalism including appropriate dress, attendance and timeliness.