South Newton School Corporation Position Description

Position Title: Preschool Assistant

Department: Elementary School

Reports To: Principal

Summary: To assist the special education teacher and other professionals in the education, carrying out of instruction or physical individual plans, feeding, lifting, toileting, and individualized care of students with special needs in a confidential, positive manner.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:  

• Assist teachers with activities and instruction.
• Practice and reinforce skills taught in occupational, physical, and/or speech therapy.
• Assist and instruct students in eating, personal hygiene, toileting, tooth brushing, and hand washing.
• Assist instructional staff in student supervision while children are loading and unloading buses, in the gym, in the classroom, and playground. Supervise students on the bus to and from school as needed.
• Feed students using feeding tubes, suction feeding tubes as needed. (Work in coordination with school nurse and teacher)
• Supervise students if teacher is out of the classroom.
• Lift and assist students from wheelchair to designated areas.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned which are necessary for the daily operation of the school program.

Qualifications Requirements: Ability to work with students, staff, and the school community; Ability to speak grammatically correct English

Education and/or Experience: High School diploma or equivalent preferred.  Successfully passing ParaPro test or 60 college hours. 

Language Skills:  Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general information, special education procedures from the school and Cooperative School Services. Ability to fill out reports on Harmony.  Ability to speak using grammatically correct English.

Mathematical Skills:  Ability to basic math and record data.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with students in a variety of situations, such as recess, cafeteria, and classrooms.

Other Skills and Abilities: Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with students, peers, and parents; skill in oral and written communication.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, crawl, crouch, kneel, and stoop. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms.  The employee must regularly lift 40 pounds and or push/pull up to 100 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision sufficient to read typed or written material.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Work is generally performed indoors.