The Assistant Teacher works under the direction of the Lead Teacher or Assistant Lead Teacher and is responsible for ensuring the health, safety, care and well-being of Center children, implementing the curriculum, maintaining the classroom and joint-use space, and supporting the Lead Teacher/Assistant Lead Teacher in parent communications. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: • Assist in supervising the children as directed by the Lead Teacher/Assistant Lead Teacher in accordance with Center policies and procedures. • Interacts with children during free play, group activities, and routine times (diapering, toileting, mealtime, transitions). • Completes daily paperwork as requested to maintain licensing, Child Care food Program, and YMCA requirements including attendance, meal counts, accident and incident reports, permission slips. • Performs other job-related duties as requested and necessary. • Promotes a safe environment to prevent and reduce injuries. • Sets up classroom in advance of children’s arrival and cleans up throughout the day and after the children’s departure: • Supports other classrooms including substituting as needed. • Builds relationships with parents, children, and co-workers; encourages families to build relationships and to understand the YMCA mission. • Greets children and families upon arrival and departure and completes a visual health check for each child. • Promotes good health and nutrition and provides an environment that contributes to the prevention of illness. • Understands and utilizes positive guidance discipline techniques with children during all activities; complies with Center discipline policy, child abuse policy and code of conduct. • Registers with PINJ (Professional Impact New Jersey) within one week of employment and attends center and licensing mandated trainings (minimum of 20 hours per year): • Attends trainings, seminars, and conferences as required • Attends and contributes to staff meetings as required. • Together with lead teacher set professional development objectives and actively pursues them. Assistant Teacher, Substitute: The Assistant Teacher may function in a substitute role. The Assistant Teacher, Substitute is expected to: • Check in with Lead Teacher or assigned classroom supervisor. • Defer to assigned classroom staff on appropriate information to communicate to parent regarding child. • Make effort to proactively engage with assigned classroom staff. • Accept assignment when needed in a positive and open manner. • Take initiative to learn policies and procedures specific to assigned classroom. Supervision of Youth: • Adhere to policies related to boundaries with youth. • Attend required abuse risk management training. • Adhere to procedures related to managing high-risk activities and supervising youth. • Report suspicious or inappropriate behaviors and policy violations. • Follow mandated abuse reporting requirements. • Adhere to employees and volunteers screening requirements and use screening instruments to screen for abuse risk.