What are the responsibilities and job description for the Gerber School Teaching Assistant position at Gerber School, Cunningham Children's Home?
Urbana School District #116
TITLE: Gerber School Teaching Assistant
LOCATION: Gerber School
SUPERVISOR: Assistant Superintendent for Student Services, Director of Student Services, and/or Building Administration
JOB SUMMARY: The Special Education Teaching Assistant works under the direct supervision of the special education teacher and under the broad supervision of the building principal.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily.
- Provide assistance to students to help develop their independence.
- Assist in carrying out lessons to students as arranged by the teacher, including working with students on an individual or small group basis.
- Follow each student’s individual behavioral plan as well as the classroom behavior management plan.
- Provide for special needs of individual students, including, hygiene, and restroom assistance if necessary.
- Assist the teacher in maintaining a functional, attractive, orderly environment conducive to student learning.
- Assist the special education teacher in clerical tasks, computer work, arts and crafts preparation, playground Supervision, housecleaning duties, and student check-ins and walk backs
- Promote and model responsible, respectful, and safe behaviors.
- Promote and model appropriate social interactions with and between students.
- Maintain the classroom routine when the teacher is not present.
- Provide programs for students off School property if requested. (These may include, but are not limited to, field trips and vocational and public school classes.)
- Record and compile data monitoring academic and behavior programming.
- Participate in staff team/collaboration meetings as assigned.
- Perform all other duties and tasks assigned from time to time by the special education teacher as it relates to individual students or the classroom.
- Monitor student needs and behaviors during lunch, going to and from all classes, and at all times.
- Report any unusual student behaviors to the teacher or administrator.
- Maintain strict standards of student and family confidentiality.
- Use appropriate TCI techniques, including de-escalation strategies and therapeutic restraint methods, when students are in danger of harming themselves or others.
- Become certified in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training and maintain current certification. Complete appropriate school and ISBE documentation related to significant events
QUALIFICATIONS:
EDUCATION
- Must meet all requirements for the position as designated by the ISBE to obtain a Paraprofessional License: 60 hours of college credit or passing scores on a Work Keys Basic Skills
EXPERIENCE
- Two years of school-based experience is preferred
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Highly organized
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Excellent problem-solver
- Should be able to work with students with a history of behavior or learning problems
- Proven to work under pressure and can prioritize multiple tasks
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:
- Student Contact Days and other days stipulated on the work calendar in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.
- Salary and Benefit information can be found on the Human Resources webpage. There are many opportunities for employees to earn additional compensation (stipends, differentials, extra duty pay, etc.) during the regular school year and in the summer.
- This is a position within the collective bargaining unit and is not an administrative position.
- This is a non-exempt position
EVALUATION: This will be completed by the principal with input from the special education teacher.
START DATE: As soon as possible
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
REVISED: March 2025