Kinder Assistant in Austin, Texas at Austin Waldorf School Inc

Job Title: Kindergarten Assistant (or “Assistant”)

Reports to: Kindergarten Teacher or Grades Director

Classification: Hourly, Non-exempt, Full-time

Supervisory responsibility: No supervisory responsibilities

Salary: Minimum: $22.00 per hour.

      Salary offered depends on qualifications and years of teaching experience.

How to Apply

If you are qualified and interested in joining a warm, hospitable, and growing community such as ours, please email your resume, three references, and a letter of intention to awsrecruitment@austinwaldorf.org and place the job title and your name in the subject line of the email message.

The full Job Description will be provided to an applicant who is offered the job.

General Description

The Kindergarten Assistant supports the Kindergarten Teacher in creating a safe, nurturing, and dynamic classroom environment. This role involves assisting in the daily implementation of the Waldorf curriculum, providing direct support to students in their social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development. The Kindergarten Assistant is expected to foster a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the classroom, engage with children during lessons and activities, and ensure that each child feels valued and supported in their learning journey.

Education and Basic Requirements

A high school diploma or equivalent required; coursework or experience in early childhood education or child development preferred.Previous experience working with young children in a classroom or early childhood setting.Familiarity with Waldorf education is a plus, with a willingness to learn about developmental stages and educational principles aligned with this approach.Ability to work collaboratively with students, teachers, and parents in a supportive, compassionate, and professional manner.Strong communication and interpersonal skills, both verbal and written.Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.Basic computer literacy is required.Willingness to obtain and hold First Aid/CPR certification if not already certified.Incumbent must be authorized to work legally in the U.S., as AWS is unable to sponsor an applicant/employee.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

The Assistant is required to perform satisfactorily the following essential job duties with or without reasonable accommodations.

Assist the Kindergarten Teacher in preparing and delivering developmentally appropriate activities that support the Waldorf curriculum, focusing on play-based and sensory learning. Support the children during creative play, storytelling, circle time, arts, practical work, snack, and outdoor activities, encouraging positive social interactions and active participation.Help maintain a clean, safe, organized classroom that encourages creativity, imagination, and healthy social interactions.Supervise afternoon nap/rest timeObserve students' behavior and developmental progress, providing feedback to the Kindergarten Teacher to assist in monitoring milestones such as readiness for first grade.Assist in implementing individual student plans for children needing additional support, particularly in areas like movement, sensory activities, or language development.Work closely with the Kindergarten Teacher, other faculty members, and the Grades Director to contribute to the development of the whole child.Assist with the preparation and organization of classroom events, festivals, and, at times, school activities.Participate in playground and lunchtime supervision, becoming familiar with and following the playground rules to ensure the children’s safety and well-being.Attend weekly meetings with the lead teacher and monthly full-section meetings.Attend occasional in-service or training sessions when relevant, directed by the Grades Director, to continue learning and improving.Assist with the ordering, inventorying, and storage of educational materials and supplies.Monitor students for any health or safety concerns, and report issues to the Kindergarten Teacher or the Facilities Manager as needed.Other duties as required.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The Assistant must meet the following mental and physical requirements with or without reasonable accommodation.

The ability to learn, understand, remember, and communicate effectively information about the job.The ability to understand the meaning of and use and speak words understandably and effectively in the English language.Good hearing and listening abilities, that is, the Assistant must be able to hear spoken words from co-workers, supervisors and others.Good motor coordination skills, that is, the ability to coordinate his or her eyes, hands and fingers rapidly and accurately in order to handle precise movements such as typing.Make and use repetitive hand motions over an extended period, as when typing.Work effectively under pressure and deadlines.Sit, stand, move around, bend, reach, grasp, stretch, push and pull, and remain sitting or upright for extended periods of time in one room.Must be able to lift or move objects weighing as much as 40 pounds.The activities and the approximate amounts of time required per day for each are shown below. The percentages may not sum to one hundred (100) percent.

a. Sitting - 65%

b. Bending - 5%

c. Standing - 5%

d. Lifting and moving objects up to 20 pounds - 5%

e. Pushing or pulling - 5%

f. Reaching - 5%

g. Moving within and without the office environment - 10%