Assistant Teacher - 2 Year Old Classroom

Two-Year-Olds | Full Time

Position Summary

The Sunnyside Academy is seeking a dependable, motivated, patient, and caring individual to join our team as a Full-Time Assistant Teacher working with two-year-old children.

Our two-year-old classrooms support children during an important period of rapid growth and development. Children at this age are developing language, independence, social emotional skills, self-help abilities, toileting skills, classroom routines, and the ability to interact successfully with peers.

Working with two-year-olds is active and hands-on. Children may be at very different developmental stages and may still need significant assistance with diapering, toilet learning, communication, transitions, emotional regulation, and daily routines. Repetition, redirection, messy learning experiences, and helping children work through big emotions are normal parts of this age group.

The Assistant Teacher works collaboratively with the Lead Teacher to provide a safe, nurturing, developmentally appropriate, and engaging classroom environment. This position includes direct supervision, personal care, diapering and toilet learning, classroom activities, meals, cleaning and sanitation, documentation, and daily classroom operations.

Previous childcare experience and early childhood education coursework are preferred but are not required. The Sunnyside Academy is willing to train candidates who demonstrate strong reliability, work ethic, professionalism, patience, and a willingness to learn and grow.

Employment Status: Full Time
Age Group: Two-Year-Olds
Position: Assistant Teacher

Full-time employees are generally scheduled for approximately eight-hour shifts within The Sunnyside Academy's operating hours. Specific start and end times are based on classroom enrollment, children's attendance schedules, staffing needs, and required staff to child ratios. A specific shift is not guaranteed, and employees must maintain reasonable flexibility regarding scheduled working hours.

Classroom assignments may change based on enrollment, children's transitions, staffing needs, and the operational needs of the center.

The Assistant Teacher is responsible for supporting the safe and appropriate supervision of all children assigned to the classroom.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintaining active supervision of children at all times.
• Maintaining required staff to child ratios.
• Remaining aware of the number and location of children in care.
• Appropriately positioning themselves to supervise children throughout indoor and outdoor environments.
• Providing attentive supervision during classroom activities, meals, diapering and toileting, rest periods, transitions, and outdoor play.
• Responding promptly and appropriately to children's physical, emotional, and developmental needs.
• Following all applicable health, safety, supervision, and licensing requirements.
• Promptly reporting injuries, incidents, safety concerns, or concerns regarding a child's health or development according to center procedures.

Children in our two-year-old classrooms may be at very different stages of toilet learning. Assistant Teachers are expected to participate fully and consistently in diapering, toileting, and personal care routines.

Responsibilities include:

• Changing diapers and pull ups as needed.
• Supporting children throughout the toilet learning process.
• Providing regularly scheduled and individualized opportunities for children to use the restroom.
• Assisting children with wet or soiled clothing.
• Responding appropriately to toileting accidents.
• Cleaning and sanitizing changing and toileting areas according to required procedures.
• Supporting proper handwashing and personal hygiene.
• Encouraging age-appropriate independence with toileting and personal care.
• Monitoring and communicating children's toilet learning progress with the Lead Teacher.
• Maintaining each child's dignity and providing care without punishment, embarrassment, or shame.

Children may use available classroom equipment, including step stools, to increase independence when developmentally appropriate. Employees must be physically capable of safely assisting or steadying a child when necessary.

Assistant Teachers are expected to actively participate in the educational environment of the classroom.

Responsibilities include:

• Assisting the Lead Teacher with implementation of developmentally appropriate learning experiences.
• Engaging children in conversation, reading, music, movement, art, sensory activities, and other planned experiences.
• Supporting language and communication development.
• Encouraging age-appropriate problem solving and exploration.
• Supporting fine motor and gross motor development.
• Helping children develop appropriate peer interactions and social skills.
• Preparing and organizing classroom materials and activities.
• Maintaining organized and engaging classroom learning areas.
• Observing children's development and communicating relevant observations to the Lead Teacher.
• Supporting established classroom routines and expectations.

Our two-year-old classrooms are designed to support children's increasing independence as they develop the foundational skills needed to progress through Sunnyside's classrooms.

Assistant Teachers support children in learning to:

• Follow consistent classroom routines.
• Communicate wants and needs.
• Participate appropriately in individual and group activities.
• Follow age-appropriate directions.
• Transition between activities.
• Clean up toys and classroom materials.
• Practice appropriate mealtime routines.
• Wash and dry their hands.
• Care for personal belongings.
• Complete developmentally appropriate tasks with increasing independence.

Expectations are individualized according to each child's developmental abilities and needs.

Two-year-olds are still developing language, impulse control, emotional regulation, and social skills. Behaviors such as tantrums, difficulty sharing, frustration, biting, hitting, pushing, and needing frequent redirection can occur during this developmental stage.

Assistant Teachers are expected to:

• Remain calm and engaged during challenging moments.
• Respond appropriately to children experiencing tantrums, separation difficulties, frustration, or other strong emotions.
• Provide frequent, consistent, and developmentally appropriate redirection.
• Help children learn appropriate ways to communicate wants, needs, and emotions.
• Appropriately address age-related behaviors including hitting, biting, pushing, and difficulty sharing.
• Model appropriate communication and social interactions.
• Use developmentally appropriate redirection and positive guidance strategies.
• Follow all center policies regarding behavior guidance and discipline.

Yelling, threatening, humiliating, frightening, shaming, or inappropriate physical discipline is prohibited.

Assistant Teachers participate in all applicable classroom meals and snack routines, including:

• Preparing the classroom for meals and snacks.
• Serving food according to established procedures.
• Actively supervising children throughout meals.
• Encouraging developmentally appropriate self-feeding and utensil use.
• Modeling appropriate mealtime behaviors.
• Monitoring children for choking hazards, allergies, and other safety concerns.
• Cleaning and sanitizing tables and eating areas before and after meals.
• Assisting with meal and snack cleanup.
• Following applicable food safety and allergy procedures.

Maintaining a clean and sanitary environment is an essential responsibility of all classroom staff.

Assistant Teachers are expected to participate in routine classroom cleaning throughout the workday, including:

• Cleaning and sanitizing classroom tables and surfaces.
• Cleaning and sanitizing toys and classroom materials.
• Cleaning spills and other classroom messes as they occur.
• Cleaning following meals and snacks.
• Cleaning and sanitizing following diapering or toileting accidents.
• Maintaining changing and restroom areas.
• Sweeping and completing other routine classroom cleanup as necessary.
• Organizing classroom materials and supplies.
• Assisting with end of day classroom cleaning and preparation.
• Following required sanitation and infection control procedures.

Regular, dependable, and punctual attendance is an essential function of this position.

Licensed childcare programs are required to maintain established staff to child ratios. Employee absences and tardiness can directly affect classroom operations, regulatory compliance, the ability to serve enrolled children, and the responsibilities placed on other members of the team.

The Sunnyside Academy recognizes that illness, emergencies, and unexpected circumstances occur. Employees are nevertheless expected to maintain consistent attendance, report to work as scheduled, arrive prepared to begin their responsibilities on time, and follow established notification procedures when an absence or delay is unavoidable.

Active supervision requires employees to remain attentive and available to the children in their care. Personal cell phones, smart devices, and other personal electronics may not be used while an employee is responsible for supervising children or counted within required staff to child ratios, except when specifically authorized for an emergency or legitimate work-related purpose.

The following qualifications are preferred but are not required at the time of application:

• Previous experience in a licensed childcare or early childhood education setting.
• Early childhood education coursework, certificate, credential, or degree.
• Experience working with toddlers or two-year-old children.
• Experience supporting diapering and toilet learning.
• Current CPR and First Aid certification.

Candidates without previous childcare experience are encouraged to apply. The Sunnyside Academy will consider candidates who demonstrate the reliability, professionalism, work ethic, patience, and willingness to learn necessary to succeed in an early childhood environment.

The Sunnyside Academy considers continued professional development an expectation of employment for individuals working in educator positions.

Employees who do not already meet applicable early childhood education requirements will be expected to begin an appropriate education pathway following employment. Depending upon available programs and the employee's existing education, this may include enrollment in the next available approved accelerated or bootcamp style program or enrollment in at least one applicable early childhood education course during the first available academic semester following hire.

The Sunnyside Academy will provide employees with information and assistance regarding appropriate education pathways and available scholarship opportunities.

New Mexico provides scholarship opportunities for eligible early childhood professionals pursuing qualifying early childhood credentials and degrees. Qualifying employees may have the opportunity to complete required coursework at no personal tuition cost through available scholarship programs.

Scholarship eligibility and funding are determined by the applicable program. Employees are responsible for completing all required applications, enrollment processes, documentation, deadlines, and other requirements necessary to obtain and maintain scholarship funding.

Employees assigned to qualifying infant and toddler classrooms may be eligible for additional compensation through programs administered or supported by the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD).

The Infant/Toddler Pay Parity Program is intended to support compensation for qualifying early childhood educators based upon applicable education, credentials, experience, position, and program requirements.

Eligibility and parity compensation amounts are established by the applicable New Mexico ECECD program and are not determined or guaranteed by The Sunnyside Academy.

Candidates with existing early childhood credentials, college coursework, associate or bachelor's degrees, or other qualifying education are encouraged to review current ECECD eligibility requirements and compensation levels.

Current program information, eligibility requirements, and applicable parity compensation amounts are available through the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department.

Employment is contingent upon meeting all requirements applicable to employment within a New Mexico licensed childcare facility.

Employees must:

• Successfully complete and maintain all required New Mexico ECECD background clearance requirements.
• Complete fingerprinting and required comprehensive background check procedures.
• Maintain required background clearance throughout employment.
• Establish and maintain a Professional Development Information System (PDIS) profile when required.
• Complete required orientation, health, safety, and professional development training.
• Complete continuing professional development required for the position.
• Obtain and maintain CPR and First Aid certification as required.
• Maintain required employment and regulatory documentation.
• Comply with applicable New Mexico childcare licensing requirements.
• Comply with The Sunnyside Academy's policies, procedures, confidentiality requirements, and professional standards.

Current CPR and First Aid certification is preferred but is not required at the time of application. The Sunnyside Academy coordinates required CPR and First Aid training for employees who are not currently certified.

The Assistant Teacher position requires regular physical activity throughout the workday.

Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with reasonable accommodation when applicable, including:

• Standing and walking for extended periods.
• Frequently bending, kneeling, crouching, and reaching.
• Sitting at child level and on the floor.
• Repeatedly transitioning between standing and floor level.
• Moving throughout indoor and outdoor environments while actively supervising children.
• Safely assisting or steadying children during diapering, toileting, handwashing, dressing, and other personal care routines.
• Responding promptly when necessary to protect the health or safety of a child.
• Participating in indoor and outdoor classroom activities.
• Handling routine classroom materials, equipment, meals, and supplies.

Successful candidates are expected to demonstrate:

• Dependability and punctuality.
• Professional conduct and communication.
• Patience and appropriate interactions with young children.
• A strong work ethic.
• Ability to remain calm and effective when several children need assistance at the same time.
• Ability to provide frequent repetition and redirection without becoming frustrated.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a classroom and center wide team.
• Ability to follow established procedures and accept constructive feedback.
• Flexibility in response to changing classroom and staffing needs.
• Appropriate professional boundaries.
• Respect for confidentiality.
• Willingness to participate in all aspects of classroom care, including diapering, toileting, cleaning, meals, and routine personal care.
• Commitment to continued professional education and development.
• Commitment to providing children with a safe, respectful, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate environment.

Candidates interested in the Full-Time Two-Year-Old Assistant Teacher position are encouraged to submit an application for consideration.

The Sunnyside Academy is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants in accordance with applicable federal and state employment laws.