Forever Friends Childcare Preschool Assistant Teacher Rochester, NY · Full time

Apply for Preschool Assistant Teacher

We are an educator friendly childcare center and preschool. We provide excellent care to children ages 0-5 as well as before and aftercare for school age children up to age 12. As early childhood educators, we are responsible for building brains through responsive caregiving experiences. We are an inclusive program that fully implements NYS Pyramid Model practice, focused on social emotional development. Our center runs on the school calendar, so we close for school breaks and for summer. At Forever Friends, we pride ourselves on having a highly effective workforce as the base of our framework for high quality early childhood education.

Schedule: Full-Time, School Year Calendar (September–June) Training last week of August

Compensation: Competitive wages based on experience; benefits available

Join Our Caring Community!

We are a nurturing and vibrant childcare center dedicated to early childhood education through play-based learning and social-emotional development. We are currently seeking a passionate, creative, and collaborative Preschool Teacher assistants to join our team for the upcoming school year.

Our Philosophy:

We believe children learn best in a safe, engaging, and inclusive environment that encourages exploration, builds strong relationships, and supports emotional well-being. Our teaching practices are guided by the New York State Pyramid Model, which emphasizes positive behavior support, emotional literacy, and family partnerships.

Responsibilities:

• Assist in planning and implementing developmentally appropriate, play-based learning experiences.
• Knowledge and willingness to create sensory rich experiences for all children.
• Help provide motor experiences for fine, gross and sensory motor development.
• Keep a clean, tidy space where children are not overwhelmed by visual input.
• Foster a clean, safe, and emotionally supportive classroom environment.
• Create a highly effective environment where materials, centers and spaces are defined with boundaries and visuals.
• Ability to regulate own emotions in a busy preschool environment where there is both predictable and unpredictable sensory input.
• Flexible thinker willing to meet the needs of all children in the classroom
• Willingness to reflect on and adjust the classroom environment in order to create a highly effective program for children with a variety of developmental needs.
• Integrate the NYS Pyramid Model to promote children's social-emotional growth.
• Provide a mix of child and teacher directed activities daily.
• Daily outside play is required (across all seasons, weather permitting).
• Ability to manage transitions with visuals and strategies proven to decrease challenging behaviors.
• Willing to learn and use language that promotes autonomy in children.
• Comfortable with teaching and guiding expression of emotion through play, literature, puppetry direct and indirect teaching.
• Collaborate with teaching team
• Understand and in agreement that children with challenging behavior is developmentally appropriate. A child will not be removed from our program without intentional planning and multiple failed supports in place with fidelity.
• Communicate with families without interfering with active supervision responsibilities.
• Participate in ongoing professional development and team meetings.

Qualifications:

Experience working with children ages 0-5.

• Experience in a preschool or early childhood classroom (preferred).
• Familiarity with or willingness to be trained in the NYS Pyramid Model.
• Strong communication skills and a commitment to collaboration.
• Passion for play-based learning and child-centered education.

Benefits:

• School-year schedule with holidays and breaks aligned to local district calendars
• Supportive and mission-driven team environment
• Opportunities for professional growth and training
• Meaningful work that makes a difference in children's lives every day
• 401K
• PTO
• 5 Paid School Holidays
• Option to add Medical Benefit after probationary period