PRESCHOOL CHINESE TEACHING ASSOCIATE (2021-2022)

OPPORTUNITY

Seize the opportunity to join the vibrant, dynamic, synergistic community at CAIS as a Preschool Chinese Teaching Associate. Become part of a team striving to be the world’s most innovative, inspiring, and influential Chinese English dual-language immersion school. This position offers a unique opportunity for passionate early childhood educators to be part of a preschool-8th grade program that places great importance on early learning. Consistent with its Strategic Vision 2020-2025, CAIS is committed to reimagining immersion to achieve greater student engagement and proficiency in Chinese and cultivate the cognitive, character and intercultural competencies that are the “CAIS Immersion Bonus.” We are seeking a teaching associate who is eager to collaborate with our experienced faculty to implement a new full Chinese immersion model in the 2021-2022 school year. 

OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate finds resonance with CAIS’s mission to Embrace Chinese, Become your Best Self, and Contribute to a Better World. As CAIS aims to empower inquisitive, creative, and inspired learners, we look for a candidate who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about child-centered pedagogy such as differentiation, play based learning, inquiry based learning, and the application of best practices in language and literacy instruction. The candidate will enter an environment that values social emotional learning alongside intellectual challenge. Our new team member will demonstrate flexibility and a dedication to student learning by supporting classroom instruction in collaboration with the lead teacher. The ideal candidate demonstrates a strong desire to learn and grow on a team and individually, accepts and implements feedback, takes initiative to challenge their own understanding, and is continually engaged in the process of becoming professionally prepared to meet the requirements for a teaching associate role at CAIS. 

CAIS offers a dynamic dual culture setting, in which faculty are immersed in a culture of language learners. We look for a candidate who will embrace CAIS’s work to create an equitable, inclusive environment where all faculty, students, and families are supported in their individual identities. We welcome all applicants who aim to actively support our diverse and inclusive community.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Position responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Work with a team to provide daily open-ended activities that embrace child-centered pedagogy and play-based curriculum and assist a classroom environment that emphasizes and supports literacy across all content areas
• Support Preschool classroom teachers to prepare curriculum and assist in instruction and assessment to align with school mission, policies, goals and initiatives
• Perform group instruction in collaboration with and guidance from the teacher
• Follow licensing requirements to maintain visual and auditory supervision of children at all times and ensure their safety in the classroom, on the playground, and during field trips. Active supervision is expected at all times.
• Be knowledgeable of and follow school policies and procedures, in particular those dealing with confidentiality, cross-cultural understanding, discipline, harassment and communication, health and safety or licensing regulations
• Refer all inquiries and concerns about the students to the teacher, extended care supervisor, or Preschool Director 
• Assist in duties such as attendance, record keeping, filing of student work, care and set up of classroom environment, and snack preparation
• Meet with the teacher to discuss children’s individualized learning or behavior plans
• Communicate with lead teacher for feedback on professional growth and development
• Interact with children using positive, supportive, and respectful attitude, language, and tone 
• Support children’s social and emotional development
• Contribute to the development of community among staff by having open, constructive, and solution-oriented communication
• Encompass a positive discipline approach in guiding student behavior
• Develop a positive intellectual, emotional, and social environment within the classroom and a class community in which all children feel valued and a sense of belonging
• Work collaboratively and maintain standards of respect, courtesy, and mutual consideration with the school community, including students, staff, and parents 

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of 12 ECE units or Child Development Teacher Permit, Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Experience in early childhood Chinese immersion education
• Mandarin Chinese language proficiency 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work with colleagues from different backgrounds
• Commitment to school mission, policies, and initiatives
• Technical/Computer skills as required for job performance
• Initial and continued tuberculosis clearance
• Initial and continued criminal background clearance by DOJ and FBI

Physical demands and work environment

• The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions for the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
• Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to walk; sit; use fine motor skills, reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop, talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Work environment: The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. 

ABOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD DIVISION

For information about CAIS’s Early Childhood Division, visit https://www.cais.org/curriculum/early-childhood-division

ABOUT CAIS

The CAIS mission exhorts all community members to embrace Chinese, become their best selves, and contribute to a better world. As the nation’s first dual language Chinese and English preschool through 8th grade school, CAIS embodies this mission by working continuously to maintain our role as a leader in immersion education. CAIS incorporates the innovation and best practices from both Chinese and English language teaching traditions to create an immersion experience that leverages our distinct opportunities for language, subject, and cultural intersections. Our three campuses are located in the heart of San Francisco and accessible by public transportation in San Francisco. The lively neighborhood echoes the school’s vital energy and provides ready access to cultural treasures such as the Asian Art Museum, SF Jazz, the San Francisco Symphony and more. For more information, visit https://www.cais.org/about-us/employment.

TO APPLY

CAIS’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is central to our mission. People of color and LGBT candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. CAIS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discritmiate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or other characteristic protected by law. 

Email cover letter and resume to c_tseng@cais.org. In the subject line please indicate “Preschool Chinese Teaching Associate.” Please no calls.