Classroom Aide

Job Title: Classroom Aide - Pre K to 1st Grade - School Age After Care (School Year 26-27 / DC)

Company: Wonders Early Learning + Extended Day

About Wonders

• Mission: To cultivate curiosity, resilience, and social responsibility in children by fostering high-quality, nurturing, and inclusive educational communities led by skilled professionals.
• Founded in 1976, providing non-profit, quality child care to working families.
• Operates multiple accredited early learning, extended day, and summer camp programs across the DC Metropolitan Region.

Job Summary

The Extended Day Aide assists with before/after care in school-age programs for Pre-K to 1st grade students. The role involves being a positive model, stimulating creative thought, providing hands-on experiences, and promoting emotional development. The aide ensures safe, interesting, engaging, and diverse program spaces, and implements Wonders policies and practices as part of a team.

Key Responsibilities

• Actively plan learning activities that are balanced in all areas (active/quiet, long/short, group/individual, cognitive/physical, large group/small group, child-initiated/teacher-directed), considering children's ideas and curiosities.
• Implement policies, procedures, and practices in an organized and thorough manner.
• Actively participate, contribute, and cooperate in team planning sessions with the Program Director and team.
• Meet with the team to lead planning and implementation of age-appropriate, process-oriented activities that encourage divergent thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, aligned with Wonders extended day curriculum, philosophy, and mission.
• Maintain open communication with the Program Director regarding children, families, and team members.
• Assist in orientating and training new team members.
• Share teaching responsibilities and provide clear and objective feedback.
• Plan and participate in special events for children and families.
• Ensure program spaces are: physically and emotionally safe; interesting and engaging; clean and organized; reflect and support the lives and work of the children; and support children's understanding of societal diversity.
• Develop behavior management strategies based on Wonders policy, with team and Program Director.
• Establish and nurture partnerships with families.
• Communicate with families regularly to inform them of program curriculum and activities and solicit information about their child's development and family events.
• Participate in accreditation and reaccreditation processes.
• Attend a minimum of 18 hours of staff training yearly (MSDE/OCC approved for MD staff).
• Work extended hours on half and full-service days, including winter and spring breaks and early release days.

Core Competencies

• Creative, nurturing, and fun
• Dependable and detail-oriented
• Thrives in a high-pressure environment
• People-oriented - enjoys interacting with people and working on group projects
• Adaptable - enjoys doing work that requires frequent shifts in direction
• Innovative - prefers working in unconventional ways or on tasks that require creativity

Qualifications - DC

• At least a high school diploma or its equivalent, AND
• At least six (6) months of supervised experience working with school-age children under the age of fifteen (15) years at a duly authorized school or camp, or a licensed Child Development Center, OR
• Earned at least forty-eight (48) semester credit hours from an accredited university, of which at least nine (9) semester credit hours are in child and youth development, AND
• At least six (6) months of supervised experience working with school-age children under the age of fifteen (15) years at a duly authorized school or camp, or a licensed Child Development Center, OR
• Earned a high school diploma or its equivalent, AND
• At least one (1) year of supervised occupational experience working with school-age children under the age of fifteen (15) years at a duly authorized school or camp, or a licensed Child Development Center.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Job Type: Part-time / Non-exempt

Program Length: 2026 - 2027 School year / 10 months

Work Schedule: After Care - 2:00p to 6:00p

• Must be available to work at least 3 afternoons per week and commit to work for the entire school year.

Work Locations: Garrison Extended Day - 1200 S St NW, Washington, DC 20009