Essential Functions

The purpose of the essential functions list is to allow prospective students who are considering a career to be informed of the physical, emotional, and psychological demands related to training and employment in a field of study. These lists are provided to allow prospective students to make informed career choices by providing them with a summary of the physical abilities and personality traits that are generally required for the successful completion of a curriculum and result in employment in their field of study after graduation. For students to be successful in the Early Childhood Care and Education programs, they must be able to perform the following essential functions:

• Administer, score, and record such achievement and diagnostic tests as policy, school, center, and/or teacher recommends or are required for individual students.
• Work with individual students or large or small groups of students to teach and/or reinforce the learning of skills.
• Assist in devising special strategies for reinforcing skills based on a sympathetic understanding of individual students and their needs, interests, and abilities.
• Operate and care for equipment used in the classroom for instructional purposes.
• Help students master equipment or instructional materials.
• Distribute and collect workbooks, papers, and other materials for instruction.
• Guide independent study of enrichment work and remedial work.
• Supervise students during emergency drills, assemblies, play periods, and field trips.
• Perform clerical duties assigned by the director, principal, or other staff members.
• Obtain, gather, and organize pertinent data as needed and put it into usable form.
• Keep bulletin boards and other classroom learning displays up to date.
• Assist with large group activities, including drill work, reading, and storytelling.
• Keep work area and/or classroom clean and organized.
• Be able to stand at least 50 percent of the time.
• Be able to sit in a chair or on the floor for only 20 percent of the time.
• Be able to squat 20 percent of the time.
• Be able to reach overhead and to the floor.
• Be able to lift at least 50 pounds.