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 a 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 required by school/center policy and/or teacher recommendations or are required for individual students.
• Work with individual students or 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 an 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.