Student Assistant
Mission of the UW Child Development Lab
The mission of the UW Child Development Lab is three-fold: 1) to facilitate and assist faculty and students in conducting scholarly research; 2) to prepare the next generation of early childhood professionals by offering opportunity for UW students to intern, volunteer, and observe in the CDL; and 3) to provide high quality early education programing for children birth to age 5 and engage with the community to improve the lives of children and families.
The CDL provides year-round developmentally- and culturally appropriate early learning experiences for children in safe, relationship-based classrooms. Each of our classrooms is staffed with highly trained teachers. Lead teachers provide supervision, guidance and mentorship to student interns, and student assistants. We model best teaching and learning practices based on research and contemporary theories of child development. An integral component of our developmental curriculum is learning through inquiry and nature based outdoor educational experiences. The CDL has 3 observation rooms for UW students to use for naturalistic observation of child development in real life context. Researchers from the Human Development and Families Studies (HDFS) program, as well as other academic programs on campus come to the CDL to conduct research studies on child development and other related topics, and to train their research assistants on their research protocols and the administration of developmental assessments.
Principle Duties
Classroom Responsibilities
- Ensure the safety and well-being of children at all times.
- Greet children and families by name on arrival and at departure.
- Demonstrate high quality assistance and initiative in the facilitation of a daily program of care and activities for the assigned classroom according to best practices in early childhood education and developmentally- appropriate practice.
- Help clean, set up and prepare materials for activities.
- Participate in classroom daily routines and jobs as requested by lead teacher and or ece assistant teacher.
- Implement pyramid model child guidance consisting of positive discipline approaches.
- Assist children in areas of self-help skills, such as eating, dressing, toileting or diapering.
- Assist in preparation and clean-up of snack, lunch, nap time and laundry.
- Demonstrate sensitivity and expertise working with a diverse group of people (e.g., children, families, co-workers).
- Work effectively with children, families, and co-workers from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
- Work effectively with children with special needs.
- Effectively observes and shares information with classroom teachers regarding children’s experiences.
Program Responsibilities:
- Demonstrate effective communication with all staff, families, and children.
- Attend and actively participate in monthly team meeting and all trainings that are required for student assistants.
- Maintain confidentiality of information and documentation (including photos) in relation to staff, children, and families.
- Arrive on time and follow CDL attendance policy.
- Return all employment, licensing, and CDL orientation paperwork before the start date
- Successfully pass a childcare fingerprinting background check before start date.
- Follow WI State Child Care Regulations, as well as the policies and procedures of the CDL, as stated in the CDL Policy Handbook.
- One course in child development is required.
- For infant placements, one course in infant development required (in addition to the child development course).
Essential Functions:
- The ability to get up and down from the floor on a continuous basis, both to interact with children on their level and to help them settle on their cots during naptime.
- The ability to sit on small chairs 12” off the floor, off and on throughout the day.
- The ability to lift children weighing 35 pounds on average, during daily care routines and when needed.
- The ability to place a child up on a changing table or bend over to change a diaper on a pad on the floor during regular daily care routines.
- The ability to bend over to help children wipe (and sanitize) low tables and floor spills.
- The ability to reach containers from upper shelves.
- The ability to move with children during large motor activities.