Adaptive Art Instructor

Adaptive Art Instructor

Department: Center Staff

Employment Type: Part Time

Location: Oak Square YMCA

Reporting To: Kerry Jackson-Lee

Compensation: $18.00 - $20.00 / hour

Position Summary: The YMCA of Greater Boston is searching for Adaptive Art Instructors for children with disabilities. The role of the Adaptive Art Instructor is to facilitate enjoyable, safe, and fun art activities for all participants, regardless of their physical capabilities. This role also includes working with volunteers that will assist with the activities. The candidate must possess excellent child, parent and volunteer communication skills.

The Adaptive Art Instructor’s responsibilities include assessing participant capabilities, determining suitable activities, and providing appropriate adaptations for the child to be successful. Activities should provide for growth in skills, self-awareness, self-expression and group relationship building.

• Excellent relationship building and conflict resolution skills in order to facilitate positive relationships with parents, staff, children, volunteers and community partners.
• Excellent teaching skills providing clear instruction, feedback and positive motivation.
• Detail oriented, strong organizational and planning skills.
• Ability to manage small and large groups children and/or adults.

• Energetic, motivated and well organized individual who has a passion for children and art.

• Creates and implements a theme related art curriculum with an appropriate amount of choice, utilizing art as a medium to educate and promote healthy activity, and thinking outside of the box.
• Creates an active, engaging environment.
• Emphasizes skill development, self-awareness, self-expression and group relationship building, including the YMCA's core values of Caring, Honest, Respect and Responsibility.
• Demonstrates designed skills and outcomes to foster learning and skill development.
• Maintains group focus and attention to the activities, and can positively redirect participants where needed.
• Maintains a safe classroom environment by reducing risks and ensuring guidelines are followed.
• Prepares for each class by reviewing and practicing activities, setting up the classroom in advance, and cleaning up afterward.
• Evaluates the physical abilities and limitations of participants.
• Adapts the class lesson plans to meet individual needs and abilities.
• Provides feedback to children in real time to help them improve, using positive encouragement and motivational statements.
• Serves as a role model setting the tone of expected behavior.
• Communicates with parents, sharing successes, challenges and information in a professional and respectful manner.
• Keeps accurate records for attendance.
• Ensures policies and procedures for attendance, participation and safety are followed at all times.
• Attends meetings, required trainings, events and additional functions within the YMCA as needed.
• Acts as a leader for the Y by engaging with families, children and other Y employees.

• Keeps safety of campers as the first priority, emphasizing personal safety and emotional wellbeing with campers, parents and other camp staff at all times.
• Creates and implements a theme related art curriculum with an appropriate amount of choice and thinks outside of the box.
• Documents art curriculum and keeps examples for following years.
• Plans and implements recreational and educational programs that emphasize group participation.
• Models the quality of YMCA values to campers, CIT's, parents and staff, becoming a positive role model and developing appropriate relationships with all campers in their care.
• Sets an example as a staff peer leader of how all staff should act and present themselves.
• Uses positive, constructive methods of discipline/positive reinforcement, ensuring that all staff do the same.
• Communicates clearly and concisely their expectations and needs for counselors during their period.
• Keeps a direct line of communication open with supervisors.
• Reports all accidents/incidents immediately to appropriate supervisors and creates necessary documentation.
• Communicates…