Teacher Job Description
Job Title: Teacher
Department: Early Childhood Education
Location: W.C.H. and Jeffersonville
Program: Head Start
Reports to: Education Coordinator
Pay Level: Starts at $20.50
Mission Statement:
The mission of the Fayette County Early Learning Center is to EMPOWER the children and families of Fayette County through education, motivation, provision of opportunity, wellness, encouragement and respect.
Position Summary: This position serves as a teacher for a Head Start classroom with a direct focus on children 3 to 5 years of age. The teacher will work collaboratively with other classroom staff to ensure the successful operation of a classroom with a total of 15-20 children. The teacher also works with family members to implement the curriculum to achieve outcomes for children of all abilities.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
· Follow program curriculum providing developmentally and linguistically appropriate experiences that advance the intellectual and emotional competence of preschool children. Implement daily lesson plans in response to children’s needs and interests.
· Provide positive guidance and discipline supporting children as they acquire readiness skills for kindergarten and beyond.
· Implement Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for children with disabilities.
· Provide children with a consistent classroom routine.
· Provide supervision and ensure the safety and security of children at all times in accordance with Head Start and day care licensing requirements
· Supervise and eat nutritionally prepared meals with the children as a curriculum activity, to model good nutrition and proper social skills for preschool children.
· Supervise all classroom field trips and outdoor activities
· Understand regulations associated with prevention of occupational disease and injury, including the exercise of universal precautions and the prevention of contamination
· Invite parent involvement in the development of the program's curriculum and approach to child development and education.
· Encourage parent participation in staff-parent conferences and home visits discussing their child’s development and education.
· Establish positive and productive relationships with families focusing on a relationship of trust and rapport.
· Work with assistant teacher to schedule and complete two home visits per year and at least two parent-teacher conferences per year.
· Share pertinent information with Family Partner ensuring coordinated services to meet the needs of individual children and families. Participate in case conferences as appropriate.
· Maintain regular contact with parents and complete appropriate documentation.
· Write classroom update monthly for parents for the program newsletter.
· Direct developmental concerns to Disabilities Manager.
· Request supplies as needed and participate in classroom/program inventory as requested.
· Gather and maintain individual, family and classroom data for documentation, on-going assessment, evaluation and recording keeping for successful individual and program planning. Including but not limited to: TSG checkpoints, Formative Assessment, ASQSE/DECA, documentation of home visits, and P/T conferences.
· Work with teaching team to analyze child outcomes on a classroom basis three times yearly, consult with education coordinator and make adjustments to curriculum planning and implementation as needed.
· Understand, generate and document in-kind contributions and other allowable costs applied toward the non-federal share requirement.
· Conduct daily health checks.
· Monitor volunteers, substitutes, during classroom operations, assign and review work of the volunteers in the classroom.
· Participates actively in Education, Classroom Team and All Staff Meetings.
Note: Duties and responsibilities are not all inclusive and may change at any time, with or without notice. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Qualifications, education, and/or experience:
The following qualifications represent the training education, certifications, licensures, and/or work experience required to perform the essential duties and responsibilities successfully.
Education:
· BA/BS in Early Childhood Education preferred –OR- BA/BS in related field
Experience:
· At least one year of classroom experience preferred
Skills:
· Have an understanding and awareness of the needs of diverse families
· Basic computer literacy in email usage, word processing, internet navigation
· Must be able to communicate professionally with all families, children and staff
· Ability to follow instructions and work independently
· Accept and implement constructive criticism
· Excellent communication skills including personal, phone and radio
· Must possess excellent organizational skills involving consistency, flexibility, and structure
· Must maintain confidentiality at all times
Additional Requirements:
· U.S. Citizen
· 18 years of age or older
· Ability to pass BCI/FBI Criminal Record Check
· Ability to pass a Sex Offender Registry Check
· Ability to pass the Child Abuse and Neglect State Registry Check
· Pass random drug/alcohol test
Certificates, Licenses, Credentials:
Certificates: Obtain and maintain in-service training including but not limited to Child Abuse/Neglect Recognition and Reporting, Communicable Disease and First Aid.
Competencies:
Communication (oral) - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations, listens and gets clarification, responds well to questions, participates in meetings, and demonstrates group presentation skills as appropriate.
Communication (written) - Writes clearly and informatively, edits work for spelling and grammar, varies writing style to meet needs, presents numerical data effectively, and reads and interprets written information.
Continuous learning – Continuously strives to build own knowledge, skills and abilities. Works to obtain or maintain required licensing, credentials, or training as needed for their position.
Customer service – Manages difficult or emotional customer situations, responds promptly to requests for service and assistance, solicits customer feedback to improve service and meets commitments.
Dependability – Works independently within guidelines, accepts responsibility for own actions, keeps commitments, meets productivity standards/goals, completes work in a timely manner and adheres to the agency attendance policy.
Initiative - Takes independent actions and calculated risks, effectively identifies new opportunities and challenges, and determines how to facilitate positive outcomes.
Interpersonal skills - Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming others; maintains confidentiality; listens to others without interrupting; keeps emotions under control; remains open to others’ ideas; and tries new things.
Judgment - Displays willingness to make decisions, exhibits sound and accurate judgment, supports and explains reasoning for decisions, includes appropriate people in decision-making process, and makes timely decisions.
Leadership - Displays passion and optimism, inspires respect and trust, influences actions and opinions of others as appropriate, mobilizes others to fulfill the vision as appropriate, and provides vision and inspiration to peers and/or subordinates.
Motivation - Sets and achieves challenging goals, demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles, measures self against standard of excellence, and takes calculated risks to accomplish goals.
Multitasking - Displays an ability to handle multiple tasks in an efficient and timely manner.
Partnership/teamwork - Contributes to building a positive team spirit, puts success of team above own interests, exhibits objectivity and openness to others’ views, gives and welcomes feedback, and supports everyone’s efforts to succeed.
Planning/organizing - Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently, sets short-and long-term goals and objectives, aligns objectives and actions with organizational goals, and develops realistic action and contingency plans.
Problem solving - Anticipates, identifies, and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully; works to overcome obstacles; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem-solving situations; and uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
Project management - Develops project plans; coordinates projects, communicates changes and progress, completes projects on time and within budget constraints, and manages project team activities.
Research - Identifies relevant sources of information, synthesizes data into meaningful terms, and presents interpretation of findings.
Strategic thinking - Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals, understands organization’s strengths and weaknesses, analyzes market and competition, identifies external threats and opportunities, and adapts strategy to changing conditions.
Stewardship – Follows policy and procedure, promotes safety and security awareness, works ethically and with integrity, upholds organizational values, maintains a positive and professional demeanor, and maintains and uses equipment and materials properly.
Team Work - Ability to work with teaching team and Head Start staff to carry out the goals of the Head Start program in order to provide a safe learning environment for children.
Technology - Computer literate in internet browsing, email and data entry. Willingness and ability to learn web-based data systems for recordkeeping.
Respect – Treats people with dignity and respect, values diversity, demonstrates cultural competence, promotes a harassment-free environment, keeps commitments, and inspires the trust of other. Implements programming in alignment with agency’s person-centered philosophies. Maintains client confidentiality at all times.
Training - Aligns objectives with organizational goals, prepares for instructional delivery; and facilitates participant learning, evaluates training effectiveness.
Organizational Relationships/Authority: This position has no supervisory responsibilities.
Physical Requirements: Requires standing, bending, reaching, sitting and working with preschoolers and office equipment such as a computer, telephone, adding machine, phone, etc. Must be able to pass initial TB test and day care physical. Must be able to lift 40 pounds occasionally and have the emotional control to withstand child, parent and staff demands.
Work Environment: Majority of time spent a typical day care setting which may result in exposure to communicable disease. This is a full time position.
Occupational Health and Safety:
· Responsible for compliance with workplace policies and procedures for risk identification, risk assessment, and risk control.
· Responsible for active participation in activities associated with the management of workplace health and safety.
· Identification and reporting of health and safety risks, accidents, incidents, injuries and property damage at the workplace.
· Correct utilization of appropriate personal protective equipment if required by employment.
Applicable policies: The CAC is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and healthy workplace that complies with the Americans with Disabilities & Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Acts. CAC is an at-will employer and this job description does not constitute a contract for employment.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $18.39 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Employee assistance program
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Retirement plan
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
