Lead Teacher
We are seeking a warm, patient, dependable, and motivated Lead Teacher who genuinely enjoys working with young children and understands the importance of respect, independence, consistency, and individualized learning.
The Lead Teacher will create a calm, welcoming, and thoughtfully prepared classroom where children feel safe, supported, and encouraged to develop confidence, concentration, independence, practical life skills, language, social skills, and a lifelong love of learning.
The ideal candidate will be nurturing, emotionally steady, organized, flexible with scheduling, and comfortable working in a licensed Colorado large child care center. The teacher should be able to balance principles with Colorado child care licensing requirements, center policies, classroom routines, and the individual developmental needs of each child.
Who We Are Looking For
We are looking for:
- A teacher who genuinely enjoys working with children and views early childhood education as more than just a job.
- Someone who respects each child as an individual and supports learning through observation, guidance, purposeful activity, and hands-on exploration.
- A patient, compassionate, and emotionally steady teacher who can remain calm during challenging behaviors, transitions, and busy classroom routines.
- A positive role model who communicates with children using respect, kindness, consistency, and calm authority.
- An organized professional who can maintain a peaceful, attractive, and well-prepared classroom environment.
- A team-oriented teacher who communicates effectively with families, coworkers, and center leadership.
- Someone who is dependable, flexible, and willing to assist where needed, including closing shifts and occasional support in other classrooms.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the classroom with warmth, patience, compassion, structure, consistency, and developmentally appropriate expectations.
- Create and maintain a calm, orderly, attractive, and thoughtfully prepared learning environment.
- Present materials and activities clearly, respectfully, and according to each child’s developmental readiness.
- Encourage independence, concentration, responsibility, coordination, confidence, and respect for others.
- Observe children regularly and use those observations to plan individual lessons, classroom activities, and appropriate learning experiences.
- Allow children meaningful opportunities to make choices, repeat activities, solve problems, and progress at their own pace.
- Guide children in the appropriate use, care, and return of classroom materials.
- Support learning in areas such as practical life, sensorial development, language, mathematics, science, culture, art, music, movement, and social-emotional development.
- Maintain active supervision of children at all times.
- Follow all Colorado child care licensing requirements, safety procedures, sanitation standards, center policies, and classroom supervision expectations.
- Plan and implement developmentally appropriate curriculum, classroom routines, transitions, group activities, and individualized learning experiences.
- Maintain a safe, clean, organized, peaceful, and engaging classroom environment.
- Build trusting relationships with children by helping each child feel safe, valued, respected, capable, and excited to come to school.
- Build positive relationships with families through respectful, timely, and professional communication.
- Provide families with appropriate information regarding their child’s daily experiences, development, progress, needs, and classroom participation.
- Complete attendance records, lesson-planning documents, observations, assessments, incident reports, daily notes, and classroom records accurately and on time.
- Support assistant teachers, aides, substitutes, and floaters by modeling professional classroom practices and providing clear direction.
- Help classroom support staff understand expectations, classroom routines, supervision responsibilities, and respectful interactions with children.
- Use positive, respectful, and developmentally appropriate guidance practices.
- Help children develop grace and courtesy, conflict-resolution skills, self-control, responsibility, respect for others, and care for the classroom environment.
- Redirect inappropriate behavior calmly while helping children understand boundaries, consequences, and appropriate choices.
- Participate in staff meetings, professional development, coaching, classroom observations, quality-improvement activities, and licensing preparation.
- Maintain confidentiality regarding children, families, staff members, and center operations.
- Assist with meals, handwashing, toileting when applicable, rest time, outdoor play, transitions, and other daily care routines.
- Ensure that classroom materials are complete, clean, safe, developmentally appropriate, and properly maintained.
- Rotate, replace, or introduce classroom materials based on children’s developmental needs and interests.
- Collaborate with center leadership to ensure that practices are implemented consistently while meeting all licensing and operational requirements.
- Assist in other classrooms when necessary to maintain required ratios, supervision, and center operations.
Required Qualifications
- Colorado PDIS Level 2: Must currently hold, or be able to document and maintain, Colorado Shines PDIS Level 2 status as required by the center.
- Licensing qualifications: Must meet Colorado large child care center requirements for a lead teacher or early childhood teacher position, including applicable education, experience, training, and documentation requirements.
- Background checks: Must successfully complete and maintain all required Colorado child care background checks, including fingerprint-based criminal background checks and child abuse and neglect background checks, before working unsupervised with children.
- First Aid and CPR: Must hold, or be able to obtain promptly, current First Aid and CPR certification appropriate for a child care setting, including child and infant components when required.
- Required child care training: Must complete all required child care training through PDIS or another approved training provider, including mandated reporter training, standard precautions, emergency and disaster preparedness, and any additional training required by licensing or the center.
- Professionalism and character: Must be dependable, flexible, mature, organized, patient, compassionate, and able to communicate professionally with children, families, coworkers, and leadership.
- Classroom leadership: Must be able to lead classroom routines, provide direction to support staff, maintain classroom organization, and respond appropriately to children’s individual needs.
- Physical requirements: Must be able to sit, stand, bend, kneel, lift, carry, move throughout the classroom, and actively supervise children indoors and outdoors.
- Must be able to respond quickly and appropriately during an emergency.
- Must be willing to complete any additional training required for the ages of children assigned to the classroom.
- If assigned to children under age three, must complete and maintain required training related to Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma.
- If assigned to care for children under 12 months of age, must complete and maintain Infant Safe Sleep Practices training as required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience as a teacher, lead teacher, early childhood teacher, or lead teacher in a licensed child care center.
- credential, certificate, diploma, coursework, or documented classroom training.
- Experience working in a , -inspired, child-led, or individualized early childhood learning environment.
- Experience preparing and maintaining a classroom environment.
- Familiarity with materials, classroom presentations, observation practices, grace and courtesy lessons, practical life activities, and uninterrupted work periods.
- Demonstrated ability to observe children and plan individualized lessons based on developmental readiness.
- Experience supporting independence, concentration, coordination, self-regulation, and respect for the classroom community.
- Experience providing calm and respectful behavior guidance.
- Experience communicating professionally with families regarding children’s development, progress, and classroom experiences.
- Familiarity with Colorado Shines, PDIS, Colorado child care licensing visits, classroom observations, and quality-improvement expectations.
- Ability to remain calm, consistent, organized, and positive during busy classroom routines and transitions.
- Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, child development, education, education, or a related field.
Classroom Expectations
The Lead Teacher is expected to:
- Treat each child with dignity, patience, kindness, and respect.
- Protect children’s concentration and provide appropriate opportunities for uninterrupted work.
- Guide rather than control children whenever appropriate.
- Encourage independence without withholding needed support.
- Present lessons clearly and then allow children time to practice and repeat activities.
- Maintain an orderly environment in which children understand where materials belong and how they should be used.
- Use observation to determine when to introduce new materials, provide assistance, redirect behavior, or allow a child to work independently.
- Model grace, courtesy, appropriate language, peaceful problem-solving, and respect for others.
- Balance individual learning with group routines, licensing requirements, safety expectations, and the operational needs of the center.
- Recognize that education requires active supervision, intentional preparation, careful observation, and consistent adult guidance.
Schedule Expectations
- Flexible schedule availability is required.
- Must be available to work closing shifts as scheduled.
- Must be dependable, punctual, and able to maintain consistent attendance.
- Must be prepared to remain actively engaged throughout the workday.
- May be asked to assist in other classrooms when needed to support required ratios, supervision, staffing coverage, or center operations.
- Schedule may vary based on enrollment, classroom needs, staffing levels, and center operating hours.
Compensation
- $18.00–$21.00 per hour
- Final compensation will depend on documented experience, training or credentials, PDIS credential level, education, licensing qualifications, schedule availability, classroom leadership experience, and overall fit for the position.
Compliance and Employment Requirements
- Employment is contingent upon completion of all required Colorado child care background checks and verification of eligibility to work in a licensed child care setting.
- Candidates must provide documentation of their PDIS credential level, qualifying education, child care experience, education or training, and required licensing training.
- Candidates who have not completed all center-required training may be required to complete assigned training within the established timelines.
- Employees must maintain all required certifications, credentials, training, and background-check eligibility throughout employment.
- Employees must follow Colorado child care licensing rules, center policies, classroom expectations, supervision requirements, and health and safety procedures.
- This job description is intended to align with the expectations of a licensed Colorado large child care center. Final qualification determinations may be subject to review by the center director, Colorado child care licensing personnel, and current Colorado rules.
How to Apply
Please submit your resume and include any available documentation showing:
- Colorado Shines PDIS credential level
- certification, credential, coursework, or classroom training
- Early childhood education coursework
- Child care and classroom leadership experience
- Experience working in a Montessori or Montessori-inspired environment
- Infant or toddler training, when applicable
- Current First Aid and CPR certification
- Any additional early childhood credentials, certifications, or professional development
Pay: $18.00 - $21.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
Application Question(s):
- Do you have experience with teaching Montessori?
- What is your currently ECE Level in PDIS?
Work Location: In person
