Preschool Teacher

Description Job Summary: The Head Start Preschool Teacher is responsible for a Head Start classroom of 3- to 5-year-old children. S/he works collaboratively with an assistant teacher, family members, and other staff to achieve positive outcomes for children of all abilities. Essential Job Duties: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to carry out each essential duty in a satisfactory manner. The job specifications listed below are representative of the education and experience as well as the knowledge, skill and/or ability (KSAs) required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. CLASS™ teacher-child interactions: • Provide emotional support through establishing a positive climate, being aware of and responsive to children, and encouraging child expression and autonomy. • Use strategies for behavior management, such as clear behavior expectations, being proactive and redirecting misbehavior. • Foster classroom productivity and maximize learning time, while engaging children with a variety of modalities and materials. • Provide instructional support through concept development, fostering children's analysis and reasoning, engaging in feedback loops, and modeling and supporting high-quality language. • Strive to maintain high quality in interactions with children by achieving a minimum scoring level of 6-Emotional Support, 6-Classroom Observations and a 3-lnstructional Support during CLASS observations informally and formally within 1 year of employment with FDS. Learning Environment, Curriculum & Child Assessment: • Ensure classroom arrangement, materials and displays are organized and conducive to children's learning and consistently meet expectations in the Education Department Standard Operating Procedures. • Maintain a clean and safe environment that is conducive to keeping children and adults healthy. • Maintain an inclusive and welcoming environment for all children and families. • Know and understand Family Development Services -Head Start School Readiness Goals and strive to help all children achieve them. • Provide classroom experiences that are developmentally, linguistically, culturally and age-appropriate for the children served. • Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment, including full supervision of children at all times, in accordance with Head Start and childcare licensing requirements. • Conduct daily health/safety monitoring of the indoor and (as requested) outdoor environment. • Follow all health and hygiene practices, including handwashing, sanitizing, and universal precautions. • Supervise mealtimes and meal service to children; serve children meals/ snacks at least two days weekly. • Cultivate and maintain a positive working relationship with co-workers. • Maintain a clean and safe environment that is conducive to keeping children and adults healthy by following all health and hygiene practices, including handwashing, sanitizing, and universal precautions. • Implement Family Development Services -Head Start chosen curriculum with fidelity by providing developmentally appropriate activities, opportunities and experiences in the classroom which align with the age and stage of each child. • Prepare or modify weekly lesson plans and prepare to implement small-group activities, read-aloud, circle time, and other curriculum components. • Maintain the classroom schedule and by providing children with a consistent classroom routine and facilitate all parts of the routine to support child learning. • Interact with children intentionally throughout the day to provide differentiated support. • Collect documentation of children through ongoing observation, embedded and direct assessment activities. • Complete quarterly assessment checkpoints, reliably, for each child. • Analyze child assessment data and use it to plan and individualize. • Support Classroom Assistant with lesson plan implementation at least 1 day weekly. Meeting all children's needs: • Complete developmental and social-emotional screenings on all children within prescribed time frames. • Complete theme based Individualized Learning Plans to identify specific goals and implement developmentally appropriate strategies for each child in class. • Integrate Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or referral action plans for children with diagnosed or suspected special needs. • Implement positive behavior strategies and practices and Program Wide Expectations. • Complete all reports associated with the children's health and needs in a timely manner and communicate to the supervisor. • Maintain required documentation of activities, including child and family information, assessment data, volunteer logs, etc. Working with families: • Establish positive and productive relationships with families through building rapport and trust. • Schedule and complete two home visits and two parent-teacher conferences each year (workday is 10am-7pm for these scheduled events). • Encourage and engage family members to serve as classroom volunteers. • Collaborate with family services staff to support families in implementing family life practices, extending learning into the home, and meeting expectations for attendance • Follow all guidance and expectations to support the parent curriculum • Maintain a positive rapport with families Professional growth and collaboration: • Participate in ongoing reflective coaching and self-assessment. • Collaborate with the assistant teacher, substitutes and other staff in the center. Qualifications • AA/AS in Early Childhood Education OR BA/BS in Early Childhood Education -OR- state awarded preschool teacher certification with experience teaching preschool aged children-OR- BA/BS in related fields with at least fifteen college courses in Early Childhood Education plus experience teaching preschool aged children. BA Highly preferred. • Physical exam and background checks are required for this position. • Travel required locally up to 10% of the time for work-related meetings and functions. • Must have a valid driver's license and reliable transportation.