The Lead Teacher / Teacher ensures execution of curriculum and ensure classroom procedures are in compliance with state licensing standards, all while maintaining Little Newtons Mission, Vision and Core Values.
| Job Responsibilities
| Main Duties | Tours & Enrollment
o Ensure the classroom is always tour ready by cleaning, organizing, and leading the classroom.
o Greet parents and prospective students and answer any questions.
Parent Engagement
o Support as needed information that may be relevant for newsletters.
o Use Kindertales app to share evidence of learning and updates throughout the day.
o Conduct bi-yearly conferences with parents for each student.
o Complete necessary paperwork, logs, reports, etc. (i.e. Incident report for biting or injury) in a timely fashion via Kindertales.
Inspections and Drills
o Be aware of all emergency procedures and drills.
o Complete a daily crib observation check every 5 minutes (if applicable)
Compliance
o Ensure all training regarding allergies and medications is up to date.
o Report any licensing issues immediately to ED.
o Support ED with any corrective actions from licensing visits.
Curriculum and Activities
o Plan, supervise and implement the program and daily schedule.
o Gear the program to the needs of individual children with concerns for their interests, special talents and individual style and pace of learning.
o Consider individual children in relation to their cultural and socioeconomic background.
o Treat children with dignity and respect.
o Plan and implement appropriate early childhood education experiences with a variety of materials in the fields of art, music, literature, science, etc.
o Supervise and promote activities designated to enhance the healthy emotional, social, intellectual, and physical development of each child enrolled at the center.
o Supervise upkeep of all educational equipment and materials in assigned areas
o Encourage development of sound nutritional practices.
o Help children become aware of their roles as integral members of a group.
o Be responsible for the ordered arrangement, appearance, decor, and learning environment of the classroom and its learning centers.
o Plan and implement methods of establishing a positive liaison with parents. Allows any concerns to go through ED’s, while reinforcing the child by telling the parents positive things the child enjoyed that day.
o Supervise all activities to ensure safety at all times.
o Prepare daily attendance reports for children in assigned groups which receive assistance.
o Help children establish good habits of personal hygiene, change diapers and assist with toilet training as needed.
o Prepare the learning environment, set up interest centers, and prepare needed materials and supplies.
o Supervise children at all times.
o Lead classroom lessons and activities as assigned.
o Prepare lessons and activities as assigned.
o Implementation of appropriate early childhood education experiences.
o Report to the Assistant Director or Executive Director any problem which may occur with the children.
o Observe, record and report on the behaviors of individual children if needed.
o Create relationships with parents/guardians of the children in your classroom.
o Provide a space for each student’s personal belongings and clean once per week.
Cleaning o Assume housekeeping responsibilities for their classroom.
o Maintain a neat and organized classroom.
Student Development / Behavior Plans
o Maintain progress records of each child's growth and development, prepare periodic reports, and review with the Executive Directors.
o Work with parents to promote understanding of their child's growth and development, encourage parent participation in school programs; attend parent group and center functions; conduct conferences upon request or at a minimum bi-annually.
o Conduct parent conferences on each child's school adjustment and developmental progress.
Time Entry o Punch in and out accurately based on schedule including breaks.
o Ensure Overtime hours are approved by ED prior to working them.
o Submit Paid Time Off requests timely.
Training and Professional Development
o Participate in recommended training programs, conferences, courses, and other aspects of professional growth.
o Maintain current knowledge of early childhood practices.
o Effectively train, supervise, and utilize classroom assistants and aides.
o Meet the state required Staff In-Service Training Hours by utilizing Little Newtons Training Program in CCEI and staff meetings.
o Assist in public relations events sponsored by the school.
o Always maintain a professional attitude and loyalty to the school.
o Participate in professional organizations that work for the improvement of early childhood education.
Kitchen
o Serve children following food handling guidelines.
o Return all items to the kitchen after each meal.
o Discard all unused food items after each meal.
Laundry
o Complete all laundry daily and distribute to classrooms.
o Ensure all classrooms soft toys are washed once per week
o Wipe down the outside and inside of all washer and dryers at least once per week
o Front load washer and dryers shall remain open when not in use
Playground/School Grounds
o Report any equipment repairs to ED immediately.
o Ensure the grounds are clean and safe.
o Maintain proper playground supervision and avoid standing in one place.
| Supervisory / Span of Control | This position does not have any direct reports.
| Financial Impact and Budgetary Responsibility | This position does not have any budgetary responsibilities.
| Qualifications
| Education |
Must possess a minimum of:
o High School Diploma / GED
o 16 semester credits of education or meet alternative education and experience requirements for state.
o RN/LPN is qualified as a teacher for infants only.
| Certifications |
CERTIFICATIONS
o First Aid
o CPR
o Child Development Associate preferred
| Work Experience |
WORK EXPERIENCE
Must possess a minimum of:
o 4,160 hours as assistant teacher or meet alternative education and experience requirements for state.
| Knowledge |
KNOWLEDGE
o Must have a working knowledge of child safety requirements and first aid protocol.
o Working knowledge of how to handle a group of children.
o Working knowledge of childhood development.
o Know-how to establish classroom structure.
| Competencies |
CORE COMPETENCIES
Leading Self
o Ensures Accountability - Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
o Integrity - Firm adherence to strong moral principles.
Leading Teams
o Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
Leading the Business
o Cultivates Innovation - Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
o Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
TEACHER COMPETENCIES
o Teaching Style - Creating a good learning environment and effectively managing the classroom, child behavior, and discipline. Applies a broad set of evidence-based teaching skills and strategies that are developmentally appropriate.
o Child Development – Builds capability and skills of children physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Understands unique developmental experiences and applies multiple contexts to support the learning process.
o Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections – Builds effective relationships with parents and families and leverages community resources to support student’s learning and development.
o Patience - Controlling your emotions or impulses and proceeding calmly when faced with difficult or frustrating situations.
o Interpersonal Savvy - Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.
o Adaptability - Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations (i.e. Willing to work in other classrooms).
o Self-Development - Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels. (i.e. Open to coaching and feedback)
o Manages Conflict - Handing conflict situations effectively, with a minimum of noise. (i.e. Mediating conflicts between children, reducing separation anxiety, and quickly resolves parent complaints.)
o Creativity - Create using imagination and original ideas.
| Working Hours / OT |
o Monday – Friday according to scheduled shifts and school’s needs.
o Occasional weekend paid training.
o Occasional overtime if approved by ED.
| Travel | No travel required unless covering for a nearby school.
| Working Conditions |
o Exposure to heat and cold based on location up to 1 hour / day (i.e. taking children outside)
o Occasional exposure to Noisy/loud environments (i.e. children crying)
| Physical and Mental Requirements
| Physical Demands |
Must be able to:
* Ascend and descend stairs.
* Alternate between standing, sitting, Crawling, kneeling, Crouching/stooping.
Respond quickly to sounds.
* Work around small children including lifting and carrying small children up to 40 pounds.
* Move quickly to respond to emergency situations.
* Occasionally reach overhead or below.
* Alternate between sitting, walking, standing, and speaking.
| Cognitive Demands |
Must be able to: ·
Learn, remember, focus, categorize, and integrate information for decision making, problem-solving, and comprehending. ·
Learn, memorize, and execute tasks independently. ·
Maintain concentration/focus on tasks.