Early Head Start Teacher

Summary:

Responsible for providing developmentally appropriate care and education to infants and toddlers age 0-3 years in a classroom setting, focusing on fostering their social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and language skills through engaging activities, routines, and interactions, while also actively communicating and collaborating with families to support their child's overall development.

Primary duties:

• 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 curriculum materials.
• Provide instructional support through concept development, fostering children’s analysis and reasoning, engaging in feedback loops, and modeling and supporting high-quality language.
• Implement learning experiences as part of the Head Start curriculum that addresses physical and health development, social and emotional development, approaches to learning, language development and communication, and cognitive development.
• Use routine times as individual times to interact with child and to include him/her in the process (e.g. talk about what you are doing or sing softly when diapering, changing, feeding, at potty time, and naptime).
• As parents pick up their children, share information using the daily using Daily Note Form. Teacher and parent sign form (original to parent; copy to teacher to file for documentation).
• Provide positive support for parent and child at arrival and departure times, especially when child is having separation anxiety.
• Utilize ongoing monitoring and continuous improvement to measure program performance, identify areas of concern, make immediate program corrections, and generate reports.
• Participate in assigned meetings, events and training as required.
• Maintain confidentiality in regards to staff and family information.
• Be present at work in order to provide consistency of services.
• Be a contributory team member in a positive/productive manner.
• Demonstrate commitment to mission, values, and policies in the performance of daily duties.
• Follow agency procedures to assure reporting of suspected child abuse and/or neglect.
• Follow agency procedures in reporting any suspected licensing deficiencies observed at childcare programs.
• All other duties as assigned.

Education:

• CDA (infant/toddler) credential or higher degree in child development or early childhood education.
• An associate’s degree or higher in a related field such as Counseling, Psychology, or Social Work along with coursework in Early Childhood Education is acceptable.

Computer Skills:

• Demonstrated computer literacy skills
• MS Office applications
• Other basic data systems including internet navigation

Other Skills/Ability:

• Ability to interact effectively with people from diverse backgrounds

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Ability to Commute:

• Opelika, AL 36801 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Opelika, AL 36801: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person