Early Head Start Teacher

CLACKAMAS COUNTY CHILDREN'S COMMISSION EARLY HEAD START TEACHER

GENERAL OBJECTIVE: Develop and maintain a safe, nurturing, and stimulating learning environment; provide varied experiences to help each child achieve the overall goal of school readiness, good health, and social competence through acquisition of social, emotional, intellectual, nutritional, hygienic, and physical skills in a manner appropriate to the child’s age and stage of development. Support the parent’s role as the primary educator of the child and promote the parent-child attachment; build trusting relationships with families; and assist families in meeting personal goals.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

TEACHER:

• Effectively lead and monitor all aspects of a full-day classroom for an assigned group of infants and toddlers, ensuring that children have continuous supervision.
• Responsible for care of assigned class of children.
• Supervise assigned Assistant Teacher and Classroom Aide.
• Working with other site staff, creates developmentally appropriate nurturing environments and childcare routines.
• Plan, implement, and evaluate daily classroom activities to ensure that they:
• are developmentally appropriate;
• follow the Agency’s research-based curriculum
• respond to the goals set for individual children.
• reflect the diversity and culture of the class; and
• meet Federal Head Start Performance Standards
• Ensure that children have a safe and developmentally appropriate learning environment that meets Federal Head Start Performance Standards and Oregon Office of Childcare regulations.
• Maintains child observation notes to be used for individualization and assessment completions.
• For all children in assigned class, conduct assessments, make appropriate referrals, actively participate in goal planning, and attend any follow-up meetings, including:
• Developmental Screenings/Assessments.
• Child Assessments three times per year, per agency calendar.
• Individual Goal Plan (IGP forms) and child goals, in partnership with parents.
• Referral of children with suspected disabilities or other special needs, as appropriate.
• Attend and participate in IFSP and case management meetings as scheduled.
• Consult with Education Supervisor and make child attendance referrals as needed.
• Maintain CLASS® and/or TPITOS® scores at or above the expected thresholds.
• Work collaboratively with agency specialists and parents to ensure children with disabilities and special needs receive all recommended services.
• Accurately enter child observations to be used for individualization and online assessment completions into electronic database (TS GOLD).
• Accurately enter Education service activity completion and corresponding notes into electronic database (ChildPlus).
• Use ChildPlus and TS GOLD reports to monitor individual status of teacher related job expectations.
• Maintain complete and accurate child files, forms, and reports within allotted timelines to document and track the needs of children and services provided.
• Include the Assistant Teacher, Classroom Aide, and volunteers in the classroom planning process.
• Demonstrate effective ways to guide young children through modeling in the classroom and continuous use of positive teacher-child interactions.
• Take a lead role in planning content development for monthly family nights.
• Responsible for attending and actively participating in monthly family nights.
• Achieve and maintain TS GOLD Inter-Rater Reliability for infant/toddler age range.

EDUCATION HOME VISITING:

• Facilitate parents as primary teacher of their own children. Partner with parents in scheduling and completing the required number of Education and Social Service home visits and parent conferences per child, per year.
• Provide parenting skills and child development information to parents. Provide guidance in choosing developmentally appropriate activities for children and model age-appropriate, constructive, positive ways to work with young children.
• Partner with the parents in setting educational goals for each child.
• Responsible for planning and carrying out individual goals in coordination with classroom curriculum and for assisting parents in doing this during and between home visits.
• Responsible for bringing information regarding classroom curriculum to parent's attention when planning Home Visit activities.
• Maintain complete and accurate child and family files (in electronic and hard copy formats), forms, and reports for Education, Disabilities and Mental Health services within allotted timelines to document and track needs of families and services provided to children and families.
• In consultation with team members, coordinate and participate in parent open house during start-up of each year.
• Attend and participate in regular case management meetings, ensuring each family on assigned caseload is reviewed at least annually. Participate in monthly meetings with HS staff to review shared EHS/HS families. Participate in IFSP related meetings for children with identified disabilities in assigned classroom.

ADDITIONAL EXPECATIONS:

Program Participation and Team Member:

• Arrive to work on time; punctually attend and actively participate in all required activities, meetings, and trainings.
• Be a respectful, cooperative, and reliable team member and participant in program activities.
• Project a professional work image, both in dress and manner.
• Be familiar with, and adhere to, position-related policies and procedures as well as the program’s overarching objectives.
• Follow Agency policy/procedures for reporting and documenting suspected child abuse and/or neglect.

Code of Conduct:

Perform all work in compliance with the Clackamas County Children’s Commission Code of Conduct.

Confidentiality:

Respect and maintain confidentiality of information regarding enrolled children and families, personnel issues, and other program operations as appropriate.

Training:

In consultation with supervisor, develop professional work goals and training plan. Participate in training as requested.

Working Conditions:

Work with physically active three to five-year-old children for one class period (approximately 7.5 hours daily)

Extensive standing and walking

Education and Experience:

Education:

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in early childhood education (ECE) with qualifying coursework specific to infants and toddlers

OR

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in a related field with qualifying coursework specific to infants and toddlers and equivalent to a major in early childhood education

OR

Associate’s degree in early childhood education or child and family studies with qualifying coursework specific to infants and toddlers

OR

Current Infant/Toddler Child Development Associate® (CDA) credential

Experience in an early childhood education classroom, certified childcare center, or comparable group care program.

Knowledge of Head Start preferred.

Skills and Abilities:

Ability to positively interact with families of various cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

Ability to use a positive approach in directing and redirecting child behavior.

Ability to take a leadership role in the classroom.

Ability to work cooperatively as a member of a team.

Good computer and data entry skills.

Ability to possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and insured vehicle available for use on the job (or have alternative transportation).

Ability to possess and maintain compliance with State of Oregon Criminal Background Registry.

Ability to possess and maintain current First Aid/CPR certification.

Ability to obtain and maintain an Oregon Food Handler’s Card