Lead Infant Toddler Teacher [Clarkston - Dekalb]

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The Infant/Toddler Teacher facilitates quality, individualized, early childhood education by implementing developmentally appropriate practices in an inclusive environment.

SUMMARY:

Under the direct supervision of the Center Manager, works as a team with the Education/Disabilities Specialists to plan and implement a variety of developmentally appropriate activities for children that will enhance their growth and development, promote social competence and ensure parental involvement in all aspects of the program.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (include but are not limited to):

• Maintain a positive work atmosphere by acting and communicating in a manner so that you get along with customers, clients, co-workers, and management.

• Maintains excellent punctuality and attendance

• Plans and implements developmentally and linguistically appropriate activities that recognize and support each child’s rate of development
• Assess safety of classrooms and outdoor play area before engaging children in activities
• Organizes classroom environment into areas to be used for learning, eating, resting and playing in accordance with the Creative Curriculum, licensing regulations and NAEYC accreditation standards
• Provides a daily schedule of individualized child and teacher initiated activities that is well defined to help children in the order of events occurring each day.
• Accompanies children to and from the bus, playground, and out of center activities maintaining an attendance check and head count
• Maintains staff and classroom ratios at all times
• Addresses toileting and diapering based upon the individual needs of the children.
• Feeds infant and toddlers “on demand” to the extent possible at appropriate intervals.
• Ensures the safety of sleeping infants by adhering to the most current guidelines on reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

• Maintains a communication system plan which ensures appropriate communication among the children, their families, teaching staff, the Center Manager and other community organizations
• Supports and participate in the values and missions of ESNG

• Completes the Health and Safety Checklist for classrooms weekly
• Monitors and reports accurate numbers for the program weekly report

• Maintains updated and accurate records for children (educational and nutritional)
• Maintains confidentiality

• Adheres to policies, procedures and practices which ensure the achievement and maintenance of GA licensure, NAEYC accreditation and the Head Start Performance Standards
• Assists with the Child Transition Plan as it relates to assisting parents to be advocates for their children, cross training and sharing needs related to transition, assisting with field trips for children and their parents to feeder schools and assisting parents to become familiar with community resources.

• Participates in all mandatory Easter Seals trainings to include pre-service, in-service and other educational programs and trainings
• Completes the minimum number of training hours required by Bright from the Start, OSR, Georgia Pre-K and Head Start

• The ability to stand for sustained periods of time.
• The ability to sit for sustained periods of time.
• The ability to walk for sustained periods of time including responding quickly to safety concerns
• The ability to use hands and fingers to feel, operate a computer, and perform picking, pinching and whole hand or arm handling tasks.
• The ability to climb stairs.
• The ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, sit on the floor, or crawl as needed when working with small children on their level.
• The ability to reach, extending arms in any direction.
• The ability to push or pull objects weighing up to 25 pounds.
• The ability to lift and carry a child up to age 5
• The ability to talk in order to accurately exchange information.
• The ability to hear in order to accurately exchange information.
• The ability to see clearly in order to maintain child safety and supervision, use a computer, and for extensive reading and writing.
• The ability to work in both indoor conditions and outdoor conditions.
• The ability to assist children as needed while on a moving bus.

OTHER DUTIES:

Performs other duties as assigned by management.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Must be professionally prepared as an early education teacher with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field or possess an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field, or a Child Development Associates (CDA) with the infant toddler endorsement.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Must have knowledge, skills and experiences needed to perform the assigned functions responsibly.
• Must be familiar with ethnic background and culture of families in the program and be able to serve and effectively communicate, to the extent feasible, with children and families with no or limited English proficiency.
• Must possess training, experiences, and knowledge that include theories, and principles of child growth and development, early childhood education, and family support.
• Must possess excellent communications skills.
• Must possess the ability to provide leadership and stability for program continuity.
• Must possess the ability to interact physically with the children to include lifting and moving the children served.  This includes interacting on the floor.

THIS JOB DESCRIPTION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME