HEAD TEACHER

Job Description

JOB TITLE:                             Head Teacher

PROGRAM/DEPT:                 Early Childhood Division

REPORTS TO:                        Education Disabilities Manager

CLASSIFICATION:            Regular, Full-Time

FLSA:                                    Non-Exempt

Description:   The position of Head Teacher may be held by a teacher in any of the HRA Early Childhood Programs. Each ECE site will have at least one designated Head Teacher; for larger sites, there may be multiple Head Teachers, each with designated areas of the location that they are responsible for.  The responsibilities of the Head Teacher are additional to the responsibilities assigned to them in their role as a teacher in the Head Start, Early Head Start and Early Start CT Programs.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities (others may be assigned):

• Demonstrates knowledge of and compliance with agency program Policies, OEC Division of Licensing Regulations, Head Start Program Performance Standards, State and NAEYC. Standards and Early Start CT Standards.
• Implements and monitors the daily program design to meet the social, emotional, physical and cognitive needs of children.
• Promotes and monitors the implementation of the Pyramid Model and NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct.
• Assists in ensuring that proper teacher-child ratios are maintained throughout their designated sites.
• Ensures that licensing requirements are met and maintained through monthly checklists and collaboration with the Office Manager/Licensing Specialist to keep the following current for their designated sites: 
  • Licensing Binder
  • Consultation Logs
  • Fire Drill logs
  • Lead Inspections
  • Staff files
• Completes Facilities Safety Checks; sends Fixit emails when necessary.
• Completes Initial Playground Safety Checks, daily.
• Ensure all interactions are developmentally appropriate.
• Collaborates with the Family and Community Engagement Coordinator for the planning and executing of the following:
  • Policy Council Recruitment
  • Parent Committee Meetings
  • Family & Community Engagement Events
• Participates in the following:  Head Start Annual Self –Assessment, Head Start Reviews, NAEYC Reaccreditation, and OEC Division of Licensing Annual Inspections.
• Promotes and maintains the flow of communication between site and main building by doing the following, weekly: delivering paperwork, checking staff mailboxes, securing supplies from the Health and Nutrition Manager, etc.
• Other duties assigned by the Director or other members of the ECE Leadership Team.

Minimum requirements:

Be at least 20 years of age and meet one of the following requirements:

      1) A Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field with 18 credits in Early Childhood Education from a College or University and one year of verifiable full day experience in-group care of unrelated children less than six years old.

                     OR

     2) An Associates’ Degree in Early Childhood Education and one year of Verifiable full day experience in-group care of unrelated children less than six years old.   Hold Head Teacher Certification from the State of CT Department of Public.

                   AND

3) A valid Head Teacher Certificate through the Office of Early Childhood for the ages the program serves.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:  

• Knows child development characteristics for age group(s) served.
• Knows current best practices in the areas of development.
• Knows diverse and appropriate activities for children in various developmental groups
• Knows the elements of good classroom organization and scheduling of activities.
• Knows and is able to administer and interpret screening and assessment data and use these data to report child outcomes and address individualization.
• Knows and is sensitive to child’s and family’s values, beliefs, traditions, cultural influences, make-up and circumstances.
• Knows all elements necessary to create a healthy, safe and clean environment that is interesting and inviting with properly labeled interest areas.
• Knows elements of developmentally appropriate lesson plans and classroom activities that also reflect diversity, particularly as it is reflected in the children and their families
• Knows elements of developing appropriate individualized learning experience plans.
• Knows the special education process particularly as it relates to the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP).
• Knows the aspect of positive discipline and behavior management in classrooms.
• Knows the best practices for use and supervision of Teacher Assistants, and classroom volunteers. 
• Demonstrate communication skills that promote a positive image of the program and agency.
• Has a self-understanding of personal values, experiences and biases that facilitate and present barriers in working with certain groups of people.
• Must possess personal qualities necessary to relate to families and staff.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must have strong documentation skills

Classroom Management:

• Create an environment that is healthy, safe and clean and which facilitates developmentally appropriate activities.
• Create an environment that is interesting and inviting with properly labeled interest areas.
• Develop and implement learning experience plans and classroom activities that are developmentally appropriate, culturally diverse and address aspects of health, mental health and nutrition and individualization for all children.
• Develop and implement learning experience plans and classroom activities that encourage experimentation, exploration, problem solving, cooperation, socialization and choice making.
• Implement IEPs and IFSPs on behalf of children with disabilities.
• Develop classroom schedules that are appropriate to the children being served and consists of: small and large group experiences; choice time; music and movement; large and small moor activities; meal and snack times; effective transitions between activities.
• Use positive discipline practices and behavior management in classrooms.
• Effectively utilize the Teacher Assistant(s) in the implementation of classroom and other support activities.

Physical/Mental Requirements:   

• Frequent, significant decisions to assure developmental progress of children.
• Supervise children of preschool age and ensure a safe learning environment including the ability to monitor and respond to events going on at all times in classroom, outdoor play areas and on field trips. This includes the physical ability to move quickly in order to respond to children who are very active and may need restraint or redirection in order to ensure their safety or the safety of others in the environment.
• Respond appropriately (both mentally and physically) to an emergency or a crisis situation.
• Ability to kneel, stoop, bend, and sit on the floor on a daily basis in order to attend to the children. 
• Ability to lift up to fifty (50) pounds. 

Language Requirements: 

• Ability to read, write and speak English.

When duties and responsibilities change, the job description will be reviewed and changed based upon changes to program or organization’s priorities.

HRA of New Britain, Inc. is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disabilities/Vets