Lead Teacher

 Summary/Objective

The objective of a Lead Teacher is to provide each child with a developmentally and academically enriched learning experience in a safe, nurturing environment while striving to meet the company’s vision, and mission. The Lead teacher models technical excellence by providing high quality childcare and learning, while facilitating positive social and intellectual experiences.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Educational
   1. Creates and follows written meaningful lesson plans according to the center’s curriculum 
   2. Plans for, prepares for (by gathering materials, books, toys, charts, etc), and implements lesson plans
   3. Teaches Language/ Communication skills, Social/Emotional skills, Cognitive Skills and Fine/Gross Motor skills per curriculum guidelines 
   4. Provides all lessons from the lesson plan in a fun, & child inviting manner
   5. Observes and documents children’s behavior and curricular achievements
   6. Writes daily anecdotal notes on all children and updates children’s portfolios weekly 
   7. Conducts assessments on the children, according to curriculum guide
   8. Demonstrates an understanding of the developmental guidelines for the age of the children taught
   9. Keeps a clean, neat and attractive classroom, having themes/seasonal artwork hanging 
   10. Effectively use the center’s behavior management philosophy and discipline policy 
2. Parents/Families
   1. Greets parents in a friendly and upbeat manner upon arrival and departure
   2. Writes daily notes for children to take home regarding the child’s day, focusing on the positive things the child did for the day
   3. Informs families of upcoming events, participates in parent conferences, keeps parents updated on their children’s progress
   4. Maintains confidentiality
   5. Accepts and defends diversity among children, parents, and staff
3. Licensing
   1. Becoming aware of and following ALL licensing rules and regulations
4. Meals/Nutrition/Food Safety 
   1. Serving children meals at designated mealtimes per USDA Child Care Food Program guidelines
   2. Assuring all children have washed their hands appropriately prior to meals
   3. Follow sanitary procedures, being aware of food allergies for the children whom you are serving food to
   4. Encouraging children to eat healthy and to try a variety of foods that have been offered to them
   5. Encouraging developmental self-help skills related to feeding
   6. Respecting the rate of which a child eats
   7. Encouraging parents to bring in healthy foods for their child if they choose not to eat food provided by our center
5. Playground
   1. Keep children in your line of sight and hearing at all times
   2. Continuously rotate on playground looking in hard to see areas to ensure child safety
   3. Keep away from other staff members on the playground to ensure wide range supervision
   4. Continuously teach children how to use equipment properly and review playground rules
   5. Permit only one child at the water fountain at a time
   6. Create gross motor activities for the children to do on the playground
   7. Correct the children’s inappropriate and unsafe behavior and teach them the correct safe way
   8. Guard the gate (one person only) to ensure the safety of the children
   9. Greeting parents at pick up and documenting the child’s departure time. 
6. Health/Safety
   1. Supervising children indoors and outdoors, ensuring they are always within you line of sight and hearing.
   2. Supervising children in potty area
   3. Changing diapers per the diaper changing procedure
   4. Sanitizing diaper changing table and toilets after each use
   5. Using Universal Precautions to deal with all bodily fluids 
   6. Teaching children the correct way to use toys and equipment for their safety and purpose of learning
   7. Making sure basic needs of the children have been met (clean face/hands/clothes, tied shoes, wipe noses, appropriate dress for weather conditions, providing water for drinking throughout the day in addition to mealtimes, etc.)
   8. Informing administration of hazards, correcting/removing any hazards that you are capable of removing.
   9. Following all Health Department Rules and Regulations and Office of Early Learning Health and Safety rules
   10. Quickly attending to a hurt child, writing accident/incident/observation notes on children per our policy guidelines, informing administration immediately of any accident/incident/observation
   11. Inform administration of suspicious abuse, inform administration of sick children
   12. Completing attendance per center’s policy
   13. Knowing how many children you have at all times.
   14. Keeping all children in your line of sight and hearing
7. Janitorial/Maintenance
   1. Responsible for keeping any classroom used by jobholder clean and neat
   2. Cleans and sanitizes bathroom sinks, floors and toilet according to our cleaning procedures or when soiled
   3. Mops/sweeps/vacuums at least daily or when soiled
   4. Dusts shelves, windowsills, chairs rails, fans, air vents at least weekly
   5. Keeps children’s cubbies neat with folded sheets, blankets and clothing. 
   6. Keeps all toys with organized with a label attached to the shelf and bin (see labeling procedure)
   7. Follows the classroom cleaning log and initial when you complete the task. 
   8. Assists with the facility’s clean-up and maintenance as assigned, both interior and exterior

Work Environment

This job operates in an indoor and outdoor childcare facility environment. The position will interact with children, daily.  The jobholder will be exposed to such hazards as childhood illnesses, heat/cold, noise, physical harm from young children and bodily fluids.  

Physical Demands

The jobholder is regularly required to:

1. Lift and hold children weighing 50 pounds or less
2. Stand and walk for periods of at least 30 minutes
3. Move quickly, engaging the whole body through sitting to play with children, reaching,  kneeling, squatting, pulling and repetitive motions
4. Visually scanning the environment to continuously supervise the children appropriately
5. Push and pull things such as a vacuum cleaner or children on a swing,
6. Using fingers for small tasks such as tying shoes, zippering, snapping, folding, twisting items like bottle caps, and scooping,.
7. Clearly see and hear children. Children must always be in a teacher’s line of sight and hearing. 

Mental Demands

The jobholder is regularly required to:

1. Be alert to persons, places, times, and events.
2. Make logical decisions using good judgement.

Required Education and Experience

1. High School Diploma/GED
2. Completion of the DCF 45 hours
3. A valid Florida Staff Credential or Exemption
4. VPK Teachers are required to have additional VPK trainings  

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• Must maintain a First Aid certification by renewing it annually 
• Must be able to complete continuing education requirements, including, but not limited to: 
  1. CLASS trainings, 
  2. Conscious Discipline trainings, 
  3. GOLD trainings,
  4. Completion of Creative Curriculum Overview of the age group they teach (Preschool or ITT), 
  5. Accreditation via 25 approved in-service hours/2.5CEUs between July 1^st-June 30^th 
  6. State requirement for 10 approved in-service hours or 1.0 CEUs between July1-June 3

Work Authorization/Security Clearance

Must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

 EEO Statement

Palm Beach Preschool provides equal employment opportunities and does not make employment decisions on the basis of any protected characteristic, including, veteran or active military status, genetic information, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status. 

Other Duties

Please note this job description is intended to describe the general nature and work performed by employees, but is not a complete list of activities, duties or responsibilities required of personnel.   Furthermore, other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at the discretion of the employer.   Changes to essential job functions will be communicated with the jobholder, typically through a revised job description. 

 Employment Relationship

Please note that this job description is not a contract and does not create any obligations on the part of the company. Employment with Palm Beach Preschool is and shall remain at-will.