Head Start Teacher

Description

Responsible for providing direct supervision and care for infants, toddlers or preschool children in the Head Start/Early Head Start program through a caring, positive, authoritative relationship. The teacher will work collaboratively with one other teacher to ensure the successful operation of a classroom, will build relationships with the other staff, and work with family members to implement the curriculum to achieve positive outcomes for children of all abilities.

I. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Establishes and maintains a safe, secure and healthy learning environment at all times.
• Serves as an effective role model for children and families.
• Implements a child-centered curriculum and learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation to promote development in all domains for children of all abilities.
• Prepares daily lesson plans, and develops and implements an individual plan for each child based on identified needs.
• Provides children with a consistent classroom routine.
• Improves the school readiness of children by developing their literacy and language skills, and their problem solving abilities.
• Integrates Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for children with disabilities.
• Provides positive guidance and discipline supporting children.
• Addresses challenging behaviors by observing to determine possible causes, implementing preventive measures, teaching the child new social and communication skills, and partnering with families to support the child at home.
• Establishes positive and productive relationships with families, and encourages parental involvement at all levels of the program.
• Conducts home visits and parent conferences in keeping with Head Start requirements.
• Participates in parent orientation and on going parent trainings.
• Models good nutrition and proper social skills for preschool children.
• Assists in food preparation, distribution and recordkeeping.
• Maintains attendance and other records, and documents children's progress.
• Complies with all agency, funder and licensing requirements.
• Attends staff meetings and training events, and maintains required level of training hours with required documentation.

Qualifications

This position requires occasional contact with a moderate degree of complexity in commun­i­cations. Supervision is moderate with some independent judgment and decision-making. Work is largely repetitive with some innovation required. Problems to be solved have some degree of complexity. Requires passing of DCF criminal background screening, present a negative TB test result, pass pre-employment drug screening and fitness for duty exam.
Must have a warm and friendly personality, be sensitive to the feelings and needs of others, be able to relate well to children and be willing to fulfill responsibilities in accordance with R’Club’s mission and program goals. Must have the physical ability to lift children as needed or physically separate children as needed and participate in housekeeping responsibilities. Requires ability to work beyond scheduled time, be punctual and reliable, can be reached via telephone and be able to take direction. Must adhere to the procedures for reporting child abuse.

SCREENING QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or any field and course­work equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education, with a minimum of 18 ECE credits.

Salary : $18 - $19