Pre-Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

This individual in this role will lead our pre-kindergarten classroom during the school year and work kiddie camp during the summer.  This role enhances the work of the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, a leading nonprofit, charitable organization committed to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Lead Teacher maintains a supportive, positive atmosphere that welcomes and respects all individuals, promotes the potential of all youth, and provides a quality experience to both youth and their families.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The YMCA strives to give the children entrusted to us the highest level of care possible. The Lead Teacher is expected to be a professional, flexible, and self-motivated manager of their classroom.

The Lead Teacher is responsible for implementing curriculum designated by the YMCA and for ensuring that lesson plans are posted in the classroom weekly. The Lead Teacher is responsible for creating a classroom schedule that is congruent with Georgia’s Quality Rated expectations regarding child centered exploration for time spent indoors and outdoors, and allowing access to a wide variety of required interest areas and materials. The Lead Teacher is responsible for the arrangement of the classroom. The classroom arrangement must meet all licensing and Quality Rated standards.

The Lead Teacher is responsible for managing Assistant Teachers, to include but not limited to creating work schedules, ensuring lesson plans and classroom schedules are followed, monitoring duties to ensure that children are receiving high quality care at all times.

It is expected that the Lead Teacher will create a warm, inviting classroom atmosphere and seek the opportunity to build positive, appropriate relationships with the families served. The Lead Teacher is responsible for setting the classroom tone.

This is a year-round position, when the Lead Teacher's role shifts to kiddie camp enrichment and activities.  

The Lead Teacher must demonstrate a fun and flexible attitude. The Lead Teacher must be comfortable singing, dancing and being jovial. The ability to demonstrate empathy and understanding is critical as young children may demonstrate immense feelings that require gentle guidance. The Lead Teacher must work well with peers and supervisors. A desire to develop professionally and advance their early childhood education knowledge base is imperative for growth.

The Lead Teacher serves as a professional and personal role model to Assistant Teachers and the children alike. The Lead Teacher position requires the ability to exemplify positivity through language and conduct.

Qualifications

Education and Experience Requirements:

Minimum of a CDA credential or Technical College Certification in Early Childhood Education or a closely related field and verifiable experience working with young children in a group setting. Experience with the Quality Rated process is highly desired. CPR/AED/First Aid, Health & Safety, Mandated Reporter, Fire Safety must be obtained and maintained. Additional trainings as necessary and as per state mandated continuing education credit requirements.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use a computer for extended periods of time and be able to communicate using a computer.
• The employee frequently is required to stand, sit and reach, and must be able to move around the work environment.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close visions, distance vision, and the ability to adjust
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; some exposure to noise levels at an average of 90 decibels (music).
• The Golden Isles YMCA is a smoke-free property
• Position may require bending, leaning, kneeling, and walking.
• Ability to speak concisely and effectively communicate.
• Must be able to stand for long periods of time, hold small children while sitting or standing, be able to get up and down off the floor easily, and be able to carry 30 pounds.