Description of Ministry Position

Explorers Academy is a daycare center with a goal to provide a safe environment for children to discover the world around them through play. Staff of Explorers Academy will be CPR certified, trained in Conscious Discipline, and trauma informed through TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention). TBRI® is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI® uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors. Staff must abide by the Arkansas Minimum Licensing Requirements for Childcare Centers published by the Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Childcare and Early Childhood Education Childcare Licensing Unit. The Lead Teacher implements these principles throughout the program.

Responsibilities of Ministry Position:

Teachers must be at least 21 years of age. Job specific duties include but are not limited to the following:

1. Abides by ABCFM mission, vision, core values, and core competencies.

2. Demonstrates Christlike character.

3. Assists the teacher in providing a structured and calm environment.

4. Builds positive relationships with children, fellow staff members, and parents.

5. Collaborates with fellow staff members to create an optimal environment.

6. Assists the teacher with lesson preparations.

7. Assists with teaching and reinforcing developmentally appropriate lessons, activities, and

schedules.

8. Provides a safe, clean, organized, and educationally stimulating environment.

9. Engages children in frequent rich social exchanges in a variety of ways, for example:

holding, patting, making frequent eye contact, smiling, singing, and using a pleasant calm

voice in conversation during routine care, such as eating, diaper changing, toileting, and

preparing for rest.

10. Provides consistent emotional support to children by acknowledging their feelings and

emotions and providing physical and verbal support.

11. Communicates consistently with parents and guardians by greeting them warmly and

exchanging information that promotes continuity between Explorers Academy and the

child’s home.

12. Engages in play activities with children by providing a safe environment to explore, modeling

play behavior such as imagination and use of toys, and equipment, and providing verbal

encouragement and support. Demonstrate awareness of the brain development diagram.

13. Encourages children to reach developmental milestones.

14. Implements and practices Conscious Discipline principles.

15. Adapts to changing situations and constantly assesses the needs of the children.

16. Maintains current CPR training and required continuing education credits. Takes

responsibility for professional growth.

17. Helps children learn interpersonal skills such as sharing, taking turns, and asking

permission.

18. Works well with a diverse population.

19. Maintains knowledge of all emergency plans and awareness of the location and usage of

evacuation diagrams.

20. Follows and implements health, safety, and sanitation procedures throughout the day.

21. Provides meaningful, positive interactions between staff and children, that include:

comforting children who are upset, engaging in frequent, multiple, and rich social

interchanges such as smiling, conversation, touching, and singing; interacting with children

by being their play partner as well as protector; helping children identify and label feelings

by being attuned to their children’s needs; communicating consistently with parents and

guardians; interacting with children and developing a relationship in the context of everyday

routines.

22. Utilizes behavior guidance techniques appropriately and effectively.

23. Avoids activities or experiences that may be damaging to the children’s self-esteem and

positive self-image. View each child as a unique person with an individual pattern of growth

and development.

24. Complies with agency policies and procedures including the Employee Handbook, Team

Member Handbook, and other related policies. Complies with the Minimum Childcare

Licensing Standards. Maintains knowledge of the Parent Handbook.

25. Performs other duties as assigned.

Explorers Academy will provide meaningful, positive interactions between staff and children, that include: comforting children who are upset; engaging in frequent, multiple, and rich social interchanges such as smiling, conversation, touching, and singing; interacting with children by being their play partner as well as protector; helping children identify and label feelings by being attuned to the children’s needs; communicating consistently with parents and guardians; interacting with children and developing a relationship in the context of everyday routines.

Explorers Academy staff will utilize the following behavior guidance techniques:

• Look for appropriate behavior and reinforce the child with praise and encouragement

when they are behaving well.

• Remind the child daily of the rules using clear, positive statements regarding how they

are expected to behave rather than what they are not supposed to do.

• Attempt to ignore minor inappropriate behavior and concentrate on what the child is

doing properly.

• Use brief supervised separation from the group only when the child does not respond to

a verbal command which instructs the child as to how he or she is supposed to behave.

• When a misbehaving child begins to behave appropriately, encourage. and praise small

steps rather than waiting until the child has behaved appropriately for a long period of

time.

• Attend to the children who are behaving appropriately, and other children will follow their

example in order to obtain your attention.

Explorers Academy staff will avoid activities or experiences that may be damaging to the children’s self-esteem and positive self-image. All staff will view each child as a unique person with an individual pattern of growth and development.

COMPLIANCE WITH POLICY: All employees are expected to review and adhere to all agency policies/procedures and to ask questions if they are uncertain about a policy.

TRAINING: All employees will complete orientation within the first 90 days of employment that includes a review of agency policies/procedures as well as specific training related to that employee’s job. Additional trainings are required annually to meet licensing requirements. Other trainings may be assigned based on the role of the employee and the site at which he/she will work. Employees are expected to complete all trainings by the assigned due date.

OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $37,000.00 - $42,000.00 per year

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• Little Rock, AR 72205: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person