POSITION SUMMARY

Under the direction of an Early Childhood Specialist, the Livingston ESA Preschool Teacher is responsible for all aspects of planning, evaluating and supporting child development/school readiness skills of children enrolled in his/her classroom. The Preschool Teacher oversees the daily operations of the preschool classroom based on a philosophy of trauma informed principles and culturally responsive care. The Preschool Teacher must ensure an environment that is nurturing and supports the development of children ages 3 – 5 years and integrate all required components in accordance with the Livingston ESA preschool curriculum, philosophy and policies.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Note:  The following duties and responsibilities are deemed to be "essential functions" in terms of the Americans With Disabilities Act or ADA. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform this job successfully; an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The statements below are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by a person in this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties that may be performed by such a person.

• Supports the social-emotional needs of children.
• Understands the impact of toxic stress and trauma on children.
• Understands and can implement and build on the trauma-informed framework of our classrooms.
• Supports oral communication with children and adults.
• Supports social skills, such as sharing with and helping others.
• Supports age appropriate developmental skills
• Observes and reports on physical, emotional, intellectual and social development and progress of children.
• Creates regular communication as needed.
• Attends meetings and workshops as needed.
• Develops and maintains positive relationships and open communication with families and caregivers.
• Creates a welcoming environment.
• Maintain primary responsibility for lesson planning, the classroom environment, data collection and record keeping associated with highest quality developmental/educational programming for children.
• Maintain primary responsibility for the effective involvement of the teaching team related to planning, coordination, data collection and record keeping associated with highest quality early childhood programming.
• Supervise Associate Teachers and/or Preschool Assistants assigned to the classroom.
• Promote parent participation and involvement in education activities provided for their children.
• Conduct ongoing observations, with anecdotal notes, for children enrolled in the classroom; create documentation in TS Gold and utilize collected data to plan for individualized instruction.
• Complete and maintain all required paperwork, reports, receipts and child records in accordance with Livingston ESA’s system of operation and submit them in a timely and professional manner.
• Maintain a continuous updating of knowledge and experience related to early childhood best practices, child development, Creative Curriculum, and other related areas.
• Maintain educational and health credentials as necessary.
• Possess knowledge of Livingston ESA’s organization, mission, and philosophy.
• Perform other duties deemed appropriate.
• Works collaboratively with all staff who support children in our program.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

• Performs other duties deemed appropriate and as assigned by the Early Childhood Specialist.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development with a specialization in Preschool Teaching and a major in Child Development or Early Childhood Education.

EXPERIENCE

• 1 to 2 years of progressively more responsible or expansive experience supporting children in an early childhood setting.

OTHER KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and/or ABILITIES

Note: The qualifications listed above are guidelines for selection purposes; alternative qualifications may be substituted if sufficient to perform the duties of the job.

REQUIRED

1. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
2. General knowledge of Head Start and/or Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) requirements and regulations.
3. Ability to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information.
4. Ability to negotiate conflict and resolve emotionally charged situations.

PREFERRED

1. Knowledge of school districts and community.
2. Working knowledge of Creative Curriculum and TS Gold.
3. General knowledge of computer hardware and software.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients and other employees of the organization.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Note: 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 sit use hands to finger, handle, or feel; talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus, especially due to concentration on a computer screen and small numbers. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The noise level in the work environment is usually loud and is a standard acceptable level for this environment.

The employee is directly responsible for student safety, work output and well-being.

The employee shall remain free of any alcohol or non-prescribed controlled substance in the workplace throughout his/her employment.

The Livingston Educational Service Agency does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, (including sexual orientation or transgender identity), disability, age, religion, height, weight, marital or family status, military status, ancestry, genetic information, or any other legally protected category (collectively, "Protected Classes"), in its programs and activities, including employment opportunities.

Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies should be directed to the Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services.