The Lead Teacher provides opportunities to promote learning in the areas of social/emotional, motor, cognitive, and creative development to help each child develop to his/her full potential. The Lead Teacher is in charge of the classroom and works closely with children responding to their individual needs and abilities. The position also is responsible for creating and implementing lesson plans, child assessment, goal setting, activities and field trips.

The Four Directions Family Center is full-day therapeutic education and care program for children aged 6 weeks to 11 years of age. The center is committed to the revitalization of the Dakota and Ojibway languages. We work with our partner Wicoie Nandagikendan to provide language immersion and culturally responsive early childhood education.

BENEFITS:

• $1,000 hiring bonus after 3 months of employment!
• $18.00 or more per hour
• Generous paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Strong emphasis on employee self-care and work-life balance
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Company-paid life insurance and long-term disability
• Agency sponsored retirement savings plan

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide a safe, stimulating, healthy, and nurturing environment to provide all children with a positive experience.
• Teach age appropriate activities for both group and self-select learning.
• Develop and implement age and skill appropriate weekly lesson plans and learning opportunities.
• Implement Teaching Strategies curriculum in the classroom.
• Complete child assessment and individual goal setting 3 times/year; including parents and therapist in process.
• Supervise and participate in children's activities and field trips.
• Ensure constant supervision of the children.
• Maintain accurate participant/program records and daily notes on each child as required.
• Participate in parent-teacher conferences; make referrals based on the needs of the child when necessary.
• Clean and disinfect toys and tables and conduct daily safety inspection of play areas, classroom, playground, etc.
• Must maintain compliance with DHS and CACFP requirements.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience:

• Current Child Development Associate (CDA) Certification or equivalent Child Development College credits (24).
• Six months of experience working in a childcare setting.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of child development from six weeks to eleven years of age.
• Knowledge of health and safety precautions, sanitation/cleaning techniques, and emergency response.
• Skills in managing and guiding children's behavior.
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with a diverse population, parents, children, and other professionals.
• The ability to assist with outdoor activities.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and meet the high level of physical movement needed to care for young children.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft office programs and other general office equipment.
• Ability to work respectfully and communicate effectively with different cultures, groups, and languages.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Valid MN Drivers' License, access to reliable transportation, and the ability to meet TFP's driving record requirements.

The Family Partnership requires employees to be vaccinated as a condition of employment, subject to reasonable accommodation required by law.

ORGANIZATION SUMMARY: For more than 140 years, The Family Partnership has built strong families, vital communities, and better futures for children. We fulfill our mission through counseling, education, and advocacy, primarily in the greater Minneapolis and St. Paul area.

We Believe: Families, no matter what their form, are the foundation of strong communities.

Our Purpose Is To: Clear the path for family success.

We Pursue This By:

• Championing the two-generation approach
• Preventing and overcoming adverse childhood experiences
• Demonstrating leadership in thought and action

• Building partnerships based on trust.

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of The Family Partnership. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQI and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, disability, marital status, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, genetic information or a protected veteran's status.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the recruiting process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

The Family Partnership participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.