Description

Conveniently located on Campus, The Nursery provides an environment for children, six weeks to pre-kindergarten, to thrive and explore the world around them through a hands-on learning environment.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Nursery Teacher is responsible for the care and education of a group of children as part of a teaching team and functions as a team leader, or co-leader. The Nursery Teacher plans and implements the curriculum, and, with active participation of other members of the teaching team, works with parents and assesses the needs of individual children.

Supervisor: Director and Assistant Director of Nursery Operations

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Position Status: Salaried, Non-Exempt, Full-Time, Regular

Position Annual Schedule: 10-Month paid semi-monthly across 12 months

Hours of Work: Standard work week: Monday through Friday and the core hours are 7am to 4pm - Evening and weekend work may be required.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Establish and Maintain a Safe and Healthy Environment

• Establishes and maintains an environment for children that is clean, safe, and stimulating and that is appropriate for each child’s developmental level
• Maintains classroom appearance, décor, and learning environment
• Assumes an equal share of the joint housekeeping responsibilities of the staff
• Designs and implements room arrangement that supports the goals of the classroom
• Promotes healthy eating practices

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Advance Each Child’s Motor and Intellectual Competence

• Provides supportive emerging literacy and language development in response to each individual child’s interest through whole language experiences
• Implements a curriculum that fosters the construction of mathematical knowledge through hands-on activities
• Designs and implement activities that foster the development of physical knowledge
• Follows an integrated curriculum that meets the needs of each child 
• Utilizes equipment and materials for indoor and outdoor play that promotes each child’s fine and gross motor development.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Support Each Child’s Social and Emotional Development and Provide Positive Guidance

• Designs and implements a program that is tailored to the needs of the individual child, his/her pace of learning, and takes into consideration each child’s culture and socioeconomic background
• Ensures that each child, co-worker, and parent are treated with dignity and respect
• Helps each child, co-worker, and parent to become aware of his/her role as an integral member of a family unit / group
• Plans and implements a curriculum that reflects the diversity of the group and of the larger world
• Maintains an environment that provides for the development of each child’s self-esteem; plan and implement hands-on activities that develop self-esteem

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Establish a Positive and Productive Relationship with Families

• Partners with parent(s) / guardian(s) to focus on the development of each child’s strengths and abilities
• Ensures timely responses to family inquiries
• Utilizes positive guidance techniques and a variety of creative and expressive activities
• Gathers information from team members to provide well-rounded feedback to families
• Serves as the first-line recipient for parent concerns, notifying the Preschool Director of concerns that are of a more serious nature 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Ensure a Well-Run, Purposeful Program, that is Responsive to Participants Needs

• Plans and implements the curriculum in accordance with the policies and philosophy of the program
• Maintains daily, weekly, and monthly written plans that reflect the individual interest and abilities of each child
• Observes and documents each child’s progress through anecdotal notes, development checklists, portfolio assessments, and other tools
• Ensures all documentation is in compliance within agency guidelines, including timeframes and deadlines; ensure compliance with Bright From the Start requirements
• Supervises and supports other Teachers, and volunteers

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Maintain a Commitment to Professionalism

• Attends all staff meetings, parent meetings, and other required meetings and in-service trainings
• Maintains professionalism, flexibility, and consistency
• Maintains confidentiality at all times
• Adheres to work schedule, ensuring consistently on-time arrival for work; strictly follow established protocol and procedure for clocking in and out
• Maintains a positive, professional, respectful relationship with all children, co-workers, families and visitors
• Performs other duties as assigned

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• At least 18 years of age
• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field
• Professionally prepared as a teacher of young children
• Able to meet the requirements of the State Licensing Agency, Bright From the Start, which includes but is not limited to, a National Fingerprint background check and additional training to be completed annually
• Possess current/valid CPR and First Aid Certification or willing to obtain once employed
• Ability to interact effectively with a broad constituency while representing the school with professionalism and enthusiasm
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality
• Team player with a positive attitude, proactive approach, and customer-service mindset
• Demonstrated commitment to early childhood development and teaching
• Ability to successfully carry out responsibilities with little supervision

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle and feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl; talk and hear; engage in moderately strenuous physical activity both indoors and out; and smell. The employee may occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions and may frequently walk on slippery or uneven surfaces. The noise level in the work environment is frequently loud.

TRAVEL

Travel is primarily local during the regular business day.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Westminster is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment. It is Westminster’s policy to provide equal employment opportunities and administer terms and conditions of employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. EOE/M/F/D/V.

Note: This position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work to be performed by employees within this classification. This position description should not be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities required or assigned to an employee in this position. Nothing contained in this position description restricts Westminster’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this position at any time.

Qualifications