JOB SUMMARY:

**** Pay Range $21 hourly ****

Responsible for developing and implementing a high quality, nurturing, anti-bias, developmentally appropriate environment, utilizing the YWCA’s Anti-Bias Curriculum for a diverse classroom. Maintain a safe environment for children by providing work direction for classroom staff. Responsible for the daily care, education, and nurturing of children enrolled in the classroom along with a team of staff and for tracking and reporting the child’s progress in social, emotional, language, literacy, cognitive and physical development center and to parents/guardians. When applicable takes work direction from and supports Teacher 2 and Lead Teacher.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Day to day responsibilities

• Develop and implement age appropriate curriculum based on the YWCA’s anti-bias and We Care curriculum using themes and classroom observations.
• Supervise children at all times ensuring attendance tracking is completed on a regular basis.

• Foster and maintain a safe and healthy learning environment.
• Provide nurturing, culturally sensitive care for each child.
• Assess, document and report children’s progress in social, emotional, language, literacy, cognitive and physical development for reporting assessment, data needs and building curriculum.
• Understand and interpret the YWCA mission to children, families, and staff.
• Foster and model cultural sensitivity to the families we serve.
• Ensure all DHS Rule standards are maintained in classroom at all times.
• Assist in maintaining governing agencies compliance at all times (DHS Rule 3, NAEYC, Parent Aware, and CACFP.)
• Assure emergency procedures are understood and practiced.
• Ensure individual child assessments and child portfolios are up to date and current.
• With center teams, , develop and implement behavioral management strategies.
• Participate and lead parent-teacher conferences and other meetings as needed.
• Provide back up support for other Teachers and Lead Teachers as needed.

• Attend all staff training days and complete required number of DHS in-service hours yearly.
• Punctual and consistent attendance. Ready to go into the classroom at beginning of shift.

RELATIONSHIPS:

This position reports to the Early Childhood Education Director who reports to the ECE Director of Operations. Lead Teachers will interact with Teachers, Assistant Teachers and Teacher Aides, ECE Specialist, volunteers, students, and parents.

COMPETENCIES:

Skills, knowledge and attributes necessary to perform the job

Organization:

• The role of a Teacher 1 calls for strong attention to detail, and a consistent and reliable positive attitude;
• Provide well-planned lessons, easily accessible materials and a safe and inviting classroom.
• Lesson plans are submitted for approval two weeks before implementation
• Highly organized and able to create structure and routine.

Communication:

• Clear and concise communicator. Proven ability to clearly explain expectations and rules to young children.
• Active listener who understands what children are saying and is able to effectively identify any problems they may be having.
• Provides clear and frequent communication to families and builds strong partnerships.
• Manages conflict and deals with issues respectfully and directly.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Classroom Management:

• Uses effective classroom management strategies to create a positive learning environment for all children while still providing individualized attention.
• Establish daily routines, and manage transitions between activities.
• Manages professional communication through center approved methods: ProCare, daily in person communication, YWCA email, YWCA phones, conferences, parent meetings, YWCA forms
• Notify leadership of any programming needs, curriculum supplies, equipment, and repair needs in the classroom.
• Uses time efficiently, effectively, and wisely.

Lesson Planning:

• Plan developmentally appropriate lessons that meet each child’s needs.
• Be flexible in their planning and able to adjust lessons quickly if necessary.
• Strong understanding of early childhood development and the key milestones that children reach in each developmental domain.
• Submit content for newsletters and center communication.

Behavioral Management:

• Effective process/system to respond to challenging behavior effectively including using positive reinforcement and establishing rules and boundaries in their classroom.
• Look for the need children are expressing through their behaviors and create and carry out solutions to meet those needs.
• Thoroughly document behaviors including classroom accommodations and assist in development of behavior plans.

Recordkeeping:

• Maintain accurate and up to date records; help identify concerns and track each child’s progress.
• Accurate attendance tracking
• Contribute to the NAEYC Accreditation process including the completion and updating of classroom portfolios.
• Ensure all child assessments and child portfolios are up to date and current.

Child Development:

• Strong understanding of early childhood development and the key milestones that children reach in each developmental domain.
• Provide appropriate curriculum and plan activities that nurture each child’s physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional growth.
• Ability to spot concerns or developmental delays.

Health and Safety:

• First Aid and CPR certified.
• Additional health and safety training on emergency procedures
• Maintain a high level of health and safety to ensure child well-being.
• Assure emergency procedures are known and practiced.

Technology and Training:

• Basic understanding of how to use ECE Software
• Complete and maintain required DHS and YWCA required training and in-service.

Emotional Intelligence:

• Ability to be emotionally mature when handling the behavioral and personality difference children exhibit.
• Exhibits compassion showing care, patience, kindness and support to each student, seeking to understand their situation.
• Actively seeks and accepts feedback; looks at mistakes as learning opportunities.
• Uses good judgement in solving problems, building solutions, and in recommending or making decisions.

Collaboration and Teamwork:

• Ability to work cooperatively and effectively with other ECE staff.
• Exhibits a clear understanding of their role in the team and provide ready support to other to achieve a common goal.
• Creates respectful and trusting working relationships

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A minimum of one year of experience working in Early Childhood Education.
• Meet Minnesota DHS Rule 3 Teacher qualifications, including yearly in service requirements.
• Strong interpersonal relationship skills.

• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to write professional reports, newsletter articles and correspondence when needed.
• Current First Aid and CPR certifications

Preferred:

• AA or BA in Child Development or Early Childhood Education. Education and/or Experience could be varianced if needed.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Employee is regularly required to talk or hear, stand, walk, sit, use hands and fingers, handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Frequently is required to climb or balance and taste or smell.
• Regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception.
• Frequently exposed to outside weather conditions and exposure to illness.
• Noise level in the work environment is frequently loud.
• Individual must have the ability to get to and from various sites/events/meetings in the metro area on an occasional basis.
• It is an expectation that this position fluctuates hours based on the ECE Center and association needs; work in various classrooms and at the other sites as the need arises.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, stand, walk, sit, use hands and fingers, handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee frequently is required to climb or balance and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception. Individual must have the ability to get to and from various sites/events/meetings in the metro area on an occasional basis.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: This job description represents the major functions but is not intended to be all-inclusive.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) STATEMENT: YWCA Minneapolis is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees