Substitute Teacher

Position Purpose

A Substitute Teacher is a member of the classroom team who fills vacant classroom positions on a short-term basis. A Substitute Teacher helps plan and implement learning experiences for Early Head Start and Head Start children that promote social, emotional, physical and intellectual development. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Effective Teaching Practices

• Assist in planning, implementation and involvement of children with special needs; assists with observation, documentation, referral and follow up with these children.

Content Area Domains

• Assist Teacher and Teacher Assistant with preparation and implementation of a classroom curriculum that complies with Head Start Outcomes Framework and Performance Standards, NAEYC, funding and regulatory guidelines and corporate policies.
• Assist in planning and implementation of bilingual and multicultural activities that reflect cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the children and that introduce them to other cultures.
• Integrate Child Inc. components into the curriculum by assisting in planning and implementing of health, nutrition, mental health, self-awareness and self-concept activities for all children.
• Assist Teacher and Teacher Assistant with development of both individualized and classroom lesson plans based on the assessed needs of the child and which reflect each child's interests and learning style and which are developmentally and age appropriate.

Learning Environments

• Work to assure the environment is language-rich; talks to and with children throughout the day.
• Assure the environment is orderly, clean, visually appealing and literacy rich; supervises children at all times and situations.

Collaborative Service Delivery

• Responsible, with Teacher and Teacher Assistant, for involving parents in program, center and classroom activities, training and parent-child homework.
• Help recruit and orient volunteers, both parents and members of the community.

Observation, Analysis, Planning, and Documentation

• Assist in observation and assessment of all children, using the Portage and Get Ready to Read instruments; report and document concerns/insights in any area; assist in referring as needed.
• Maintain accurate paperwork; comply with deadlines.
• Complete Incident Report Forms if children being supervised are injured or placed at risk; complete Employee Report of Injury if self or coworker is injured while at work.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (cont.)

Communication

• Develop relationships with center staff and with parents so that ongoing family needs assessments and referrals, as needed, can be made.

Professionalism

• Assure confidentiality of all program information and family and staff confidentiality by limiting conversation about them and accessibility to their records.
• Maintain professional boundaries in relationship to staff and families.
• Complete all required paperwork and reports by assigned deadlines.
• Comply with Child Inc. Personnel Policies and Procedures and with Standards of Conduct.

Personal and Professional Development

• Attend and participate in weekly team meetings, all pre-service, in-service, and any other training deemed necessary by the Center Manager.
• Further professional growth by seeking feedback, reflecting on and assessing own practice, and taking opportunities to improve skill and knowledge.
• Any person who suspects child abuse or neglect is required to report suspicions to the appropriate agency (as defined below) within 48 hours after the abuse or neglect is first suspected.[1]

Performs other duties as assigned.

General Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to be flexible with work assignments and work schedules.
• Knowledge of Head Start Standards and federal, state and local regulations as they apply to grant funded program mandates.
• Excellent communication skills, especially good listening skills.
• Ability to read, rapidly comprehend and correctly interpret regulations, policies and procedures.
• Must have the ability to work and maintain high standards of professional ethics with persons of different racial, ethnic, economic and social backgrounds.

Staff Relationships

• Responsible to the Center Operations Manager.
• Works with center staff.
• Work closely Center Operations Manager, content area specialists, supervisors and staff to implement a successful high-quality program.

• Cooperate with all Child Inc. staff in attaining overall agency goals.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School Diploma
• At least three (3) months experience working with children infant to 5 years.
• Proficient computer skills.
• The ability to understand, interpret and apply Child Inc. policies and procedures.
• Ability to work at any center regardless of location as assigned.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
• Must be certified in Pediatric First Aid and Pediatric CPR within 30 days of employment.
• Must obtain a physical and TB skin test and must pass all criminal history background checks.

Working Conditions:

The demands described are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Occasional environmental exposures to cold, heat, and water.
• In-area and out-of-area travel.
• Ability to stand and sit several hours at a time, walk short distances, squat to sit on a small chair and later return to a standing position, bend or stoop to place objects from standing position to a table surface, and kneel on the floor/ground in an upright position to interact with children close to their eye level, quickly transferring up and down from this position to standing.

Ability to lift, push/pull objects or pick up children weighing up to 50 pounds.

[1] Appropriate agencies are defined as follows by the Texas Family Code: 1) any local or state Law Enforcement Agency; 2) the department, if the alleged or suspected abuse involves a person responsible for the care, custody or welfare of a child; 3) the state agency that operates, licenses, certifies, or registers the facility in which the alleged abuse occurred: 40 the agency designated by the court to be responsible for the protection of children.