Early Childhood Lead Teacher (Pre-K through 1st Grade)

Creative Minds International Public Charter School (CMIPCS) is a tuition-free public charter school located in NW Washington, DC, authorized to serve students from preschool through 8th grade. Now in its ninth year of operation, CMIPCS serves over 500 students in Preschool (3-year-olds) through 8th grade.

Our mission is to provide students with the foundational skills required for successful participation in a global society. CMI is a unique and dynamic working environment with a respectful and positive school culture. We offer a highly-engaging, international curriculum with project- and arts-based activities with an emphasis in STEAM that foster creativity, self-motivation, social and emotional development, and academic excellence.

The Position:

Early Childhood Education (ECE) lead teachers at CMIPCS provide rich, age-appropriate learning experiences for the classroom of Pre-Kindergarten - 1st grade students. Early Childhood Education Lead teachers, along with 1 assistant teacher, utilize an international curriculum, along with arts-integration, play and inclusion practices to teach a diverse student body. They encourage and respect individuality, focusing on the development of each child’s regulation and engagement in social-emotional learning and academic content. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Establishing clear objectives for all lessons, units, projects, and assessments;
• Developing lesson plans that draw content from CMI professional development in the areas of arts integration and child development to reinforce student learning;
• Using a variety of instructional materials, resources, and experiences to enrich student learning;
• Meeting the needs, interests and abilities for all students, including students with disabilities, ELL students, and those who are gifted and talented;
• Administering CMI’s developmental assessment for each child and tracking students’ progress through the developmental milestones required for successful communication, self-regulation, and social interaction;
• Regularly observing students and taking anecdotal notes to inform planning in the arrangement of small groups, classroom set up, integrations of students’ interests in learning activities, and subsequent assessments;
• Monitoring student progress through frequent formal and informal student evaluations recorded in portfolio assessments;
• Providing educational opportunities that reflects an understanding of students’ unique sensory and information processing profiles;
• Using appropriate techniques and strategies that promote and enhance creative problem-solving, and evaluative thinking of students;
• Working with families to support the progress of individual students;
• Valuing the importance of play and providing opportunities for child-initiated explorations in the classroom throughout the day;
• Using effective, positive, respectful interpersonal communication skills;
• Establishing positive relationships with colleagues, students, families and the community which reflect recognition of and respect for every individual;
• Willingness or experience incorporating instructional technology into practice;
• Attend a two-week summer institute and other required professional development sessions.

Desired Qualities

• Excellent verbal/written communication skills;
• Demonstrated ability to engage the interest of school-age children;
• Prior teaching experience, preferably in an elementary urban setting;
• Demonstrated ability to work well with parents;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with teaching teams;
• Patience, flexibility, and a willingness to take risks;
• Consistently reflects on her/his own teaching practices;
• Experience working with linguistically and ethnically diverse student populations and children with developmental differences;
• Demonstrated commitment to professional growth and eagerness to learn;
• Demonstrated commitment to the well-being and success of all students.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree (required), Education degree (preferred);
• Praxis I; Elementary Praxis II (successful completion preferred, eligibility required);

Creative Minds International PCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Personnel are chosen on the basis of ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation, in accordance with federal and state law.