Head Start Teacher

Overview of Easterseals Serving DC | MD | VA

Who We Are

Including Individuals. Empowering Families. Strengthening Communities.℠

Easterseals DC MD VA (www.eseal.org) is leading the way to full equity, inclusion, and access through direct and life-changing disability and community services. 

Since 1945, Easterseals DC MD VA has worked tirelessly to enhance quality of life and expand access to healthcare, education, and employment. And we won’t rest until each one of us is valued, respected, and accepted.

We take a holistic approach, providing comprehensive services to thousands of children and adults in our neighborhoods, no matter their disability, military status, income, race, or age: To help each child reach their full potential, we provide personalized child development and early intervention services. To improve health and reduce isolation in adults with disabilities, we offer engaging activities and expansive resources. To enable military families to integrate into the community, we provide a suite of services, including employment support and mental healthcare. And to sustain families and caregivers, we provide comprehensive services and support.

Together with our partners, we’re reducing poverty and homelessness and improving healthcare and employment by empowering people of all ages and abilities to be full and equal participants in their communities. Join us.

 As the Easterseals affiliate serving Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia, (www.eseal.org) Easterseals DC MD VA works through public-private partnerships to provide community-based services in the most efficient manner possible. These traits were demonstrated in the opening our Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Inter-Generational Center, which has quickly become an international model of excellence for delivering superior outcomes, including creating meaningful connections between generations. It was opened through visionary partnership among local, state, and national governments, as well as private individual, corporate, and foundation investment. The shared resources created a maximum return on investment for the community. Through a variety of resources, Easterseals provides information and guidance about how to navigate changing needs within our communities.

Easterseals DC MD VA, we know that creating a hopeful, inclusive community where all people realize their potential and live meaningful lives can be done only when we value our greatest asset – our staff. More than 200 employees across the greater Washington, DC area, from Hagerstown, Maryland, to Falls Church, Virginia, value the rewarding work that enables Easterseals to lead the way to 100% equity, inclusion, and access for people with disabilities, families, and communities.

If you want to do well while doing good, Easterseals DC MD VA may be the place for you.

Core Values

Our entire staff shares our Core Values which are an integral component of the success of ESDCMDVA:

• Respect: We respect each other. We value the uniqueness and dignity of each individual and appreciate the strength of diversity and inclusion. 
• Responsibility: We share a sense of responsibility for doing things right, being good stewards and being accountable for our actions. 
• Integrity: We conduct business ethically with a commitment to moral integrity and we expect people to hold a high moral standard. We communicate openly, honestly and directly. 
• Innovation: We embrace new ideas, take measured risks and find better ways to help more people. 
• Care: We show compassion for others and continue to live our mission each day. 

Easterseals Job Description

Job Title: Head Start Teacher

Department: Head Start

Location: Marlboro Pike

Reports to: Senior Director, Head Start 

FLSA Classification: Non-Exempt

Job Summary:

Job Title: Head Start Teacher 

Supervisor’s Title: Head Start Director

The teacher is responsible for a Head Start classroom of 3 to 5-year-old children. S/he works collaboratively with an assistant teacher, family members and other staff to achieve positive outcomes for children of all abilities.

Job Responsibilities:

CLASS™ teacher-child interactions:

• Provide emotional support through establishing a positive climate, being aware of and responsive to children, and encouraging child expression and autonomy.

• Use strategies for behavior management, such as clear behavior expectations, being proactive and redirecting misbehavior.

• Foster classroom productivity and maximize learning time, while engaging children with a variety of modalities and materials.

• Provide instructional support through concept development, fostering children’s analysis and reasoning, engaging in feedback loops, and modeling and supporting high-quality language.

Learning environment: 

Curriculum:

• Implement BBCF Head Start’s chosen curriculum with fidelity, being aware of the big ideas while also following all assigned guidance and resources.

• Prepare or modify weekly lesson plans and prepare to implement small-group activities, readalouds, circle time, and other curriculum components.

• Provide children with a consistent classroom routine and facilitate all parts of the routine to support child learning.

• Interact with children intentionally throughout the day to provide differentiated support.

Child assessment:

• Collect documentation of children through ongoing observation, embedded and direct assessment activities.

• Complete quarterly assessment checkpoints for each child.

• Analyze child assessment data and use it to plan and individualize.

Meeting all children’s needs:

• Complete developmental and social-emotional screenings on all children within prescribed time frames.

• Complete weekly Individualized Learning Plans to identify specific goals and strategies for each child in class.

• Integrate Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or referral action plans for children with diagnosed or suspected special needs.

Working with families:

• Establish positive and productive relationships with families through building rapport and trust.

• Schedule and complete two home visits and two parent-teacher conferences each year.

• Encourage and engage family members to serve as classroom volunteers.

• Collaborate with family services staff to support families in implementing family life practices, extending learning into the home, and meeting expectations for attendance.

Professional growth and collaboration:

• Participate in ongoing reflective coaching and self-assessment.

• Collaborate with assistant teacher and other staff in the center.

• Share pertinent information with family services, disabilities/mental health or health/nutrition staff, as needed, to meet the needs of individual children and families. Participate in case conferences as appropriate.

In addition, the teacher will:

• Know and understand BBCF Head Start’s School Readiness Goals and strive to help all children achieve them.

• Provide classroom experiences that are developmentally, linguistically, culturally and age appropriate for the children served.

• Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment, including full supervision of children at all times, in accordance with Head Start and childcare licensing requirements.

• Conduct daily health/safety monitoring of the indoor and (as requested) outdoor environment.

• Follow all health and hygiene practices, including hand-washing, sanitizing, and universal precautions.

• Supervise mealtimes and “family style dining” with children.

• Supervise all classroom field trips and outdoor activities.

• Maintain required documentation of activities, including child and family information,

assessment data, volunteer logs, etc.

Requirements:

• AA/AS in Early Childhood Education OR BA/BS in Early Childhood Education –OR state awarded preschool teacher certification with experience teaching preschool aged children–

• Bilingual Spanish- English preferred

• Pass physical examination, background check, and fingerprinting screen, and maintain required Physical/TB screen requirements.

• Intermediate computer literacy in email, word processing and internet navigation.

• Able to lift a child weighing 40 pounds, 20 times a day if needed.

• Obtain certification in CPR and First Aid.