First Class PreK/Head Start Teacher

The Head Start 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.

Essential Duties & 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:

• Ensure classroom arrangement, materials and displays are organized and conducive to children’s learning.

Curriculum:

• Implement GRECS’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, read-alouds, 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, reliably, 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 theme-based Individualized Learning Plans to identify specific goals and implement developmentally appropriate 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
• Follow all guidance and expectations to support of Shine On, Families initiative

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 GRECS’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.
• Participates in assigned meetings, events and training as required.

Non-Essential Duties:

• Performs any and all other duties as assigned.

Job Specifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to carry out each essential duty in a satisfactory manner. The job specifications listed below are representative of the education and experience as well as the knowledge, skill and/or ability (KSAs) required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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–OR- BA/BS in related field with at least 30 hours in Early Childhood Education plus experience teaching children. BA Highly preferred.
• Bilingual (Spanish) preferred
• Physical exam and background checks are required for this position.
• Travel required locally or long-distance up to occasionally for work-related meetings and functions.
• Must have reliable transportation.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Ability to interact effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated computer literacy skills, using MS Office applications and other basic data systems including internet navigation.
• Must be honest, dependable and able to meet deadlines.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit most of the time with some bending and reaching.
• Ability to stand, walk, and bend periodically.
• Ability to engage in repetitive movement of wrists, hands, and fingers – typing and/or writing.
• Ability to work frequently at close visual range (i.e. preparing and analyzing data and figures, accounting, transcription, computer terminal, extensive reading).
• Ability to receive and respond to oral communication.
• Ability to exert up to 10 pounds of force to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and healthy workplace.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $47,600.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $47,600