Lead Pre-K Teacher

Lead Teacher

Little Sharks Learning Center

Job Overview
We are seeking a passionate and dedicated Lead Pre-School Teacher to join our educational team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in early childhood education and a commitment to fostering a nurturing and stimulating environment for young learners. This role involves following engaging lesson plans, facilitating learning through play, and supporting the developmental needs of each child in the classroom.

Criteria:

• Must be 21 years or older.
• Have a fun, flexible, kind & caring heart towards children and others.
• Desire to pour into the young lives of our future generation, through developmentally appropriate practices.
• Background in working with young children.
• Able to pass background & fingerprint screening, as well as, a drug test.
• Ability to work well with others.
• Ability to follow daily routines and lesson plans.
• Complete the mandatory DCF requirements and hours.
• Ability to maintain all VPK certifications by mid-April.
• CPR & First Aid Certification.

Purpose: To provide a warm, nurturing, safe and loving environment where self concepts are enhanced, independence encouraged and individuality respected.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Policies, Professionalism and Procedures

• Organizes the group's environment and takes responsibility for maintaining it, including general upkeep.
• Practices personal health and safety procedures throughout the day.
• Maintains proper sanitation in the classroom.
• Practice effective hand washing.
• Initiates conversation about good nutrition.
• Enforces safety rules.
• Notifies leadership team of count or if out of ratio.
• Sits with class to eat and serves in a relaxed atmosphere.
• Ensures meal roster is maintained.
• Willing to make changes in approach and curriculum.
• Flexible in job assignment and cooperative with leadership team and other team members.
• Training of helpers and support team to maintain on a daily basis.
• Involves group in general upkeep and tidiness.
• Maintains confidentiality.
• Dresses appropriately according to dress code.
• Participates in team meetings - is prepared to discuss group and personal responsibilities (e.g.. class activities, lesson plans, parent interaction, and other delegated duties).
• Exhibits flexibility with other team members.
• Maintains a positive attitude toward work, coworkers, children, and families.
• Knows the general center routine and sees that it is followed.
• Understand and accept responsibility for training other team members as assigned.

Parent Interaction

• Has consistent professional, child/work-related, and positive interaction with all parents.
• Consistently follows the pick-up procedures.
• Makes sure all written communication is approved through the leadership team and that all verbal communication is approved through the lead teacher.
• Initiates contacts with all parents.
• Reads communication log sheets consistently each day.
• Completes needed daily reports and incident reports.
• Communicates with a First Aid/Meds person regarding all accidents and illnesses.
• Interaction is usually child/work related and positive.

Interaction with Children

• Classroom and day is child oriented.
• Classroom activities encourage the development of language skills.
• Incorporates open-ended questions on a daily basis.
• Children have opportunities to talk about their experiences and engage in conversation.
• Describes objects and events and adds to what the child says.
• Reads books and poems to children.
• Accepts and encourages pre-writing efforts (scribbling, drawing, copying, and inventive spelling).
• Encourages thinking, reasoning, and self-expression.
• Accepts/respects children’s questions.
• Encourages children to express possible solutions/answers.
• Has frequent and positive interaction with children.
• Assists in transition into group setting.
• Engage in meaningful conversation.
• Speaks to the child at child’s level (bends low).
• Upon arrival and throughout the day initiates contact with all children.
• Demonstrates affection by smiling, appropriate touching, and speaking in a calm voice.
• Is an example before the children.
• Balances time spent with each child.
• Helps to promote cooperative and positive social behavior among children.
• Plans activities that encourage cooperation rather than competition.
• Acknowledges sharing, caring and helping.
• Creates spaces for children to work and play together.
• Assists children with entering a play situation.
• Assists children in problem solving.
• Helps a child understand the actions of another.
• Plans activities that encourage cooperation rather than competition.
• Is aware of medications, allergies, food intolerances, etc.
• Avoids unnecessary conversation with team members while supervising children.
• Makes sure all areas are supervised.
• Aware of the presence or absence of all children while supervising.
• Interacts with children while supervising.
• Is responsive to children.
• Listens to children with attention and respect.
• Responds to children’s ideas and suggestions.
• Acknowledges/verbalizes children’s feelings.
• Children are generally comfortable, happy, relaxed, and engaged in activities.
• Materials, activities, and interactions promote positive self-esteem.
• Materials and activities enable children to experience success most of the time.
• Uses children’s names in positive interactions.
• Displays children’s artwork at children’s eye level.
• Listens and responds respectfully to other adults and children.
• Attentive and loving to children; smiles, holds, and touches when children require.
• Maintains child hygiene.
• Encourages children to develop self-help skills that are appropriate to their age. (Washing their hands, taking care of personal belongings, picking up learning materials, wiping spills, etc.)
• Transitions between activities are not overly regimented or structured.
• Prepares new activities ahead of time. Does not always move children as a group from one area to another
• Gives children advance notice about change of activity.
• Does not require children to “wait” for long periods of time for another activity to begin.
• Displays respect for cultural diversity.
• Includes materials and activities that promote understanding of diversity in curriculum.
• Makes opportunities to discuss the value of differences.
• Intervenes to stop teasing and rejection due to race and/or physical characteristics.

Discipline Methods

• Acts as a role model.
• Communicates with parents in an appropriate and approved manner.
• Understands and properly uses the discipline policy.
• Looks for cause of behavior
• Redirects.
• Restates rules.
• Recognizes positive behavior.
• Is consistent and follows through.
• Uses positive language.
• Exhibits self-control.
• Has knowledge of rules and policies and follows them in all circumstances.

**Planning and Preparation of Lessons and Environment

• Keeps a record of activities.
• Lesson plans are easily accessible and easy to follow in case of absence.
• Plans are developmentally appropriate for each child.
• Integrates supplementary activities into the daily schedule that are age-appropriate and relevant to children’s learning.
• Each activity or learning center has an objective.
• The written lesson plan is flexible and is adjusted to meet the needs and interests of children.
• Each planned activity has some form of evaluation.
• Makes on-going observations of each child and routinely makes formal age-appropriate assessments of developmental progress.
• Observations and assessments are used to individualize curriculum planning.
• Plans are child-oriented and clearly presented to children.
• Posts written plans weekly in advance in the room and meets all areas of development.
• Art
• Self-help skills
• Music
• Small motor
• Large motor
• Food activity
• Reading
• Active and quiet times
• Indoor and outdoor activities
• Child and staff initiated activities
• Individual/small group/large group activities (Infants and Toddlers are not expected to participate as a large group.)
• Activities encourage creative expression (children move with music, assume roles in dramatic play, use art material to represent their ideas and feelings, etc.)
• Basic math and science concepts are presented through age-appropriate materials/activities.
• The environment is well-rounded with a wide variety of material for the children at all times.
• Modifications are made to accommodate special needs children.
• Classroom is arranged to encourage children to participate in a variety of age-appropriate activities.
• Space is arranged prior to the arrival of children.
• There is a balance of furniture and space.
• A number of learning centers are available for children’s choice.
• Furniture is arranged to encourage appropriate behavior.
• Materials and equipment in the classroom are ample, safe, and appropriate to the developmental needs of children.
• The use of television, films and video tape is limited.
• Plans include provision for children who do not wish to participate in a particular activity.
• Multicultural materials are evident (posters, books, music, dolls, etc.).

Reporting Relationships:

Reports directly to the Director for lesson planning issues and the leadership team members to which they are assigned for all other issues.

Reporting Authority:

Directly responsible for assistant teachers, aids and/or staff as assigned

Limits of Authority:

1. May take action without informing: assign staff responsibilities within the program; change a scheduled daily activity; change room arrangement; discipline child; discuss child's activity with parent.

2. May take action but must inform: parents about sick child; change curriculum for program; leave the building with children.

3. Must have prior approval to: transfer child to another class; remove a staff person; order new equipment; release child to unauthorized person; take time off; refer parent to outside resources; change shift hours of staff or teacher.

Requirements:

• Must have one of the following:
• An Associate degree or higher in Child Care Administration or Early Childhood Education.
• A CDA or related credential or be enrolled and actively working on
• A NAC Credential from NICCM or another organization
• Specific requirements set by minimum standards and/or accreditation
• A minimum of 2 years experience as a worker in the field of early childhood in an organization of comparable scope
• Ability to relate joyfully and sensitively to children.
• Good spelling, and grammar.
• Ability to organize the flow of a busy classroom.
• Ability to handle detailed work.
• Must be able to relate and interact appropriately and professionally with children.
• Must be able to lift a minimum of 35 pounds and do position as physically required.
• Physical stamina – must be able to bend, stand, sit on the floor etc.
• Must be available for continuous employment without gaps other than those allowed in the“Employee Temporary Leaves and/or Absences” section of the Employee handbook.
• Tact, discretion and good judgment.
• Ability to speak distinctly and to communicate verbally with clients.
• Evidence of emotional maturity and stability including the ability to separate personal (emotional) with business/work (facts).
• Professional in dress, appearance and overall speech.
• Ability to train and supervise other employees of varying educational and socio-economic backgrounds as requested.
• Ability to recognize and to record significant individual and group behavior.
• Evidence of sufficient security and judgment to handle crisis situations.
• Be in agreement with philosophy, mission and overall direction of program.
• Must be able to support the director and owner/board in all decisions.

Professional Development **

• Maintains necessary and needed training annually to stay current in professional area
• Maintains First Aid and CPR.
• Maintains state minimum required training hours for child care worker/teacher
• Attends mandatory team meetings including special group meetings.
• Attends open houses and programs for parents.
• Maintains Universal Precautions training.
• Maintains Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting Training.

Time Commitment:

32-40 hrs. a week. Minimum-20 hrs. a week.

Join our Family, as we make a positive impact on the lives of young children throughout the community! We are looking to hire by early April, and begin training soon there after, as we prepare to open up our new facility in Port St. Joe.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $14.00 - $18.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Paid time off

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Preferred)

Experience:

• Early childhood education: 5 years (Required)

Language:

• English (Required)

License/Certification:

• CPR Certification (Preferred)
• First Aid Certification (Preferred)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Port Saint Joe, FL 32456 (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $14 - $18