Preschool Head Teacher

SALARY RANGE: $54,630 – $114,862 annually based on degree and student contact hours

JOB SUMMARY

The Head Teacher serves as a collaborative leader within Mid-Pacific’s Reggio Emilia-inspired Preschool program. Members of the preschool team are partners, teammates, and collaborators who share responsibility for all aspects of the team process. The quality of children’s learning experiences depends upon consistent, clear communication, the co-construction of perspectives, and a shared commitment to observing, analyzing, and reflecting upon children’s work to inform curriculum development.

The Head Teacher fosters a learning environment grounded in the belief that children are capable, competent, and rich in their thinking and experiences. Working in partnership with the Pedagogista, Atelierista, Teachers, and Assistant Teachers, the Head Teacher contributes to a culture of inquiry, collaboration, and reflective practice. This includes maintaining an openness to questioning, sharing hypotheses about classroom work, and engaging in ongoing analysis of documentation—including conversations, observations, digital stills, audio, video, and other artifacts of learning—to frame curriculum and support children's growth.

The Head Teacher demonstrates a strong understanding of early childhood development, developmentally appropriate practice, and the core principles of Reggio-inspired education, including relationships, documentation, collaboration, the image of the child, parents as partners, the environment as the third teacher, teacher as researcher, and reflective practice. The Head Teacher remains engaged in ongoing research into best practices in early childhood education, approaches the work with flexibility and openness to possibilities, values the collaborative process, and serves as a researcher of children’s learning to support meaningful curriculum development.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

The Head Teacher is ultimately responsible for the team members and children entrusted to his/her area of responsibility. These oversight responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following.

Classroom Leadership, Student Supervision, and Safety

• Provide day-to-day classroom management and supervision, including maintaining a safe learning environment, supporting children in managing their work and relationships in a positive manner, and ensuring all health and safety procedures are followed.
• Oversee the health, safety, and well-being of the children entrusted to the classroom, in collaboration with the Preschool team.
• Provide in-person classroom instruction, supervision, and support to students during the school day.

Documentation, Assessment, and Learning Stories

• Oversee the Learning Story process, including documentation analysis, writing Learning Stories in collaboration with the Teacher and Pedagogista, facilitating team reflection and discussion, and ensuring completion, revision, labeling, and submission of student documentation.
• Work closely with the Pedagogista on the Learning Story for each child and share responsibility with the Teacher in writing Learning Stories.
• Ensure team discussion, analysis, and reflection occur when collecting documentation, making decisions on Learning Stories, and identifying what these stories uncover about each child’s learning.
• Oversee the documentation process, including organizing daily documentation, classroom blogs, galleries, parent education materials, emails, digital files, documentation panels, and other records of children’s learning.
• Analyze and reflect upon the day-to-day work of children based on documentation, including conversations, observations, digital stills, audio, video, and other forms of documentation.
• Collaborate with the Atelierista regarding Learning Story layout, visual presentation, documentation aesthetics, and the final review and editing process.
• Ensure all final student documents are reviewed, organized, labeled, and uploaded to designated annual storage systems by established deadlines.

Curriculum Development, Project Work, and Reggio-Inspired Practice

• Work directly with the Principal and Pedagogista on curriculum development, project work, staff supervision, program development, assessment practices, and participation within the larger school community.
• Confer with the Pedagogista on the development of project work and support the project story.
• Provide insights and observations to support project development and the overall curriculum program.
• Collaborate with members of the Preschool team in the development and implementation of project work and curriculum.
• Maintain a constant cycle or state of research into best practice in early childhood.
• Participate in team discussion, analysis, and reflection when collecting documentation and making decisions regarding children’s learning.

Parent Communication and Family Engagement

• Maintain daily communication with parents through email, phone calls, formal announcements, meetings, and conferences, while maintaining confidentiality and tailoring communication systems to meet the needs of the community.
• Provide timely parent communication by monitoring and responding to incoming emails and phone calls during critical periods of the school day, provided supervision of and interactions with children are not compromised.
• Coordinate parent conferences in collaboration with the Teacher, including preparation of conference summaries and follow-up documentation.
• Protect the confidentiality of children and families and maintain confidentiality regarding children, families, and program information.

Team Leadership, Supervision, and Collaboration

• Supervise, support, and collaborate with Teachers and Assistant Teachers to ensure effective classroom operations, curriculum implementation, and documentation practices.
• Engage in consistent and effective team communication as a valued part of the collaborative process.
• Remain open to the views and opinions expressed by colleagues and foster an atmosphere of respect that values the notion of team.
• Participate in collaboration and problem solving, recognizing that different points of view are necessary to construct new understanding and deepen understanding.
• Address unresolved conflicts or differences through established communication channels, beginning with the Lead Teacher first and, if necessary, then to the entire team, and ultimately, to the Principal.

Classroom Operations, Materials, and Equipment

• Oversee the approval and purchase of classroom materials and supplies.
• Frame and set up the learning environment and flow of the room in collaboration with the Preschool team.
• Ensure the appropriate, safe, and secure use of assigned equipment and technology resources within the classroom.
• Determine the assignment of specific equipment in collaboration with the Pedagogista.

School Community and Professional Responsibilities

• Participate in school events and program activities outside of regular classroom hours, including parent-teacher conferences, open houses, parent education sessions, workshops, performances, and other critical programming needs.
• Maintain regular and predictable attendance at work.

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Participate in the development of a safe and healthy workplace.
• Comply with the instructions given for their own safety and health and that of others, in adhering to safe work procedures.
• Take reasonable care to ensure their own safety and health and that of others.
• Report any injury, hazard or illness immediately to their Supervisor and Human Resources.
• Not place others at risk by any act or omission, not willfully or recklessly interfere with safety equipment.
• Act as a role model by demonstrating safe work behaviors.
• Identify, assess if necessary, and control hazards within the area of responsibility.
• Ensure that equipment/supplies are properly maintained.
• Maintain relevant knowledge of safety laws.
• Mandatory reporting of sexual abuse to law enforcement or child protective services, and Human Resources. Sexual abuse includes child molestation, any actual or alleged illegal or otherwise wrongful sexual conduct with a minor, and serial sexual misconduct, any actual or alleged illegal or otherwise wrongful sexual conduct with more than one victim; and committed by or alleged to have been committed by any perpetrator who is not a student of an included entity.
• Develop safe work procedures and ensure adherence to procedures.
• Ensure compliance of safety policies and procedures.
• Communicate safety issues with employees.
• Ensure that employees are provided with information, instruction, training and supervision that they need to work safely.
• Ensure that employees are aware of and abide by all relevant safety procedures.
• Encourage early reporting of incidents and forward information to Manager and Human Resources immediately.

TEACHER PROFILE

• Fostering Effective Relationships: The Teacher builds positive working relationships with the classroom, school, and local community.
• Establishing an Inclusive Learning Environment: The Teacher creates a safe, caring environment that is inclusive of and engaging for all learners.
• Demonstrating a Professional Body of Knowledge: The Techer shows an understanding of content knowledge and an appreciation for ongoing learning in the discipline.
• Validating a Professional Pedagogy: The Teacher ensures that every student is provided quality and optimum learning experiences.
• Inspiring Instructional Leadership: The Teacher models practices that support evidence-informed teaching and learning and motivates and inspires others to excellence.

QUALIFICATIONS and/or EXPERIENCE

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in early childhood or elementary education with specialization in early childhood; bachelor’s degree in child development; master’s degree preferable.
• Minimum 4 years using the Reggio Emilia approach.

WORK SCHEDULE

This in-person position follows the academic calendar from August through May. Teachers will have the opportunity to enjoy scheduled winter, spring, and summer breaks for rejuvenation.

The Head Teacher works during normal programming hours, beginning at 7:15 am until 2:45 pm. However, this is adjusted as needed (e.g., parent meetings, faculty meetings) and during critical programming (e.g., school performances, parent-teacher conferences, open houses, parent education sessions, workshops hosted by Mid-Pacific for the early childhood community, preparation of Learning Stories). The Head Teacher takes a half-hour lunch break between 12:30-2:00 pm, at an agreed-upon time with the team.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The preschool/elementary campus consists of multiple buildings that require frequent walking on relatively level ground. The employee on a daily basis is required to walk to classrooms, the play court, baseball field, and other buildings located at the preschool/elementary. Some lifting and carrying of children, teaching materials, chairs, and tables up to 10 pounds; movement throughout the day for instruction and supervision of students; frequent bending; frequent reaching for materials, the phone, etc. Some climbing of stairs (daily); walking up a slight hill (daily). Sitting in a normal seated position in a chair or on the floor for extended periods of time, reaching by extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction. Finger dexterity required manipulating objects with fingers rather than with whole hand(s) or arm(s), for example, using a computer keyboard. It is important to see and hear within normal parameters and possess the ability to move about with little to no difficulty.

MENTAL DEMANDS

On a daily basis, employee must frequently problem solve, make decisions, supervise and manage students, interpret data, speak, write, organize, plan, clearly communicate, and collaborate with colleagues.

EQUIPMENT USE

Telephone, Copier, Projector – occasionally

Computer/laptop/iPad – frequently

WORKING CONDITIONS

Outdoor – if on playground with children

Loud Noise, Cold Temperatures, Rain – occasionally

Hot Temperatures – frequently

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Mid-Pacific Institute provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, marital status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Salary : $54,630 - $114,862