Summary of Responsibilities:

To provide a successful, safe and supervised educational setting for children while they are in the Early Childhood environment (classroom, outdoor play area, and field trips). To promote the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of all children. Encourage parent involvement in all aspects of the program. To develop individual goals for children, provide on-going assessment on progress and facilitate transition into preschool/Head Start.

Essential Job Responsibilities: Performance Indicators

Prevention and Early Intervention/Disabilities Services

Supervise and monitor children at all times.

• Participate in regularly scheduled team meetings to plan for and deliver collaborative services across all components.
• Respond appropriately to crisis or emergency situations that may occur.
• Coordinate special needs staff in the classroom when indicated, developing a collaborative approach that benefits all children in the classroom.

Individualization

• Adapt curriculum to address and meet individual goals for children as identified in their individualized plans.
• Assess individual and group needs, attending to special needs, specific interests, strengths and concerns.

Curriculum and Assessment

• Develop and utilize integrated curriculum plans, which reflect mandated elements and components, parental and cultural influences, and promote the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of enrolled children.
• Follow a consistent schedule, which includes indoor and outdoor group experiences, choice time, music and movement, large and small motor activities, skill development, meals, and effective transitions between activities.
• Encourage experimentation, exploration, problem solving, cooperation, socialization, and choice-making; ask open-ended questions and listen respectfully to the answers.
• Establish weekly goals that promote individual and group educational plans and include other Head Start components in conjunction with parents.
• Prepare classroom materials to support developmentally appropriate curriculum plans; create and change indoor and outdoor environment as appropriate.

Parent Involvement & Community Partnerships

• Provide an atmosphere that promotes and reinforces parental involvement in the classroom.
• Communicate regularly with parents, regarding each child's progress.
• Conduct the required parent/teacher conferences and home visits for the purpose of assessment and support, and to share information on classroom progress and educational strategies at school and at home.
• Help plan and conduct regular parent meetings with team members.
• Work with appropriate agencies in developing specialized planning for children and families as needed.

Utilize Information Systems to support child/family and agency outcomes.

• Document all significant classroom issues, parent contacts and home visits and include documentation in End of Month packet to Family, Health & Community Partnerships Manager.
• Support Family, Health & Community Partnerships Manager with documentation regarding particular concerns with families and children at scheduled staffings.
• Monitor and report child abuse.

Additional Job Responsibilities

• Assist with breaks and other classroom needs as requested.
• Attend meetings, trainings and appropriate professional development activities.
• Assure general maintenance and security of facility and assist with inventory of equipment and supplies.
• Other duties as requested.

All communications are potentially sensitive and are subject to Head Start's policy on confidentiality.

Knowledge/Skills/Experience/Documentation Required

• Ability to apply Early Childhood Development theory in daily classroom activities, and adapt to the individual needs of children.
• Ability to set and maintain professional boundaries with families.
• Keyboarding skills, computer literacy and familiarity with various applications such a database, word processing, e-mail and internet.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Valid Oklahoma Driver's License.
• Ability to obtain Community CPR & First Aid certification and Food Handler's Card.
• Pass OSBI background check.
• Pass pre-employment drug test.
• Obtain negative TB screen.
• Obtain annual physical documenting fitness to work with young children.

Physical/Mental Abilities and Processes

• Frequent significant decisions to assure developmental progress of children.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise infants and toddlers and ensure a safe learning environment including the ability to monitor and respond to events going on at all times in classroom, and outdoor play areas. This includes the physical ability to move quickly in order to respond to children who are very active and may need restraint or redirection in order to insure their safety or the safety of others in the environment.
• Ability to respond appropriately (both mentally and physically) to an emergency or a crisis situation.
• Daily kneeling, stooping, bending, and sitting on the floor to attend to children's needs.
• Occasional lifting up to 50 lbs.

Position Information

• 12 months
• Supervised by Early Childhood Education Programs Site Manager.