Head Start Lead Teacher

SUMMARY:

The teacher provides leadership to teacher aides, foster grandparents and volunteers. The goal is to provide a child development experience for every child in the class based on educational principles. The teacher is responsible for behaving in a positive manner, as an appropriate role model for the staff, parents, children and visitors. This position directly relates to teaching, learning and direct child care and supervision of children as it relates to Performance Standards and State Licensing.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides leadership to the children.
2. Responsible for presenting learning situations in an interesting and challenging way.
3. Plans and implements learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children, including improving the readiness of children for school by developing their literacy and phonemic, print, and numeracy awareness, their understanding and use of language, their understanding and use of increasingly complex and varied vocabulary, their appreciation of books, and their problem solving abilities.
4. Supports the social and emotional development of children.
5. Responsible for the formulation of lesson plans.
6. Provides supervision of field trips/assigned children and personnel.
7. Implements planning sessions with the Teacher Aides.
8. Maintains communication with parents, including helping parents understand the growth and development of their children.
9. Encourages the involvement of the families of the children in a Head Start program and support the development of relationships between children and their families.
10. Responsible for informing parents of all accidents or illnesses pertaining to his/her child.
11. Promotes good health and safety practices.
12. Establishes and maintains a safe, healthy learning environment.
13. Assists with other groups of children when help is needed.
14. Reports absences of three days or more to Education Supervisor and to the Social Service Department.
15. Reports to Education Supervisor any signs of illness or behavioral problems in a child that may require follow up.
16. In case a child has an accident, the teacher ensures that the child is changed and cleaned, soiled clothing sent home and soiled area cleaned.
17. Shares responsibilities necessary for a harmonious environment.
18. Responsible for accurate, complete and timely collection and submission of participant information for inclusion in ChildPlus.
19. Maintains records of children's progress and development.

20. Provides supervision for an assigned group at lunch and rest times.

21. Trains new personnel with the assistance of the Teacher Aide.

22. Trains and evaluates assigned personnel.

23. Attends meetings and trainings as required.

24. Responsible for writing required reports.

25. Stays abreast of current practices and the latest research in Early Childhood Education.

26. Performs other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYEE:

• Understands and applies child development and appropriate activities from infancy to age three.
• Ability to communicate effectively with staff, children, parents, volunteers, and visitors.
• Ability to implement changes when directed.  
• Ability to work harmoniously with others.
• Possesses a demonstrated understanding of the dynamics of poverty, oppression, sexism, racism, ageism and other forms of societal and individual prejudice that confront our staff, volunteers, program participants and community at-large. Possesses a proven ability to work effectively and respectfully with a broad range of people from diverse cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Skilled in engaging and motivating program participants to increase their self-sufficiency and work towards resolution of the challenges they face.
• Ability to advocate on behalf of program participants and must believe that program participants have the capacity to grow and change.
• Ability to demonstrate a philosophy and value base consistent with the purpose and goals of Clover, utilizing a strengths and empowerment perspective and working towards increasing the capacities of program participants and their families.
• Possesses the ability to work holistically, as part of a team, with staff, program participants and their families, volunteers and the community at-large towards successful outcomes for program participants.
• Able to obtain and maintain CPR and First Aid certification.
• Ability to respect the integrity of each program participant, their right to privacy and confidentiality, and their right to participate to their maximum capacity in determining their participation in our programs, including the formation of a case or treatment service plan. 
• Maintains confidentiality with respect to personnel and proprietary agency information.
• Ability to meet deadlines, well organized, and able to work under pressure of multiple deadlines; demonstrates flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.
• Acts as a role model within and outside of the agency.
• Adheres to agency policies and procedures.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

BA in Early Childhood Education, Child Development or related field .

EXPERIENCE:

1 year professional experience working with pre-school aged children.