Lead Teacher

The Lead Teacher / Teacher ensures execution of curriculum and ensure classroom procedures are in compliance with state licensing standards, all while maintaining Little Newtons Mission, Vision and Core Values.

Job Responsibilities

Main Duties Tours & Enrollment

o Ensure the classroom is always tour ready by cleaning, organizing, and leading the classroom.

o Greet parents and prospective students and answer any questions.

Parent Engagement

o Support as needed information that may be relevant for newsletters.

o Use Kindertales app to share evidence of learning and updates throughout the day.

o Conduct bi-yearly conferences with parents for each student.

o Complete necessary paperwork, logs, reports, etc. (i.e. Incident report for biting or injury) in a timely fashion via Kindertales.

Inspections and Drills

o Be aware of all emergency procedures and drills.

o Complete a daily crib observation check every 5 minutes (if applicable)

Compliance

o Ensure all training regarding allergies and medications is up to date.

o Report any licensing issues immediately to ED.

o Support ED with any corrective actions from licensing visits.

Curriculum and Activities

o Plan, supervise and implement the program and daily schedule.

o Gear the program to the needs of individual children with concerns for their interests, special talents and individual style and pace of learning.

o Consider individual children in relation to their cultural and socioeconomic background.

o Treat children with dignity and respect.

o Plan and implement appropriate early childhood education experiences with a variety of materials in the fields of art, music, literature, science, etc.

o Supervise and promote activities designated to enhance the healthy emotional, social, intellectual, and physical development of each child enrolled at the center.

o Supervise upkeep of all educational equipment and materials in assigned areas

o Encourage development of sound nutritional practices.

o Help children become aware of their roles as integral members of a group.

o Be responsible for the ordered arrangement, appearance, decor, and learning environment of the classroom and its learning centers.

o Plan and implement methods of establishing a positive liaison with parents. Allows any concerns to go through ED’s, while reinforcing the child by telling the parents positive things the child enjoyed that day.

o Supervise all activities to ensure safety at all times.

o Prepare daily attendance reports for children in assigned groups which receive assistance.

o Help children establish good habits of personal hygiene, change diapers and assist with toilet training as needed.

o Prepare the learning environment, set up interest centers, and prepare needed materials and supplies.

o Supervise children at all times.

o Lead classroom lessons and activities as assigned.

o Prepare lessons and activities as assigned.

o Implementation of appropriate early childhood education experiences.

o Report to the Assistant Director or Executive Director any problem which may occur with the children.

o Observe, record and report on the behaviors of individual children if needed.

o Create relationships with parents / guardians of the children in your classroom.

o Provide a space for each student’s personal belongings and clean once per week.

Cleaning o Assume housekeeping responsibilities for their classroom.

o Maintain a neat and organized classroom.

Student Development / Behavior Plans

o Maintain progress records of each child's growth and development, prepare periodic reports, and review with the Executive Directors.

o Work with parents to promote understanding of their child's growth and development, encourage parent participation in school programs;

attend parent group and center functions; conduct conferences upon request or at a minimum bi-annually.

o Conduct parent conferences on each child's school adjustment and developmental progress.

Time Entry o Punch in and out accurately based on schedule including breaks.

o Ensure Overtime hours are approved by ED prior to working them.

o Submit Paid Time Off requests timely.

Training and Professional Development

o Participate in recommended training programs, conferences, courses, and other aspects of professional growth.

o Maintain current knowledge of early childhood practices.

o Effectively train, supervise, and utilize classroom assistants and aides.

o Meet the state required Staff In-Service Training Hours by utilizing Little Newtons Training Program in CCEI and staff meetings.

o Assist in public relations events sponsored by the school.

o Always maintain a professional attitude and loyalty to the school.

o Participate in professional organizations that work for the improvement of early childhood education.

Kitchen

o Serve children following food handling guidelines.

o Return all items to the kitchen after each meal.

o Discard all unused food items after each meal.

Laundry

o Complete all laundry daily and distribute to classrooms.

o Ensure all classrooms soft toys are washed once per week

o Wipe down the outside and inside of all washer and dryers at least once per week

o Front load washer and dryers shall remain open when not in use

Playground / School Grounds

o Report any equipment repairs to ED immediately.

o Ensure the grounds are clean and safe.

o Maintain proper playground supervision and avoid standing in one place.

Supervisory / Span of Control This position does not have any direct reports.

Financial Impact and Budgetary Responsibility This position does not have any budgetary responsibilities.

Qualifications

Education

Must possess a minimum of :

o High School Diploma / GED

o 16 semester credits of education or meet alternative education and experience requirements for state.

o RN / LPN is qualified as a teacher for infants only.

Certifications

CERTIFICATIONS

o First Aid

o CPR

o Child Development Associate preferred

Work Experience

WORK EXPERIENCE

Must possess a minimum of :

o 4,160 hours as assistant teacher or meet alternative education and experience requirements for state.

Knowledge

KNOWLEDGE

o Must have a working knowledge of child safety requirements and first aid protocol.

o Working knowledge of how to handle a group of children.

o Working knowledge of childhood development.

o Know-how to establish classroom structure.

Competencies

CORE COMPETENCIES

Leading Self

o Ensures Accountability - Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.

o Integrity - Firm adherence to strong moral principles.

Leading Teams

o Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.

Leading the Business

o Cultivates Innovation - Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.

o Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.

TEACHER COMPETENCIES

o Teaching Style - Creating a good learning environment and effectively managing the classroom, child behavior, and discipline.

Applies a broad set of evidence-based teaching skills and strategies that are developmentally appropriate.

o Child Development Builds capability and skills of children physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Understands unique developmental experiences and applies multiple contexts to support the learning process.

o Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections Builds effective relationships with parents and families and leverages community resources to support student’s learning and development.

o Patience - Controlling your emotions or impulses and proceeding calmly when faced with difficult or frustrating situations.

o Interpersonal Savvy - Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.

o Adaptability - Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations (i.e. Willing to work in other classrooms).

o Self-Development - Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels.

i.e. Open to coaching and feedback)

o Manages Conflict - Handing conflict situations effectively, with a minimum of noise. (i.e. Mediating conflicts between children, reducing separation anxiety, and quickly resolves parent complaints.)

o Creativity - Create using imagination and original ideas.

Working Hours / OT

o Monday Friday according to scheduled shifts and school’s needs.

o Occasional weekend paid training.

o Occasional overtime if approved by ED.

Travel No travel required unless covering for a nearby school.

Working Conditions

o Exposure to heat and cold based on location up to 1 hour / day (i.e. taking children outside)

o Occasional exposure to Noisy / loud environments (i.e. children crying)

Physical and Mental Requirements

Physical Demands

Must be able to :

• Ascend and descend stairs.
• Alternate between standing, sitting, Crawling, kneeling, Crouching / stooping.

Respond quickly to sounds.

• Work around small children including lifting and carrying small children up to 40 pounds.
• Move quickly to respond to emergency situations.
• Occasionally reach overhead or below.
• Alternate between sitting, walking, standing, and speaking.

Cognitive Demands

Must be able to : ·

Learn, remember, focus, categorize, and integrate information for decision making, problem-solving, and comprehending. ·

Learn, memorize, and execute tasks independently. ·

Maintain concentration / focus on tasks.