Teacher

Job Title : Teacher FSLA Status : Non-Exempt

All the relevant skills, qualifications and experience that a successful applicant will need are listed in the following description.

Reports To : Director, Kidspace Pay Range : $55,000 - $75,103

Program Type : Child Development Center

Organizational Overview :

For nearly 50 years, House of Ruth has empowered women, children, and families to rebuild their lives and heal from trauma, abuse, and houselessness.

We offer comprehensive services for survivors, including service-enriched housing, nationally accredited child and family development programming, and free counseling to anyone who has experienced domestic violence.

Position Summary : Provides safe, nurturing, therapeutic educational environment to promote the development of young children.

Plans and teaches an age-appropriate curriculum while incorporating therapeutic techniques and assists parents to understand and foster their child’s growth.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

Plans and implements developmentally appropriate curriculum tailored to the age group and the individualized needs and levels of the children.

In conjunction with the assistant / aide prepares weekly lesson plans. Determines specific needs and skill levels and ensures that each child receives direct instruction by working with the entire group, small groups and individuals.

Assesses and meets the social-emotional needs of each child and provides daily nurturing to each individual through interactive play and one-on-one time.

Teaches self-soothing / coping mechanisms by immediately addressing and comforting upset children both physically and verbally.

Develops and maintains an orderly, clean, attractive, therapeutic and educational environment that encourages expression of feelings, making choices, exploration, creativity and discovery learning.

Validates and accepts children’s feelings, both positive and negative, at all times.

Carries out appropriate, positive and consistent discipline reflective of each child’s goals. Uses redirection and natural or logical consequences rather than punishments.

Validates and comforts children who are having a difficult time as a result of redirection / consequences.

• Completes developmental assessments, skills checklists and develops individualized goals for each child. Completes daily observations in TS GOLD and progress reports.
• Communicates regularly with other staff and specialists about issues involving the children and their parents. Ensures that all specialists’ recommendations are followed.

Helps build a positive team.

Maintains ongoing communication with parents concerning his / her child’s progress. Holds regularly scheduled parent conferences.

Teaches parenting skills. Provides positive role model and nurturance to parents.

Attends and participates in all required meetings and training sessions. Helps build a supportive staff and parent team.

Follows all recommendations of specialists.

• Actively participates in all quality improvement efforts, including, but not limited to, becoming familiar with QI tools such as CLASS and ITERS and following the best practices described by these tools, attending assigned training, completing surveys and other assignments designed to improve program quality, participating in observations by internal observers and outside observers.
• Conducts home visits per Early Head Start schedule and guidelines.
• All duties and responsibilities are completed according to House of Ruth’s policies and procedures. Other duties may be assigned.

Education and Experience :

• Associate’s or higher degree in Early Childhood Education related field with at least 24 credits in early childhood courses.
• Two years of experience within early childhood care and education.

Qualifications :

• Successfully passing the following pre-employment process is required :
• FBI Fingerprint / Background Check
• Alcohol and drug Test
• Urine Screening
• TB Test
• Police Clearance
• Must be fully vaccinated (including the booster)

Skills :

• Strong working knowledge of MS Office 365.
• High level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be patient, a good listener and approachable.
• Must be well organized and committed.
• Creative and energetic.
• Strong moral values and discipline.

Salary and Benefits :

Salary commensurate with experience and the Pay Equity Fund. Benefits package for full-time employees includes :

• Medical and Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life / AD&D
• Retirement Plan
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off and Holidays
• Employee Referral Program

Physical Requirements :

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls.

The employee is required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and / or move up to 40 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high.

Other physical demands include bending and stooping to assist children with dressing needs, toileting, transitioning from sitting on the floor or chair to standing during classroom activities, transferring non-ambulatory children to and from strollers, chairs, changing tables, cribs, etc.

Children may at times pull / jerk away or bolt / run from caregivers. The ability to intervene in these situations is required.

Moving or lifting of any child may be required in an emergency situation (i.e. to assist toddlers in evacuating the building or to ascend or descend stairs) and / or to prevent injury on the playground or other outdoor situations or activities.

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

Additional Information :

The House of Ruth is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.

All candidates must be required to complete an in-person writing assessment. To be considered you must submit a cover letter and resume.

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