Infant/Toddler Teacher - New Hire Incentive Available

Job Description

Job Description

Description : We are seeking candidates for our Infant and Toddler Teacher positions.

SUMMARY : To provide a successful, safe and supervised educational setting for children while they are in the Early Head Start environment (classroom, outdoors and field trips);

To promote the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of Early Head Start children; To develop individual goals for children, provide on-going assessment on progress and facilitate transition from Early Head Start into Head Start, other community preschools.

To mentor the assistant teacher; To encourage and engage parent involvement and program volunteers in all aspects of the program.

Benefits include...

• New hire incentive payment of one thousand five hundred dollars, paid in two installments.
• Eligibility for health, paid dental, and paid vision coverage.
• 401(k) plan, with 3% match.
• Paid vacation, sick, and personal time.
• 10 company-paid holidays plus 2 floating holidays.
• Tuition reimbursement opportunities.
• Pay differential for bilingual staff.
• Year-round work opportunity.

Requirements :

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

Include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Be committed to the vision and mission of Early Head Start / Head Start of York County and Community Progress Council, Inc.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with diverse individuals, including children, families, co-workers, and staff in related agencies and the general public.
• Demonstrate knowledge of Early Childhood theory, child development, developmentally appropriate practices, behavior management, and responsive caregiving.
• Develop and maintain a clean, safe and positive classroom environment that facilitates respect, active learning, group management, self-expression, cultural responsibility, child-initiated learning;

provide an atmosphere that promotes and reinforces parental involvement.

• In collaboration with parents and other teaching staff, plan and prepare for developmentally appropriate learning experiences and routines for children, in accordance with the program curriculum, designed to stimulate problem-solving, language acquisition, experimentation, social development, group cooperation, self-esteem, cultural pride, independence, intellectual and physical development, aesthetic and sensory awareness, and awareness of feelings.
• Follow a consistent schedule, providing planned experiences that include small and large group experiences, choice time, music, and movement, large and small motor activities, outdoor experiences, skill development, meals, toileting / diapering routines and effective transitions between activities;

provide daily classroom activities which facilitate children's interactions with materials, with other children and with adults.

Prepare classroom materials prior to the children’s arrival to support developmentally appropriate experiences within written lesson plans;

adapt and change learning centers, including rotating materials, to address and meet individual and group needs, special needs, specific interests, strengths, and concerns.

Conduct parent conferences and home visits to share and gain information on children’s progress (assessment), needs, and interests;

with parents, utilize assessment information to design and implement an individualized plan for education for each child that includes educational goals with strategies for school and for home.

• Facilitate parent understanding and skills in working with their child.
• Assess physical, social, emotional and cognitive development and learning readiness of children using assigned tools, sharing results with parents;

collaborate with parents, other program staff, and community agencies to plan and implement an individual plan for each child to meet child's special needs at school and at home.

Prepare and maintain required paperwork : lesson plans, daily observations of children (anecdotal records), children’s education records, attendance reports, medication log, meal counts, daily sheets, health checks, contact sheets and other documents and records;

update and maintain files and records; review paperwork, files and records completed by Assistant Teachers for completion, accuracy and for meeting deadlines.

• Interpret program philosophy and goals and integrate health services, nutrition, social services, and parent involvement component goals into the planned activities for children and families.
• Seek out and utilize community resources to enhance the program operation for children and families; promote the benefit of Early Head Start / Head Start and early education to community organizations, including school districts and business leaders.
• Conduct regular health observations to ensure children are well and have no contagious diseases and to check for signs of abuse or neglect, report suspicions of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse or neglect.
• Maintain confidentiality of information regarding children and families; review and uphold Confidentiality Policy with the assistant teacher, parent volunteers, community volunteers, and staff from outside agencies.
• Effectively train, direct and support assistant teachers in planning and delivering developmentally appropriate learning experiences for children, mastering daily responsibilities, completing all required paperwork accurately and performing job duties in accordance with program curriculum, Head Start Performance Standards, and agency policy and procedures;

serve as a role model and mentor for the Assistant Teacher, offering guidance and encouragement in the Assistant Teacher's professional development.

Work collaboratively with other program staff to develop and conduct parent education activities, family activities, and parent meetings;

encourage parents to attend planned activities and meetings.

• Participate in the training and mentoring of parents and volunteers, communicating the basic principles of the program curriculum and adhering to the program policies and procedures.
• Actively participate in agency task forces and work groups, as assigned by supervisor / management, to assist in developing, implementing and fulfilling goals and action plans of the Head Start vision and mission.
• Actively participate in developing and implementing an individualized continuing education plan to remain current in the field of early childhood and child development and to grow professionally;

pursue learning opportunities offered inside the agency and in the community; attend required trainings offered by Head Start and Community Progress Council including cross-training in order to perform a number of processes within the program.

• May need to vary work schedule (outside of regularly scheduled work hours) to attend program functions and to accommodate parents’ schedules for home visits.
• Reliable transportation to assigned facilities throughout York County.
• Regular and timely attendance as an essential job requirement.
• Ability to be reached by telephone in a timely manner.
• May be required to commence workday at different agency sites without compensation for travel time or mileage to the site and the return.
• Ability to demonstrate good customer service to internal and external clients and be able to work with diverse individuals while demonstrating good communication skills both oral and written.
• Ability to take personal responsibility for yourself and your team, demonstrating leadership and supervisory skills. Being dependable, flexible, professional, and cooperative in a team environment.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE : Bachelor's degree (B. A.) in Early Childhood, Child and Family Studies or Elementary Education plus one-year related work experience with infants and toddlers.

May consider associate degree (A.A.) in the same fields.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS : Department of Human Services FBI Clearance, PA State Criminal History, Childline Child Abuse Certification, and submission to the National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR) required prior to hire.

Employees hired for positions, regulated by Department of Human Services (DHS), are required to submit documentation of a current (less than 1 year) physical assessment including a Tuberculosis skin test, prior to hire and on a biennial basis (physical only) throughout employment.

The Child Abuse Mandated Reporter training due within 90-days of hire.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS : Ability to supervise pre-school children to ensure a safe learning environment including the ability to monitor and respond to events going on at all times in the classroom, outdoor play areas and on field trips.

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 ensure their safety or the safety of others in the environment.

• Daily kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, bending, climbing stairs, and sitting on the floor to attend to children's needs;
• ability to walk or stand for extended periods of time for daily indoor and outdoor activities and for fieldtrips; ability to regularly lift and / or move up to 10 pounds and frequently lift and / or move up to 50 pounds;
• occasionally required to climb and balance. Daily requirement to use hands to finger, handle, and feel; reach with hands and arms;

and talk and hear; specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Ability to respond appropriately (both physically and mentally) to a crisis or an emergency situation, using knowledge of Head Start Performance Standards and program policies and procedures as guidelines.

WORK ENVIRONMENT : While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet and / or humid conditions and occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles and outside weather conditions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS :

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of an organization. Whenever possible, speak the client’s language to the best of your ability.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite in a Windows environment is helpful and preferred.
• Reliable transportation and a valid PA driver’s license. Regular and timely attendance is essential.
• Ability to be reached by telephone in a timely manner; ability to maintain open communication through the use of emails and work cell phones.
• May be required to commence workday at different agency sites without compensation for travel time or mileage to the site and the return.
• Ability to respond to change in a productive manner and handle other tasks as assigned.
• Ability to work with diverse individuals.
• This position is classified as safety-sensitive as provided under State guidance.
11 days ago