Early Learning Center - Lead Teacher bei THE WESTMINSTER SCHOOLS

Description

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Early Learning Center - Lead Teacher is responsible for the care and education of a group of children as part of a teaching team and functions as a team leader.  The Lead Teacher plans and implements the curriculum, and, with the active participation of other teaching team members, works with parents to assess the needs of individual children.

Supervisor: Director of Early Learning Center

Supervisory Responsibilities:  Assistant Teacher

Position Status:  Salaried, Non-exempt, Full-time, 10-Month

Hours of Work: Standard work week.  Typical hours are Monday through Friday. Occasional weekend and evening work may be required.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

The requirements below represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for a successful candidate.

• At least 18 years of age
• A minimum of a CDA plus applicable experience, or a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field
• Able to meet the requirements of the State Licensing Agency, Bright From the Start, which includes but is not limited to a National Fingerprint background check and additional training to be completed annually
• Possess current/valid CPR and First Aid Certification, or willing to obtain once employed
• Ability to interact effectively with a broad constituency while representing the school with professionalism and enthusiasm
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality
• Team player with a positive attitude, proactive approach, and customer-service mindset
• Demonstrated commitment to early childhood development and teaching
• Ability to successfully carry out responsibilities with little supervision

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Establish and Maintain a Safe and Healthy Environment

• Establishes and maintains an environment for children that is clean, safe, and stimulating and that is appropriate for each child’s developmental level
• Is familiar with and follows Bright from the Start Rules and Regulations for Childcare Centers
• Maintains classroom appearance, décor, and learning environment
• Assumes an equal share of the joint housekeeping responsibilities of the staff that ensure a clean and organized classroom. This involves sanitizing surfaces throughout the day, including between meals and at the end of the day.
• Designs and implements room arrangement that supports the goals of the classroom
• Promotes healthy eating practices
• Promote proper hygiene practices to prevent illnesses (i.e., handwashing, use of Kleenex, sneezing into the elbow)

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Advance Each Child’s Motor and Intellectual Competence

• Provides supportive emerging literacy and language development by supplementing the provided curriculum with activities that enhance it and meet each child's needs and interests
• Implements a curriculum that fosters the construction of mathematical knowledge through hands-on activities
• Designs and implements activities that foster fine and gross motor development
• Follows an integrated curriculum that meets the needs of each child 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Support Each Child’s Social and Emotional Development and Provide Positive Guidance

• Designs and implements a program that is tailored to the needs of the individual child and his/her pace of learning, and takes into consideration each child’s culture and socioeconomic background
• Ensures that each child, co-worker, and parent are treated with dignity and respect
• Helps each child, co-worker, and parent to become aware of his/her role as an integral member of a family unit/group
• Plans and implements a curriculum that reflects the diversity of the group and the larger world
• Maintains an environment that provides hands-on activities for the development of each child’s self-esteem

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Establish a Positive and Productive Relationship with Families

• Partners with the parent/guardian to focus on the development of each child’s strengths and abilities
• Ensures timely responses to family inquiries
• Utilizes positive guidance techniques and a variety of creative and expressive activities
• Gathers information from team members to provide well-rounded feedback to families
• Serves as the first-line recipient for parent concerns, notifying the Early Learning Center Director of concerns that are of a more serious nature 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Ensure a Well-Run, Purposeful Program that is Responsive to Participants' Needs

• Plans and implements the curriculum according to the policies and philosophy of the program
• Maintains daily, weekly, and monthly written plans that reflect the individual interests and abilities of each child
• Observes and documents each child’s progress through anecdotal notes, development checklists, portfolio assessments, and other tools
• Ensures all documentation complies with Bright From the Start requirements, including timeframes and deadlines 
• Supervises and supports Assistant Teachers and volunteers

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Maintain a Commitment to Professionalism

• Attends all staff meetings, parent meetings, and other required meetings and in-service training, which includes a minimum of 10 hours per year to meet Bright from the Start requirements
• Maintains professionalism, flexibility, and consistency
• Remain professional in the training of their assistant teacher and facilitate their understanding and implementation of proper classroom policies and procedures outlined in the handbook and under the Bright from the Start Rules and Regulations
• Maintains confidentiality at all times
• Adheres to work schedule, ensuring consistent on-time arrival for work; strictly follows established protocol and procedure for clocking in and out
• Maintains a positive, professional, respectful relationship with all children, co-workers, families, and visitors
• Performs other duties as assigned

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, and feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl; talk and hear; engage in moderately strenuous physical activity both indoors and out; and smell. The employee may occasionally lift or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The ability to become certified in CPR, AED, and First Aid is required.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee may occasionally be exposed to outside weather conditions and frequently walk on slippery or uneven surfaces.  The noise level in the work environment is often loud.

Westminster is a drug-free, smoke/vape-free campus.

TRAVEL

Travel is primarily local during regular business days.  Overnight and out-of-area travel may also be required, mainly associated with planned events, conferences, and professional development opportunities.

Driving a Westminster vehicle may be required for this position.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Westminster is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment.  It is Westminster’s policy to provide equal employment opportunities and administer terms and conditions of employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran under applicable federal, state and local laws.  EOE/M/F/D/V.

Qualifications