Early Childhood Float Teacher

About the role

The Therapeutic Preschool at FamilyForward provides a highly structured environment utilizing trauma-informed, developmentally sensitive interventions for children ages three to six years experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties resulting from histories of developmental trauma. The Therapeutic Preschool Float Teacher is a full-time member of the educational team who provides consistent support across multiple classrooms. This position partners with teachers, educational therapists, and clinicians to ensure continuity of care, maintain therapeutic programming, and provide classroom coverage as needed. The Float Teacher builds positive relationships with children throughout the program and quickly adapts to the unique routines, needs, and therapeutic goals of each classroom.

This role is highly collaborative, partnering with other teachers and supported by a team of therapists to create a custom therapeutic plan for each child. An ideal candidate will be ready to nurture, play, build relationships, teach, and co-regulate with the children in the program. This role is ideal for an educator who enjoys variety, flexibility, and working as part of a multidisciplinary team. Classroom sizes are small to enable staff to provide the individualized support needed to help children thrive.

FamilyForward is committed to upholding the Organizational Health Anchors that we have set for the agency, including: safety; mindfulness and self-regulation; relational health; cultural diversity, inclusivity, equity, and anti-racism; clinical lens; vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.

What Puts FamilyForward Out Front

• Small adult-child ratios and high levels of support for staff in the classroom
• 4-days of programming, Fridays without students for flexible use
• 40-hour work week – No work on weekends
• Brand new facility built intentionally to support the needs of staff and clients
• Paid time off December 25th to January 1st
• Therapeutic service provision based in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics
• No on call hours
• Emphasis on professional learning, growth, and development

This position offers the opportunity to work alongside multiple experienced therapeutic educators and clinicians while developing expertise across various classrooms, age groups, and therapeutic interventions.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family
• Optional short-term disability
• Virtual medical and mental health care coverage
• Employee Assistance Program counseling services
• Pre-tax medical Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Reimbursement Account for deductible expenses over $1000 individual; $2000 for families
• 3% dollar for dollar company-matched 403(b) retirement savings account
• Company-paid long-term disability and life insurance
• 10 paid holidays, including 2 floating holidays for religious/cultural celebrations
• Wellness Week paid time off December 25th – 31st annually
• Paid vacation time and health and wellness leave
• Education assistance program
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligible employer
• National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Eligible Site

FamilyForward is a member and active participant in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, a Diversity Awareness Partnership Non-Profit Partner.

Responsibilities

• Provide classroom coverage across all therapeutic preschool classrooms based on daily staffing and program needs; flexibility is essential for this position.
• Quickly adapt to different classroom routines, schedules, lesson plans, and therapeutic interventions while maintaining continuity of care.
• Build relationships with young children and your classroom team to develop rapport and trust.
• Create an environment in your classroom that supports play, felt safety, and co-regulation.
• Actively engage students throughout the school day in developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed therapeutic activities.
• Utilize individualized therapeutic interventions to support children through challenging behaviors and big emotions.
• Implement all classroom practices including lesson plans, room arrangement, daily schedules, routines, and transitions.
• Prepare and maintain the classroom environment for daily activities, ensuring cleanliness and safety of the physical environment.
• Support the Educational Therapist and Occupational Therapist during group therapy throughout the week.
• Communicate directly and effectively with clients, staff, supervisor, teammates, and other professionals, demonstrating responsiveness to cultural, familial, socioeconomic, and other diverse experiences.
• Be supported by a co-teacher and assigned educational therapist in the classroom.
• Support implementation of established classroom lesson plans, room arrangement, routines, practices, and programming.
• Assist with curriculum development and planning when providing extended classroom coverage.
• Practice regular self-reflective practice and maintain continual curiosity to continue evolving skills and meeting the unique needs of children in your care.
• Help track each child’s progress, and regularly communicate updates to caregivers and each child’s treatment team.
• Ensure the safety of students at all times, including utilizing the safe room and/or appropriate restraints (as a last resort) when absolutely necessary.
• Actively participate in classroom meetings, all-staff meetings, staff development activities, and regular case staffing.
• Participate in caregiver-teacher conferences twice yearly.
• Prepare and maintain the classroom environment for daily activities; ensure cleanliness and safety of the physical environment.
• Participate in the planned discharge process for all children, including the IEP process if applicable.
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned.

Requirements

• Hold a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or child development required. Advanced degree in related field (social work, counseling) and credit hours in early childhood education considered.
• At least three years’ experience; experience in early childhood education preferred.
• Meet the personal qualifications as required in Part 407: Licensing Standards for Day Care Centers.
• Experience in serving high-needs populations; preferably working with children with challenging behaviors.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Committed to trauma-informed interventions with children.
• Strong self-care and stress management skills.
• Ability to perform the essential physical functions of the position, including sitting on the floor, transitioning to and from the floor, assisting children, and lifting up to 45 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to work effectively in a team-oriented, highly collaborative, and mutually respectful environment.
• Personal characteristics and temperament suitable for working with children with challenging behaviors and unique needs.
• Ability to adapt to changing assignments and priorities throughout the day.
• Ability to quickly establish rapport with children in multiple classrooms.
• Successfully complete required criminal background screenings, Department of Education and Department of Social Services required background checking, child abuse and neglect registry checks, and pre-employment drug testing in accordance with agency policy.

Working Conditions

• Work in both indoor and outdoor environments in a variety of weather conditions.
• Sustained periods of work on the computer, including writing/typing.
• Frequent movement between multiple classrooms throughout the day based on program needs.
• Daily assignments may change with little notice to support staffing, student needs, and continuity of therapeutic services.
• Frequent communication with others, in-person and via telephone/virtual conferencing.
• Move around rooms or within a space with sustained periods of standing, walking, bending, kneeling, crouching, sitting on the floor, and actively engaging in play and therapeutic activities with young children.
• Frequently lift, carry, push, pull, or move up to 45 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Tasks may involve various visual requirements, such as close and distance vision, color recognition, peripheral awareness, and focus adjustment.
• Active, fast-paced work environment; may include exposure to elevated noise levels and children experiencing emotional or behavioral dysregulation.
• Children may exhibit behaviors such as aggression, throwing objects, biting, kicking, hitting, elopement attempts, or other behaviors requiring therapeutic intervention.
• Employees may be required to implement approved behavior management or crisis intervention techniques consistent with agency policy and training.