Head Teacher

Educational Alliance’s 14th Street Y is a vibrant Jewish community center in Downtown Manhattan. Each year, tens of thousands of New Yorkers of all ages, races, and ethnicities come to the 14Y as members, visitors, or partners to experience programs in arts and culture, early childhood education, summer camps, fitness and aquatics, Jewish life, and older adult services.

About the role

Inspired by the preschools of Reggio Emilia, we believe that all children learn through inquiry, exploration, and play within strong relationships and a sense of belonging. Our teachers create responsive, safe, joyful, and nurturing learning environments that foster inquiry, exploration, learning, and reflection.

Responsibilities

• Co-construct curriculum based on children’s interests, questions, and development; document, reflect, and plan from observations.
• Lead and participate in weekly planning meetings with the teaching team to meet the needs of all children.
• Plan and create a classroom environment that encourages inquiry, exploration, learning, and respect.
• Nurture children’s home languages through curated books, materials, and the physical environment.
• Create a warm and inclusive environment where children and families feel welcome.
• Organize, clean, and maintain the physical space and selection of materials to be inviting and accessible.
• Create visual evidence of the narratives and curriculum occurring in the classroom.
• Adhere to DOH regulations per Article 47.
• Develop schedules and processes to ensure timely completion of work by the teaching team.
• Lead regular documentation, reflection, and planning meetings with the teaching team.
• Provide feedback, coaching, and support to Assistant Teachers as necessary.
• Support general areas of need to benefit the entire Preschool, including helping other classrooms and administration.
• Speak and listen to children with respect and mindfulness; supervise the whole group while giving individual attention.
• Manage classroom procedures including transitions, routines, and small groups.
• Engage students in exploration and ongoing project work; scaffold children through conflict and problem solving.
• Build respectful and reciprocal relationships with families; communicate consistently with families.
• Document children’s learning, development, and progress through mini-stories, written narratives, reflections, and observations.
• Maintain a documentation portfolio for each child and complete assessment checkpoints throughout the year.
• Maintain collaborative and professional relationships with colleagues; mentor Assistant Teachers.
• Participate in professional development meetings.
• Demonstrate professionalism including integrity, ethical conduct, and decision making; be reflective, ask questions, and be willing to take risks and make mistakes.
• Arrive and depart according to the daily schedule unless otherwise approved by the Director.

Requirements

• MA in Early Childhood/Elementary Education.
• New York State N-6 or PreK-6 certification or study plan.
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to craft narrative observations and assessments, mini-stories, and written reflections, and communicate with families and colleagues regularly via email.
• Proficiency in Outlook, Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, and other online learning platforms as required.
• Minimum 3 years of professional teaching experience in an early childhood setting preferred.
• Strong oral communication with children, families, and colleagues.

Pay

USD 23.08–31.69 per hour.