HS Teacher

About the role

The Head Start Teacher Program at GenerationEd is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the operation of programs for a specific group of children, ensuring they achieve the highest level of social, emotional, physical, and intellectual competence.

Responsibilities

• Plan and implement learning experiences that advance the intellectual and physical development of children, including improving their readiness for school.
• Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment.
• Support the social and emotional development of children.
• Encourage the involvement of families in the Head Start program and support relationships between children and their families.
• Curriculum Organize and use space, materials, and routines to construct an interesting, secure, and enjoyable environment that encourages play, exploration, and learning.
• Develop and implement an integrated program of activities, experiences, and opportunities that contribute to the growth and development of each child.
• Use available community resources and age-appropriate field trips to enrich the children's experience in the classroom.
• Create and maintain an environment appropriate to infants and/or toddlers in adherence to HSPS and Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS).
• Maintain effective communication with children that fosters physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development.
• Interact with children on their eye level using a voice which is pleasant and encouraging.
• Provide opportunities for children to understand, acquire, and use verbal and non-verbal means of communicating thoughts and feelings.
• Participate with children in small and large groups and individually.
• Use conflict resolution techniques which are appropriate for the developmental level of the child.
• Provide for smooth transition from one activity to another activity without requiring the children to wait.
• Assist children with self-care activities.
• Adult-Adult Interaction Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with co-workers through open communication, sharing resources, and supporting professional development.
• Develop supportive relationships with parents by respecting their child-rearing values and by sharing information about the ages and stages of children's development to improve their understanding of their own children.
• Maintain a cooperative atmosphere in the workplace by exhibiting a pleasant and cooperative attitude.
• Assess Observe and assess each child in each developmental area, utilizing an assessment instrument selected by the Education Committee.
• Participate in Individualized Education Programs (IEP) staffing.
• Participate in cross-component team meetings to develop strategies for promoting optimal development in each child.
• Parent Involvement Communicate the activities of the program to parents on a regular basis, i.e., newsletter and activity calendar.
• Conduct and document parent conferences and/or home visits as needed or required.
• Orient parents to classroom and attend parent group functions.
• Communicate with parents the expectations and opportunities for their positive involvement in the program.
• Maintain a professional relationship with parents.
• Program Management Use all available resources to ensure an effective operation of the classroom.
• Immediately report all cases of suspected child abuse or neglect to the Center Director.
• Write and submit appropriate reports accurately and on time.
• Request supplies and equipment when needed and according to procedure.
• Maintain an orderly classroom.
• Report all accidents immediately to the supervisor.
• Complete written lesson plans.
• Social and Emotional Development Supervise and evaluate classroom assistant.
• Recruit volunteers and in-kind contributions.
• Attend all required meetings and training opportunities.
• Social and Emotional Development Supervise and evaluate assigned volunteers.
• Aid in and contribute to the recruitment of children and families eligible to participate in the program.
• Timely recruitment and enrollment according to a timeline distributed in January of each year by the HS/EHS Director will be a priority.
• Enrollment goals will be assigned to meet full funded enrollment on a timely basis.
• Professionalism When implementing strategies for meeting the goals of the program, make decisions based on knowledge of child development theories and appropriate practices, including ECERS.
• Abide by the NAEYC Code of Ethics.
• Continuously assess skills and knowledge and in conjunction with the Center Director, plan strategies for improvement and growth.
• Actively pursue appropriate professional development opportunities which increase knowledge and skills by actively participating in in-service staff development programs, by successfully completing early childhood education courses when appropriate, and by attending local, state, regional, and national conferences.

Qualifications

• Minimum an associate's or bachelor's degree in child development or early childhood education, equivalent coursework, or otherwise meet the requirements of section 648A(a)(3)(B) of the Head Start Act.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with supervisors, children, parents, and volunteers.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise others, including assistant teachers, parents, students, and volunteers.
• Demonstrated ability to perform effectively the duties required for the job including verbal ability to communicate, auditory capacity to respond to children and adults, visual ability to complete written assignments, and physical ability to complete assignments given accommodations as required by law.
• Demonstrated willingness to actively pursue appropriate professional development opportunities.