Infant & Toddler Head Teacher (West Side YMCA)

$66,300 salaried position at the West Side YMCA in New York, NY.

About the YMCA of Greater New York

The YMCA of Greater New York empowers youth, improves health, and strengthens community. Founded in 1852, the Y serves a diverse population of more than half a million New Yorkers through programs and services at 24 branches. Community is the cornerstone of the Y, connecting active, engaged New Yorkers to build stronger communities. The Y cultivates a culture of learning, leading, and collaboration to enhance community impact and is committed to a people-first approach fostering trust, inclusion, growth, and development for all.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the health, safety, and well-being of children in the program by providing close supervision of all activities.
• Plan developmentally appropriate and engaging lessons and activities, including literacy, arts, math, cooking, science, outdoor/indoor recreation, and field trips.
• Develop classroom centers that respond to children’s interests and are coordinated with the ongoing curriculum.
• Facilitate student assessments and work sampling.
• Work with parents/guardians to promote understanding of the growth and development of their child through effective communication, both verbally and in written form.
• Encourage parent/guardian participation in special events, meetings, and in-class volunteer opportunities.
• Supervise, coach, and support Assistant Teachers, Early Childhood Specialists, and Volunteers as a team member within the Early Childhood Learning Center and the YMCA Branch.
• Maintain a clean and safe classroom environment.
• Maintain accurate program documentation, including incident/accident/behavior reports, attendance sheets, sign-in/sign-out sheets, development/growth forms, documentation of eating and sleeping, parent/guardian surveys, etc.
• Ensure compliance with all YMCA of Greater New York, Department of Health, and Department of Education (if applicable) guidelines.
• Actively participate in designated meetings, training sessions, and special events.

Requirements

Candidates must meet ONE of the following levels of education and experience:

• Level I: Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education (practicum included) and five years of experience; OR Child Development Associate (CDA) certification and an approved DOH study plan (before hire) leading to an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education within seven years.
• Level II: Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education (or related field) and State teacher certification; OR Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and one year of experience.
• Level III: Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education (or related field) and State teacher certification.

Skills

• Strong interpersonal skills and leadership qualities.
• Comfortable working with diverse youth and adults.

Benefits

Benefit eligibility is determined by employment status (full-time or part-time), tenure, and scheduled hours. Benefits include:

• Retirement benefits.
• Medical coverage.
• Paid time off.
• Free YMCA membership.