Infant & Toddler Teacher EHS

About You

The ideal candidate for our program is a self-motivated and dedicated person who is excited and passionate about helping infants, toddlers, and families grow in development and in education. You are a personable, energetic, and empathetic leader who can manage multiple staff, managers, and multiple projects in a prioritized manner to meet the goals and objectives of our internal Urban Strategies goals and within compliance of all current Head Start Performance Standards.

Minimum Qualifications

• Child Development Associate (CDA) credentialed in Infant and Toddler (current) or Associate Degree and/or other qualifying education in Child Development, Early childhood Education, or similar
• Basic computer skills
• Must have a valid Driver's License, Personal Vehicle and Liability Insurance required. In states in which public transportation is utilized a valid state ID is required

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum two (2) years, recent, paid, and successful experience working in a childcare or preschool setting
• Knowledge of Head Start Performance Standards and local state childcare licensing requirements
• Bilingual (English and Spanish)

What You'll Be Doing

• Teaching and promoting a learning environment for infants and toddlers in the classroom in accordance with approved curriculum and Performance Standards per the Office of Head Start and the applicable state licensing or agency in which the program operates, and others such as the Department of Education
• Establish and maintain a healthy and safe indoor and outdoor environment for children
• Conduct daily playground health and safety monitoring
• Coordinates and/or participates in the set-up and clean-up playground daily
• Detect and report any signs of illness, discomfort, or unusual behavior of children to Managers or the Family Advocate or Social Worker
• Follow organizational policy and process to comply with Child Health and Safety Incidents and mandate reporting of any suspected child abuse/neglect per the state in which it applies
• Keep classrooms, storage areas, and office spaces neat and clutter free
• Follow all health and safety policies and procedures established by the program
• Report any safety hazards observed indoors and outdoors
• Maintain direct supervision of all children and ensure their safety
• Create a pleasant, inviting atmosphere in which each child feels comfortable, supporting the ethnic and cultural backgrounds of the children
• Participate in dual supervision and coordinated coaching through Educational Coaches/Managers/Instructors and/or similar positions
• Practice Standards of Conduct and guidance techniques as defined in the Discipline Policy and Procedures
• Follow Time and Attendance Policies
• Cell phone use in the classroom is prohibited per state licensing standards (where applicable) and per program to always ensure supervision of children. Cell phone use in the other areas of the program is designated by the Director
• Implementation of the curriculum and teaching experience to meet fidelity
• Always ensure a nurturing environment that facilitates maximum social and emotional development
• Maintain data management system requirements for documenting and tracking data (ex: Child Plus, Teaching Strategies Gold)
• Provide an atmosphere that promotes and reinforces parental engagement, including modeling appropriate behavior and positive guidance techniques

Other Tasks and Responsibilities

• Assist with food service and other classroom needs as requested
• Attend meetings, trainings, and appropriate professional development activities
• Assure general maintenance and security of facility and assist with inventory of equipment and supplies
• Assist with classroom laundry, classroom cleanup, sanitization, and overall organization of classroom and learning environments
• Support of other classroom assignments, coverage, and/or special assignment/needs
• Complete other related activities and any duties assigned

Physical Demands

• Ability to see at normal distance, hear normal conversations and sounds and use hands and fingers to fill out required forms
• Ability to lift infants and toddlers weighing up to forty (40) pounds, twenty (20) pounds overhead and forty (40) pounds from waist to shoulder; occasional lifting of fifty (50) pounds is required and must be able to push/pull up to fifty pounds horizontally
• Ability to sit on the floor, bend at the waist, kneel and/or stoop 75% of the time
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions as long as the staff disability does not create an undue risk of injury to any enrolled children in the classroom

About Urban Strategies

Urban Strategies exists to equip, resource and connect faith- and community-based organizations so that all children and families can reach their full potential. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., our team serves in the U.S. mainland, Puerto Rico, and Central America.

Company Culture

Our work is driven by our three core values:

• Authentic Relationships are foundational to our work and move beyond a transactional nature to truly know people. They serve as opportunities for mutual development and growth and are based on the belief that all people have inherent dignity and worth
• Servant Leadership is rooted in an other-centric mindset that informs the way one leads and builds up individuals, families, and communities
• Intentional Compassion describes a deliberate commitment to understand, formulate strategic responses, and activate others to reach their full potential

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• 401K matched contributions up to 4%
• Employee Assistance Program
• Vacation time (varies depending on program and position)
• 9 Sick Days and 11 Holidays
• Long and short-term disability free
• Laptops provided for positions that require them
• Cellphones issued for positions that require one

Perks

• Meaningful employee engagement programs