Lead Preschool Supervisor/Teacher - Prieto Community Center

Starting salary: $35.97 - $50.34/hour, dependent upon qualifications.

Location: Prieto Community Center

Schedule

Monday – Friday: 9:30 am - 5:30 pm

About the role

Under the direction of the Early Childhood Education Operations Supervisor, this position provides a safe and developmentally appropriate preschool program in accordance with all policies and procedures. The Lead Preschool Supervisor plans and implements a program to teach young children, ensuring their development and safety. The role requires respect for children, parents, and co-workers, and maintaining clean, safe, and well-maintained equipment and facilities. Failure to provide adequate services may place children at risk.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a developmentally appropriate preschool program for young children:
  • Plan and implement educational activities to meet the physical, emotional, intellectual, and social needs of children.
  • Supervise the use of equipment and activities.
  • Ensure equipment and facilities are clean, well-maintained, and safe at all times.
  • Provide weekly and monthly schedules of activities.
  • Develop culturally appropriate programs and activities in accordance with policy and procedure.
  • Develop activities that introduce math and literacy concepts.
  • Establish policies and procedures, including acceptable disciplinary policies.
  • Be familiar with emergency procedures.
  • Ensure meal service is provided in a safe and efficient manner.
• Supervise children in the preschool:
  • Ensure children are supervised at all times.
  • Maintain appropriate teacher/student ratios.
  • Provide experiences and activities for children, including songs, games, and small group activities.
  • Build children’s self-esteem appropriately.
  • Comfort children as needed.
  • Establish routines and provide positive guidance.
  • Report accidents, injuries, or safety concerns immediately to a supervisor.
  • Provide a safe and secure environment for children.
  • Implement positive discipline when required.
  • Communicate clearly and effectively with children.
  • Observe children and document progress.
  • Integrate special needs children in a positive and respectful manner.
  • Assist in and lead indoor and outdoor recreational and educational activities.
  • Provide personal care or support, including diapering, to participants.
• Communicate with parents and the community:
  • Discuss children’s development with parents or guardians.
  • Conduct Parent-Teacher Conferences twice a year.
  • Discuss identified problems and needs with professionals as appropriate.
  • Participate in community activities.
  • Promote literacy and early education.
  • Keep parents informed of program expectations, activities, and their child’s progress.
  • Greet the public and families courteously and engage in effective communication.
• Maintain program administration:
  • Develop and maintain current, accurate, and confidential client files.
  • Develop daily activity plans.
  • Complete student observations by appropriate deadlines.
  • Inform supervisor of material and supply needs.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, coworkers, and the public.
  • Attend staff meetings, training sessions, and workshops as directed.
  • Comply with Gateways continuing education requirements.
• Marginal functions:
  • Assist in maintaining records and completing reports.
  • Conduct regular safety checks and report problems to a supervisor.
  • Assist with setup and cleanup of program rooms (moving tables, chairs, equipment, and supplies).

Requirements

• At least 21 years of age.
• High school diploma or equivalent (GED).
• Minimum of an associate degree in child development or early childhood education (30 semester or 45 quarter hours of college credits, with 10 semester/15 quarter hours directly related to child development, plus 1 year (1,560 clock hours) of work experience in childcare), OR the equivalent (64 semester hours or 90 quarter hours in any discipline, with a minimum of 21 semester hours in child development, early childhood education, or early childhood special education), OR completion of a credentialing program (e.g., Gateways), 12 semester or 18 quarter hours in courses related to child care and/or child development, and 2 years (3,120 clock hours) of child development experience in a nursery school, kindergarten, or licensed day care center.
• Either a Gateways to Opportunity Level I Illinois Director Credential OR 3 semester hours of college credit or 3 points of credential-approved training in administration, leadership, or management.

Skills

• Knowledge of computer programs, including Word, Excel, and the Internet.
• Ability to read staff manuals, memoranda, and attendance sheets.
• Ability to complete attendance sheets, accident reports, incident reports, and behavior reports using prescribed formats and conforming to rules of punctuation, grammar, and style.
• Ability to give verbal direction to subordinates and communicate effectively with coworkers, supervisors, citizens, and the public.
• Ability to apply common-sense understanding to carry out instructions in written, oral, or diagrammatic form and deal with problems involving several concrete variables.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, coworkers, and the public, including greeting the public courteously and demonstrating good communication skills.
• Ability to attend staff meetings, training sessions, and workshops as requested.

Preferred Qualifications

• CPR, AED, and First Aid certification.
• Food Handler Certification.
• Lead Safety Training (within six months of employment).

Physical Requirements

• Occasional heavy lifting of program equipment (ability to lift a child up to 50 lbs when necessary).
• Prolonged standing while conducting programs.
• Subject to inside environmental conditions (75% of the time) and outside work (25% of the time), with no effective protection from weather conditions or temperature changes.
• Work environments include recreation centers, gymnasiums, multipurpose rooms, kitchens, swimming pools, athletic fields, parks, playgrounds, office spaces, conference rooms, beaches, and field trip sites.
• Classroom settings may include maintaining animals as part of the science area.